Life After Marathons: A Running/barre3/Coffee/Life Journal

[Capang]

UPDATE:
Today I ran 10 miles in this:
View attachment 291244

When I got home, my butt was cold.
The top half of me was actually warm for much of the run. My bottom half ... not so much. But it's done.

Nice! I’ve only been out to shovel in the last week. Yesterday the windchill was up to 0 so it was a good day for shoveling.

 

[Sailormoon2]

Way to go Sarah!!!!

 

[SarahDisney]

I’m a wimp and would have to run inside. I haven’t run outside in well over a week here since it’s been so cold.

Yeah, that's the smart way to do it. I'm a little nutty.

Nice! I’ve only been out to shovel in the last week. Yesterday the windchill was up to 0 so it was a good day for shoveling.

Thanks! My brother was out shoveling when I got home ... I was glad I didn't have to do it. I'm not going out again until it warms up a bit.

Way to go Sarah!!!!

Thanks!

 

[FFigawi]

UPDATE:
Today I ran 10 miles in this:
View attachment 291244

When I got home, my butt was cold.
The top half of me was actually warm for much of the run. My bottom half ... not so much. But it's done.

Oh no, not the cold butt discussion again

 

[SarahDisney]

Oh no, not the cold butt discussion again

It's been at least 3 days since the last cold butt discussion. It's about time for another one.

 

[SarahDisney]

Update: (Not actually an update)
Tomorrow's weather (and Wednesday's...) should be fairly close to Sunday's. Not sure I have it in me to run outside in that weather again. Not sure I want to wake up Beth with the treadmill, though (she says it's okay, but I still don't want to).
No idea what I'm gonna do.
As nice as it is to have Beth home, I miss having my own floor.

 

[SarahDisney]

Update to the Update:
It's possible I accidentally Chromecasted onto my brother's TV instead of mine (technically it would just be "casting" on his TV, because he has a smart TV, which is why I still have his Chromecast)
EDIT: Apparently by accidentally casting to my brother's TV, I turned it on, which confused him, because he remembered turning it off last night. Oops?
Also ... I'm wondering if my knee issues are related to the treadmill. I started to have problems when I was treadmilling a lot, then once the problems went away they didn't come back until today, when I treadmilled.
I'm going to attempt outside tomorrow, so we'll see how my knee handles that.

Also ... anyone else here doing the MapMyRun You vs. the Year challenge? I got my 1km award today. Only 1,017km to go! (I actually ran 3km, so I only have 1,015km to go, but there's no award for 3km. The next award is 21km, which, if all goes as planned, I should get on Sunday)

 

[SarahDisney]

Fred Lebow Manhattan Half: Final Weeks of Training​

Before I get to the upcoming parts of the training, I just want to point out the week starting December 17th, where, as you can see, I skipped two runs. I ended Sunday’s run with pretty bad knee pain that persisted for a few hours, so I decided to skip Tuesday’s run to give myself an extra day of rest. I ran again Wednesday and was originally planning to run Thursday, but I had a full day on-site interview/hiring event, so I decided that I didn’t want to have to worry about being behind schedule. I thought about maybe running Friday instead, but decided that I’d rather the extra rest. Good news is, my knee is mostly fine now, so I think the extra rest helped.

Now, on to the upcoming …
This week has been okay so far. I managed to do the 10 miles on Sunday in the mad cold, but today I didn’t have it in me, so I went treadmill. I’ll be back outside tomorrow (hopefully), then back to the treadmill on Thursday because of snow.

Next week should be a normal week. I’m planning to try out a new fuel for my long run (GU Caramel Macchiato). If I like it, I’ll stop by the running store when I pick up my stuff for the race and get another one for race day. If not … it’ll be a Chocolate Cherry Clif Shot Gel, because the running store no longer seems to have my beloved Mocha.

