I got up on time and checked traffic and it looked good so I took my time getting ready and was running a bit late. I need to remember to give myself 45 full minutes to get ready as I needed to stretch and finish breakfast. 

I headed out at 4am and double checked my bag in the car and off I went! I was trying to get into the zone and calm my nerves when BAM I got hit from behind. Let me just say, I am so lucky. I did not get injured or hurt and my car just need a new bumper and still drive able (I will not be driving it just to be safe) and I just bumped my head. It did slow me down of course. After the cops came and they sent me off, I went to drop my car off and then my boyfriend drove me to the start of the race. I promised I would stop if I felt bad or sore or whatever but since I was fine, I figured I can at least try. 

So I got dropped of at 5:50 after driving around trying to come up with something but then I had to walk to the start but the traffic was insane (ASIDE: the marathon was supposed to start a 6 and half at 730 but with the high temps, the half was given the option to start at 6 so let's just say a lot of people dis that). Other people didn't even have their bibs yet. I walked up and at 6:05 and the bike tour was just starting. I knew I was good-I peed with no line, dropped off my bag and tried to seed myself based on half time (they had waves). 

I started around 6:19 and tried to seed myself correctly. It was crowded at the start for sure especially with the full and half sharing a course for the first 10.5 miles. I tried my best to stay to the side and get my intervals in. I was feeling good!

So around mile 2 was the first water stop and it was a cluster for sure. I figured out to go to the end and decided to make sure to walk through every water stop to ensure I get full hydration. 

After this, we went over the first "hill" which I got up quickly. The hill work I have been doing in my long runs have definitely helped! I knew I would be good to go. We went over and saw the queen Mary and downtown Long beach as the sun rose. We took another bridge/hill to get into downtown. I also got to use the restroom with no wait! 

We continued back towards the start and got to see the start of the 7:30 race around mile 6 which was cool! We continued to the beach when it was just crowded. The course had been so crowded already but the bike path wasn't wide enough to really spread out. I moved over to another lane and was able to keep my speed. The other by the ocean was beautiful but also rough as we were heading directly into the sun. Towards the end of the path, I found a restroom with no line so I took advantage! 

​As we turned off the path, I knew we would be splitting soon. We got our first fuel stop and I took extra water as it was getting it to make sure I could process it correctly. Right around mile 10, we went right and half marathoners went left. 

And then it was a bit weird. The smallest race I've ever run is a local 5k with a few hundred people. A bit bigger than that, was the sunset strip half with about 4000 people. Well the marathon had a finish of 

When we turned the corner, it was a bit eery. It was DEAD SILENT and no crowd. It was great to just run a race without weaving but also weird for it to be so quiet. With it being warm, there were very few spectators out. The ones that were out, it was because we ran by their house and they were stuck. Many had water and snacks out and were so great! On my way in, we saw the winners heading out! So crazy they literally run twice as half as me! 

As we headed to the halfway point, we ran heading straight to the sun and I was faltering a bit. It was the first time I felt bad so I took in some more fuel and kept trucking. I took in some coconut water and felt much better and more nuun. 

I hit the halfway point at and knew it would be a bit tough from here on out as it was HOT! We ran by some gorgeous houses and some SHADE! We also ran by a high school with some great cheerleaders. 

At mile 15, I ran by the mister fan which was just sad. It barely made a difference! We kept going and it was hot and I could tell I was craving salt. I almost went into a 7/11 to find salt packets but did not. I ended up getting some pretzels from a spectator and was able to just eat the salt off and it helped. 

We came up on some great spectators and the KOOLNFIT tent! My legs were feeling much fresher and I definitely took my time over the next few miles to CSU: Long Beach as a lot of people had ice! It is such a difference with cold water! 

We headed into CSU to great and active students and a bit do shade but HILLS. We hit 2 hills that were not the business and I walked them. I stopped for another potty stop and kept going. This was definitely one of my favorite parts of the race. 