The week after that (aka the week before the race), though ...
Let’s recap the weeks before my last two halfs:
February 2017 (Central Park Half Marathon) – went to Israel, got back 6 days before the race. Didn’t run at all in Israel or the day I got back.
May/June 2017 (Narrows Half Marathon) – Shavuot (random Jewish holiday that nobody has ever heard of), which meant a few days of no running (although I did somehow still manage to get in three runs that week, my schedule was just wonky).
This race I was finally going to have a normal week before my half – no travelling, no holidays, nothing. Except … my sister invited me to come visit her that weekend. And since I have no idea when I’d get another chance to visit, I’m going. I don’t think I’m going to run while I’m with her (because a lot of reasons), so … once again, my pre-race week is messed up.
Are we taking bets on what’s going to mess up the week before the United Airlines NYC Half? (At this point I’ve just accepted that I will never have a normal week before a half)

Now that all the training stuff is out of the way, let’s get to the important part:

Race Day Plans

Race starts at 8 AM (yuck). I will have already picked up my stuff at the NYRR Run Center during the week, so I don’t have to be there super early, but I’ll probably leave the house between 6 and 6:15 because the subways are stupid, and I may get there obscenely early (according to what I’ve seen, my train will be running local so I may actually need the extra time, but I’ll check again as it gets closer).

Run & Nutrition Strategy

For my last half, the plan was to run the first and last miles and interval everything in between. Originally that was going to be the plan for this race, but then I decided I just kind of want to take this one super easy, so I’m just going to do intervals the whole way. It’ll most likely be 4 minutes running/1 minute walking.

In terms of nutrition … that’s still TBD. There’ll be a pre-race gel of some sort, jelly beans mid-race (we just opened a new jar from Costco, so my flavor options should be good), and Sport Beans post-race. Not sure what gel I will use or what my post-race breakfast will be (other than the Starbucks … I’ve already got a free drink saved up for race day).


Race Outfit

The options (yes, I named my outfit options)…

Option 1: A Skirt So Nice, They Named It Twice



*Top subject to change

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 10 months since my first half. I’ve worn this skirt for both of my halfs and a handful of other races. The pockets are half useless and half amazing (they’re too small for things like my phone, but perfect for my key, extra jelly beans, and dirty tissues).

Other big pro for this outfit is that it’s a race that’s part of a five-borough NYC challenge, and it’s an NYC skirt (con is that I don’t know that I want to wear the same outfit for this and the United Airlines NYC Half, and if I had to pick one, I’d wear this skirt to that … unless I wear the same skirt to all the races in this series).

Top could change depending on the weather. I have a few different tops I can wear with this skirt, and a final decision on that would be made a few days before the race once I have a forecast.


Option 2: Kachol V’Lavan



This outfit is in contention for personal reasons (yes, personal, not political, just putting that out there). This race is named after Fred Lebow, the founder of NYC Marathon and an early president of New York Road Runners. Fred was well known for working to make running inclusive for everyone. However, that’s not the only reason why I feel a special connection to him. It’s rare to see observant Jews in positions of influence. While Fred himself was not observant for most of his life, he was born to an Orthodox family, and his family remained observant. I want to honor that bond that he and I share by wearing colors that are often used to represent our shared religion – blue and white.

The big problem with this outfit is that I can’t layer. I can only fit one shirt under that white shirt, and anything on top defeats the whole blue and white thing (also, there are no pockets in this skirt, which isn’t the worst, but isn’t the best either).


Option 3: Can’t Stop the Colorblock



(Yes, you’ve already seen this picture. It’s the only one I have in this outfit)

This is the same style of skirt as the NYC skirt above, so it has the same pocket situation.
It’s a little harder to layer with than the NYC skirt, but it should be manageable. I can fit at least 2 shirts under that pink jacket, maybe even 3.
My red and yellow running hat (not pictured) does a little bit clash with the skirt, but I’ll survive. Also … it’s possible that the giveaway for this race is a hat, so I could potentially wear that.

Option 4: Wild Card
I could always think of another outfit I want to wear ... I do have some other clothing. Nothing really comes to mind right now, though.

Shoes will be the same for all outfits - my gray New Balance 880s. Those are the only distance shoes I have right now.

So, that's the update. I'll probably have another update the week of the race (probably after I get back from visiting my sister), and possibility a few tidbits of update between now and then,

 

[run.minnie.miles]

Way to go on the treadmill long run!! Woo! I've done a few long runs on the 'mill and they are no joke- good for mental toughness.

(other than the Starbucks … I’ve already got a free drink saved up for race day).

Coffee is my love language. What's your normal order? What will you get on race day?? I love free drinks!

As far as outfits go, I like #1 if you need to layer. If not, I'd go for #2- I think you put a lot of thought into the reason and it's really neat.

 

[FredtheDuck]

Totally agree with @run.minnie.miles on the outfits, and I love the rationale for the second one.

Re: your treadmill running. Do you run in different shoes on the treadmill? In 2016, I didn't. In 2017 I read something somewhere that said that a thinner shoe/lower drop is better on the treadmill, and that it's a good idea to wear different shoes than you would for road running (your stride is different, so the way you impact the shoe is different). So I converted a pair of shoes that I didn't like for road running to treadmill shoes and use them exclusively for that. Randomly, it did help my joint pain. Not sure the switch was the cause, so take that with a grain of salt, but maybe something to think about.

 

[Capang]

Love all 3 outfits, but like the others I’d probably go with #1 or 2. But then I also really like #3 so...hmmm.

 

[SarahDisney]

Way to go on the treadmill long run!! Woo! I've done a few long runs on the 'mill and they are no joke- good for mental toughness.

The long run was outside, the treadmill run was only about 2.5 miles. I don't know that I could handle a long run like that on the treadmill (my treadmill certainly couldn't handle it). I wish I was that tough!

Coffee is my love language. What's your normal order? What will you get on race day?? I love free drinks!

My order changes based on my mood, but I do have some fairly regular orders ...

At Starbucks:
- Hot: Tall bold in a grande cup (with a little bit of nonfat milk, but I put that in myself)
- Iced: Iced tall unsweetened iced coffee with nonfat milk
- Race Day: Iced Venti Vanilla Nonfat Latte (sometimes with an extra shot and/or an extra pump of vanilla, depending on my mood)
(yes, I always order in Starbucks ... except when my brain is too fried to remember the order of things)

Dunkin Donuts:
- Hot: Not coffee. I can't drink their hot coffee
- Iced: Either cold brew with nonfat milk or french vanilla or caramel iced coffee with nonfat milk

Coffee Bean: (this is a coffee place based in SoCal that had locations in NYC for a few years, but they closed last year and I miss them like crazy)
White Chocolate Latte (hot or iced, depending on weather)

Anywhere else:
Plain coffee (hot or iced, depending on weather) with nonfat milk

(Also ... I'm always all for coffee discussion, so thanks for taking it there. Feel free to turn this into "Sarah's Race Suspense and Coffee Chat Journal")

As far as outfits go, I like #1 if you need to layer. If not, I'd go for #2- I think you put a lot of thought into the reason and it's really neat.

Thanks for the input! I'll definitely know more about the layering necessities as we get closer to race day, but for now ... we're too far out for a decent forecast.

Totally agree with @run.minnie.miles on the outfits, and I love the rationale for the second one.

Thanks for the input!

Re: your treadmill running. Do you run in different shoes on the treadmill? In 2016, I didn't. In 2017 I read something somewhere that said that a thinner shoe/lower drop is better on the treadmill, and that it's a good idea to wear different shoes than you would for road running (your stride is different, so the way you impact the shoe is different). So I converted a pair of shoes that I didn't like for road running to treadmill shoes and use them exclusively for that. Randomly, it did help my joint pain. Not sure the switch was the cause, so take that with a grain of salt, but maybe something to think about.

Interesting.
I run in whatever shoes I happen to be planning to wear that day. Treadmill runs are generally my shorter runs, which means the thinner & lower drop shoes, but if I'm running multiple days in a row, it's whatever shoes I didn't wear the day before. Tuesday's run was the short run shoes (6.5mm drop, I think), which I actually really love as road shoes. I know I run differently on the treadmill (which is why I always hated the fact that at the running store you test shoes on the treadmill), so I'm wondering if maybe I do need different shoes. Hmm. Something to think about, especially if the knee pain on the treadmill persists (my knee was fine outside today).

ETA: This article lists my short run shoe, the New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v3, as their #3 treadmill shoe. The plot thickens ...

Love all 3 outfits, but like the others I’d probably go with #1 or 2. But then I also really like #3 so...hmmm.

Thanks for the input. It's a hard decision - they're all good choices!

 

[run.minnie.miles]

The long run was outside, the treadmill run was only about 2.5 miles. I don't know that I could handle a long run like that on the treadmill (my treadmill certainly couldn't handle it). I wish I was that tough!