After was a bit rough as it was back where we had come from. The heading back had little shade and it was rough to see the people struggling to finish. I stopped for water, snacks, and kept taking fuel and was actually feeling really fresh. At the this point, I realized I would PR but I did not want to push the pace as it was getting warmer and warmer and I don't want to get sick. I kept pouring at least 1-2 cups of water on my head per water stop. 
As we headed back by the high school, was when I was starting to cramp a bit. My hip flexors were tight and my calves were knotted. I kept pushing and around mile 24, I had a crazy calf cramp. I stopped and put biofreeze on my calf (I had put some on my hip flexors as needed earlier) and sprayed it with KOOLNFIT and walked for about a minute and felt much better. I knew I could definitely hold on. 

As we headed back to the beach, it got cooler but not by much. It was just hot and I stopped my intervals soon after. I decided to go by feel and basically ended up doing a :45/:45. I stayed mentally strong and knew that it was HOT so I needed to listen to my body as I could tell I was very dehydrated. 

I stopped to pee one more time (which was pointless as there was no point as I was so dehydrated) and knew I could get to the end. As we did the final turn, I knew the end was near! There still was a lack of spectators (no fault as it was so warm) and I was excited. 

At 5:05, my headphones died! Now I know, they basically last exactly 5 hours so runs longer than that, I have to bring an extra set. I pulled out my extra set and they were a mess of tangles but I fixed it. I wanted music for my last mile! 

We turned back towards the start line and I could see the finish. MY PR IS NEAR! I picked up the pace slightly and crossed in 5:18:53, an almost 28 minute PR! In 91 degree heat! My LAM experience has been redeemed! Sub 5 is definitely in my sight! 

 I got my goodies (water, coconut water, chips, banana) and the coolest towel ever and went to sit under a tree and try to eat some chips and water. I called my dad to let him know I finished and then went to get my checked bag, baby wipe myself down and change. I then walked back to the outlet malls while chatting with my mom and went to pick up my burger. 

So I had decided to pre order a burger and fries from Islands before I left the house and it was genius! While I waited for Ralph, I sat in the shade and ate and it was so needed! I also was able to have my post recovery and protein and nuun and felt a lot better but still sore. We headed home and I took an amazing cold bath soak and shower and got ready for Devin and Brian's Engagement Party! After that, I passed out early and woke up a bit sore the next day but recovery was slower than I would like. Since it was so warm (100 in Pasadena for days and 90s at work) I couldn't get out of the office to get in walks without coming back a sweaty mess. I feel almost 10 days later back to normal so I am hoping after NYCM all of the walking will help keep me loose. 

Overall, I was very strong mentally and never has a moment thinking I would not finish. I also purposefully wore my same outfit from LAM as a way to redeem that performance. I never got to a point where I thought I could not finish. 

I definitely think the salt and the ice helped so much. I think I would have cracked before that without it so I need to remember to carry salt packets with me on future runs. 

I liked the course. I think it would be different if it wasn't so warm as it is pretty flat. the course support was great and the volunteers were top notch. I heard somewhere around 6000 half marathoners started early so I bet it was just the mararthoners, it would have been much different in the beginning.

i would definitely recommend the Long Beach Marathon to others!

Have you ever run Long Beach? What was the last race you did? 

Another Tuesday, another Tuesday on the Run hosted by our favorites: 
April from Run the Great Wide Somewhere, Erika from MCM Mama Runs, and Patty from No-Guilt Life. This week's topic is 2015 Resolutions: midyear updates!

I wrote a post  wrapping up my 2014 resolutions back in January and feel I did pretty well. Now to go review my 2015 Resolutions in Detail!

HEALTH RELATED
1. Become more gluten free B-
I have definitely learned more but have also slipped into non-gluten habits because it is "easier" sometimes. I definitely pay for it in terms of feeling like crap and being bloated for 3-4 days. I need to recommit myself to the lifestyle for sure because it works better for me

2. Limit social drinking to 1-2 times/month B+
As I stated originally, this has not been a problem but just to limit myself and I have mostly stuck to it. I will have a glass of wine at home every now and then but going out for drinks has been about 1-2 times/month. I have been going out after class with my classmates mainly because it is summer but once school starts again in the Fall, we will definitely cut back

3. Examine food scripts D
Never got to this. I still think about it from time to time but not enough to really blog about it. 
 
4.  Get my blog out there B-
I have added to more linkups since I love writing the posts and reading other peoples but I have not applied for any additional ambassadorships besides Fit2Run which I have loved. Definitely something to work on for the second half of the year (SweatPink is definitely on the docket)


5. Consistently Cross- train 3x a week, core and stretch every day B
I am definitely much better at this but don't do core and stretch every day-more like 5 times a week which seems to be a good balance for me. As I get back into running higher mileage, those will be a must! 

RUNNING RELATED
1. finish all of my races healthy/work on Chi Running techniques B
Definitely had a few injuries flare up and realized it was the lack of core workouts-. Once I added those back in, it has been much better! I have re-read the Chi running techniques but want to read them again as I have been experiencing shin pain lately. 

2. increase my interval to a strong 3 minutes running/30 sec walking B+
After talking to Jeff Galloway at Princess, he said that I should knock it down to either 1:30 or 2 min and 30 sec walking. The 1:30 was a bit too stop and go for me but I have definitely found my sweet spot with 2 min: 30 sec and will be sticking with it for a long time. 

3. time goals: sub 5:00 marathon, sub 2:10 half, sub :58 10k, sub 28 min 5k, run a 5k straight C
Sub 5:00 marathon-still hurt about the crash and burn at the LAM because of the weather
Sub 2:10 half-I got a new PR at the Sunset Strip half and definitely think I could have gone sub 2:10 if it had been flat (my running segments were 2:10:50)
sub :58 10k-not yet but this is definitely my goal for the Christmas Run in 2015 as I got so close in 2014. 
sub 28 5k- so close at the Angels 5k
run a 5k straight-DID IT at Santa Anita 5k but I am faster with intervals so I will stick with that! 

4. run more local races A+
So far this year I have run Old Agoura 10k-Great Race (course PR-1:02:22), 2015 Santa Anita Derby 5k (old PR-:29:43), 2015 Angels Foundation 5k (new PR- :28:05) and 2015 Sunset Strip Half Marathon (new PR- 2:13:14). I am running a 5k on Saturday(it was TEN DOLLARS! that is unheard of in LA) and also the pasadena 80s run in 2 weeks. I love local races! 

5. travel for a race that is not Disney related A+ 
All in for the NYC Marathon and then continuing the crazy for the Wine and Dine half marathon! 

6. 15 races in 2015 A+ 
I have already run 16 races this year (not counting virtual races!) I will definitely get close to 30. 

What were some of your 2015 goals and how have you done on them so far? 

Another Tuesday, another Tuesday on the Run hosted by our favorites: 
April from Run the Great Wide Somewhere, Erika from MCM Mama Runs, and Patty from No-Guilt Life. This week's topic is about Challenge races: running races back to back. 


Challenge races are my BRF (Best Running Friend)! No really- Challenges are close to my heart especially the rundisney ones. I love the challenge of them and most importantly: the BLING!! I have been in since the first Dumbo was announced in 2013. 

Since then I have run:

• 3 Dumbos and signed up for a 4th (2012,2013,2014)
  
• 2 Glass Slipper Challenges (2014,2015)
  
• 1 Dopey/Goofy
  
• 1 Rebel Challenge and signed up for another (2016)
  
• 1 Pixie Dust Challenge and will sign up for another
  
• Signed up for the unofficial challenge of running the wine and dine 5k in the morning and half at night
• Signed up for 1 Infinity Gauntlet challenge
  
• Did the LA Turkey trot 5k/10k (back to back) and signed up to do it again 
• signed up for the 2016 New Years race (non-rundisney and it will be a 10k followed by a half an hour later)
• signed up for the 2016 All Day Carlsbad 20k where I will run 4 5ks back to back (Master's Men, Master's Women, under 29, 30-39)

So 10 total with 6 currently signed up for and 1 more I will sign up for next month (Pixie Dust!!!). 


I LOVE challenges and enjoy training for them (yes, I'm a weirdo). Since 2013, I have learned A LOT about challenges and how best to prepare so you can enjoy yourself. 