Umm... not sure how I misread this. Sorry! But way to go on the COLD long run! Get it, girl!

My order changes based on my mood, but I do have some fairly regular orders ...

At Starbucks:
- Hot: Tall bold in a grande cup (with a little bit of nonfat milk, but I put that in myself)
- Iced: Iced tall unsweetened iced coffee with nonfat milk
- Race Day: Iced Venti Vanilla Nonfat Latte (sometimes with an extra shot and/or an extra pump of vanilla, depending on my mood)
(yes, I always order in Starbucks ... except when my brain is too fried to remember the order of things)

Dunkin Donuts:
- Hot: Not coffee. I can't drink their hot coffee
- Iced: Either cold brew with nonfat milk or french vanilla or caramel iced coffee with nonfat milk

Coffee Bean: (this is a coffee place based in SoCal that had locations in NYC for a few years, but they closed last year and I miss them like crazy)
White Chocolate Latte (hot or iced, depending on weather)

Anywhere else:
Plain coffee (hot or iced, depending on weather) with nonfat milk

(Also ... I'm always all for coffee discussion, so thanks for taking it there. Feel free to turn this into "Sarah's Race Suspense and Coffee Chat Journal")

I like your choices! I admire that you can go to Starbucks and order brewed coffee... I cave to the latte!
We don't have a Dunkin close (2.5 hrs away...), so I'm not super experienced with them, but am always caught off guard with their flavor swirls v. unsweetened flavor shots. So much confusion...

I feel like we need to know more about your coffee consumption... are you a 1 cup a day gal? Drink it all day? Visit a coffee shop everyday?

I could talk coffee basically all day... so keep it comin'

 

[Ariel484]

#2 if you don't need to layer (I like the explanation behind it!), #1 if you do need to layer.

 

[evre13]

I'd agree with the above posters. #2 if the temperature cooperates, #1 if not!

I hope you're surviving the blizzard!

 

[SarahDisney]

Umm... not sure how I misread this. Sorry! But way to go on the COLD long run! Get it, girl!

Thanks
(And I confuse myself sometimes, so I'm not surprised that I confuse other people too)

I like your choices! I admire that you can go to Starbucks and order brewed coffee... I cave to the latte!
We don't have a Dunkin close (2.5 hrs away...), so I'm not super experienced with them, but am always caught off guard with their flavor swirls v. unsweetened flavor shots. So much confusion...

The Starbucks thing is like 90% broke student budget (coffee is cheaper than lattes). I love Starbucks too much to give it up (plus, there was a Starbucks across the street from my school and the school coffee sucked), but I can't afford lattes.
And yeah, that flavor shot vs. swirl thing is super confusing. And the French Vanilla has both, so I occasionally end up ordering the wrong one.

I feel like we need to know more about your coffee consumption... are you a 1 cup a day gal? Drink it all day? Visit a coffee shop everyday?

Okay, so ... this is where people start thinking I'm crazy ... I'm not entirely an every day coffee drinker. I used to just be an occasional coffee drinker, but once I started school, I switched over to every day just because I was tired and needed the extra boost (and then it just became my morning routine). Usually I'd just make it at home (my coffee maker has a timer, so it was super easy to just set it up when I woke up and forget about it until I left), and then sometimes I'd run to Starbucks (or the coffee cart outside) for an extra boost in the middle of the day.
Now that I'm done with school, I'm back to just occasional, but I assume that once I get a job I'll be back to every day (and sometimes more than once a day).

I could talk coffee basically all day... so keep it comin'

See new journal title above.
Enough about me ... what are your coffee preferences??

#2 if you don't need to layer (I like the explanation behind it!), #1 if you do need to layer.

Thanks for the input! I think #1/#2 (depending on layering) seems to be the popular opinion.

I'd agree with the above posters. #2 if the temperature cooperates, #1 if not!

Thanks for the input!

I hope you're surviving the blizzard!

Thanks ... I haven't left the house, so I'm doing okay. The good thing about being unemployed is that I don't have a job to get to (although my dad and my brother are both home from work today) ... it really does not look pretty out there (it's actually very pretty with all the white, just not pretty for commuting).

 

[jennamfeo]

I admire that you can go to Starbucks and order brewed coffee

I always *have* to get some sort of "foo-foo" drink (that's what my mom calls them) at Starbucks because for a place so prided in their coffee, their straight black coffee always tastes AWFUL. I just can't.