WHAT I PERSONALLY DO
In all of my race recaps, I do a full recap of what I did the day before and after. This is important for me to go back and read after the fact to see what I can tweak for next time. I also have a running journal where I write out my plan before, during and after and make notes right after for what I learned/ can improve upon. 

BALANCE 
One of the main things I have a hard time balancing is being at Disney for challenge races. For me, this is much easier at Disneyland as I live 40 min away and can go whenever. For WDW, this can be harder but that is why I like to plan a few vacation days after the race to help with recovery and also get more park time in. You can't burn the candles at both ends-you will end up miserable and tired. 

PLAN MEALS 
Personally, I plan all of my meals first. I start with dinners. I like to have dinner around 5 preferably at a sit down location so that its reserved and will allow me to hopefully get back to my hotel room by 7. 

BEDTIME ROUTINE
From there, I double check I have everything I need set out, double check my alarm and plan for the morning and try to get in bed by 8.

SLEEP
For DL races, that will allow me close to 8 hours before I have to get up. For WDW, that will allow me 7 hours before I need to get up. I don't believe it is just luck that the races I've gotten the most sleep before (Tink 2014 and 2015) are the races I've felt very strong at. 

DURING THE RACE
During the race, I like to hold back for the first race (or series of races). The important thing is to get through the longest race well. The best way to do that is to hold back and take your time in the first ones. This is easier said than done because people FLY at the start. Stick to your plan and you will be fine. 

FUELING 
Make sure you are fueling properly during the race. I usually increase my fueling to include more shots or bloks before I will need it (yes, you have seen me taking clif shots during a 5k and 10k-gotta restock that sugar and glycogen). You are trying to hold glycogen in your muscles so the sooner you restock the sugars lost, the better. 

EAT EAT EAT 
After the race, you need to eat immediately to restock carbs. I always eat the box of food given at the finish and try and have a recovery meal within an hour. I usually head straight to food whether it is a meal or a food court stop. 

REST AND STRETCH AND ROLL
Once in the hotel, I shower, stretch and roll and relax. I want to give my muscles a chance to recharge. I also lay out all of my clothes, accessories and food I need for the next day and charge all electronics. 

I try not to rest more than an hour and usually don't nap. I head back out to the parks and grab lunch or a large snack around noon. 

PARK TIME 
Walking around the parks is great recovery. It keeps the lactic acid at bay but keep it easy. You will want to stretch when you can and keep moving and hydrating. 

HYDRATE
Water is the key. You want to drink as much water as possible so you are well hydrated. I always carry a water bottle with me. 

AGAIN AGAIN 
Like I said, dinner is early and then back to repeat the cycle! After the final race, I do like a quick nap (an hour or so) before heading out to celebrate. 

Oh and make sure to wear your medals around the park!


That should do it for tips. As always, check out my recaps from past races and feel free to contact me if you ever need help with training for challenges! 


Anyone else like challenges as much as I do? 

Triumph Thursdays hosted by Smitha from Running With SD Mom, Linzie from Sharp Endurance & Carlee from Carlee McDot.  I will be finishing up my Tinkerbell Pixie Dust Challenge recap! 


It's here! The tinkerbell half! I was up at 3:55 and out of the door by 4:30. I got dressed much faster today so had more time to chill in the pre-race area. I met up with my friend from grad school and we did a real bathroom break in the Paradise Pier hotel before splitting off to our corrals.

Corral A was abuzz with excitement but also pretty crowded. I really wish they would adopt the smaller corrals of Princess were each corral has around 500 people instead of 2000. Sub 2:15 is a huge span considering the race was won in 1:15!

Before I knew it, we did the national anthem and off we went. We had the same start as the 10k with the overpasses so I took my time going slow and walking all of the uphills and running the downhills. We were backstage before I knew it and entered DCA by tower of terror. There was a decent line for buzz light year and the girls from the parade. I skipped it as it was pretty long (the first one usually is) and continued on. As we headed back to Carsland, we got to see the first women coming through and it was exciting:they are fast!!
Carsland had mater and McQueen and I skipped them as I got them the day before. We continued to backstage and ended up on the Pier and took my first pic! Silvermist was across the way but I couldn't safely get over to her.