See new journal title above.
Enough about me ... what are your coffee preferences??

I love coffee, too, so I am jumping in. I am a black coffee, all day, kind of girl. Unless I go to a coffee shop, because I can't make a White Chocolate Mocha like other places can at my own house. I love coffee. We grind our beans the morning we make the coffee and try to buy local or at least small brand beans. I also have an obsession with bourbon barrel aged coffee beans.

 

[run.minnie.miles]

Okay, so ... this is where people start thinking I'm crazy ... I'm not entirely an every day coffee drinker. I used to just be an occasional coffee drinker, but once I started school, I switched over to every day just because I was tired and needed the extra boost (and then it just became my morning routine). Usually I'd just make it at home (my coffee maker has a timer, so it was super easy to just set it up when I woke up and forget about it until I left), and then sometimes I'd run to Starbucks (or the coffee cart outside) for an extra boost in the middle of the day.
Now that I'm done with school, I'm back to just occasional, but I assume that once I get a job I'll be back to every day (and sometimes more than once a day).

That's funny- I was the same way in college. (An occasional coffee drinker... I also added way too much creamer then. Bleh.)

See new journal title above.
Enough about me ... what are your coffee preferences??

Ha! LOVE the new title!

I drink the same thing every morning- Starbucks Veranda Blend K Cup, black. I find the Starbucks blonde roast to best match my tastes, but prefer bolder flavors from other brands.

My Starbucks order is a (hot) Tall Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte. I get Starbucks (more times per week than I can to admit) during my late "lunch" break (after the markets close) as an afternoon snack/treat.
I don't really like this drink hot, however, and usually lean toward cold brews or an iced skinny caramel macciato when I want iced.

 

[SarahDisney]

I always *have* to get some sort of "foo-foo" drink (that's what my mom calls them) at Starbucks because for a place so prided in their coffee, their straight black coffee always tastes AWFUL. I just can't.

I like their dark roast ... basically, the more burnt everyone else thinks it tastes, the more I like it

I love coffee, too, so I am jumping in. I am a black coffee, all day, kind of girl. Unless I go to a coffee shop, because I can't make a White Chocolate Mocha like other places can at my own house. I love coffee. We grind our beans the morning we make the coffee and try to buy local or at least small brand beans. I also have an obsession with bourbon barrel aged coffee beans.

Yeah, there are definitely some things that just don't taste the same when you make them at home.
I wish I had the patience to grind my own beans. I know it probably doesn't take that much longer, but I'm just too lazy to bother. I just buy the ground stuff.
Also ... I did not know that bourbon barrel aged coffee beans was a thing. That's awesome (although I'm not really a big bourbon drinker ... it certainly sounds cool).

That's funny- I was the same way in college. (An occasional coffee drinker... I also added way too much creamer then. Bleh.)

I never got the creamer thing, really. I used to be a milk and sugar person, now it's just milk.

Ha! LOVE the new title!

I figured you would

I drink the same thing every morning- Starbucks Veranda Blend K Cup, black. I find the Starbucks blonde roast to best match my tastes, but prefer bolder flavors from other brands.

Fun! I've actually never had the blonde roast, but I hear good things about it.

My Starbucks order is a (hot) Tall Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte. I get Starbucks (more times per week than I can to admit) during my late "lunch" break (after the markets close) as an afternoon snack/treat.
I don't really like this drink hot, however, and usually lean toward cold brews or an iced skinny caramel macciato when I want iced.

Nice. I actually prefer the Cinnamon Dolce iced (I actually feel like we've had this conversation on @Ariel484's journal, where there used to be lots of Starbucks chatting), but it's good hot too. Cold brew and caramel macchiato are also excellent choices!

 

[Ariel484]

Nice. I actually prefer the Cinnamon Dolce iced (I actually feel like we've had this conversation on @Ariel484's journal, where there used to be lots of Starbucks chatting), but it's good hot too. Cold brew and caramel macchiato are also excellent choices!

That we have! @run.minnie.miles Starbucks is life.

Now, I'm about to go grab myself one of those Black & White Hot Chocolates for the ride home... Of course in the time it takes to walk to my car I don't think it'll stay hot.