Here is Iridessa's complete Disney Wiki if you are interested. 

Iridessa is one of Tinkerbell's friend that is the fairy of light. Her talent is she can manipulate light to add to lightning bugs or even create rainbow. Her dress is made of sunflower petals and she has a sunflower seed on her topMaking an Irisdessa costume is a very easy endeavor.

You need the following materials:

• Yellow shirt-mine is from Target
• Yellow bottoms,such as a tutu-i made mine
• Brown belt-made mine from ribbon from Michael's
• Cut out sunflower-fabric square from Michael's
• Rainbow accessories such as a headband-mine is Sweatyband
• yellow compression socks-mine are from ProCompression 
  
• Wings-I got mine at the Dollar Store
• Hairdo-she has an updo. I did my hair in a bun

I was able to take many parts of my costume from former costumes such as the yellow shirt I had for my Tweedledee costume in from 2013, my yellow tutu was from my snow white costume for Princess half 2014, and everything else I bought.

Overall this is a very easy costume to put together and I am very happy with the results. 

What was the last costume you used for a race? Did you reuse parts of your costume?

I have decided to join a new linkup: Triumph Thursdays hosted by Smitha from Running With SD Mom, Linzie from Sharp Endurance & Carlee from Carlee McDot. This week I will talk about The Tinkerbell 10k and how it was the best Disney 10k I have ever run (even though the DL 10k of 2013 was amazing as it was the first one!)! 


The morning started early at 4am. I was slow moving and eventually got ready and out of the hotel by 445 and at the pre run area by 5. My costume for the day was Iridessa, the fairy of Light. I used the portas  (first one in the porta!) and then checked my bag and headed to the corral. I chatted up a few people and before I knew it, it was time to take off.

I decided to run by feel and get over on the sidewalk to do my walk intervals and the plan worked well. I walked the first 3 "hills" aka overpasses and finished the first mile around 10:45 and before I knew it, we were in the backlot! I took some water and headed into the park.

We hit Disneyland first so I stopped for a pic with the outside. Then I stopped for a pic driving the Fire Truck and with chip and Dale.

I went to bed early on Friday and was up bright and early at 5am for the tink 10k. I dressed as Iridessa the fairy of light. I got a new Disney PR by almost 3 minutes (1:21:57) which included a bathroom break and FIFTEEN PHOTO STOPS!! woo-hoo! 

Saw the Hatbox Ghost in Haunted Mansion and hung out in the parks for a bit before going to a Facebook meetup and having a solo dinner at Carthay Circle. Up early on Sunday for the half dressed as Tink. 

I got another Disney PR by almost 8 minutes (2:35:53) which included TWELVE photo stops and 2 bathroom breaks. 

Full recaps for all of the events: Expo, 10k, and half are coming this week along with a review of a few new items I got at the Expo. 

I had an amazing weekend and can't wait for next year and the 5th anniversary race! yay for being a Legacy! 

I have been selected to be a Jeff Galloway blogger and could not be more excited for the opportunity. Incase you aren't familiar with him, he is AMAZING, a former Olympian and the official rundisney training consultant and probably one of the most down to earth people you could ever meet. 

Here are past tips: here, here , here, here, and here. 

As you probably know, I am trying to increase my speed so these tips could not have come at a better time. 
FIVE WAYS TO GET FASTER
by Olympian Jeff Galloway

Longer Long Runs
Increasing the length of the longest long run has produced the greatest amount of improvement that I've seen among my coaching clients.  Several surveys have shown more than 13 minutes of time improvement when runners increase their longest long run from 20 miles to 26 miles before a marathon.  Comparable time improvements are experienced in 10K runners and half marathoners when they increase their long runs above race distance as noted in my YEAR ROUND PLAN book that covers all the distances.  Long runs must be at least 2 min/mi slower than current ability, with liberal walk breaks.  The slower the pace, the quicker the recovery.  I suggest doing the long runs every 2-3 weeks.
**I am a fan of longer runs. I have found that when I do longer runs, it does help endurance during the race. It is hard to do 26 miles before the real race mainly because it takes so much time but everytime I do it, I learn so much. the more long runs I do, the easier marathons will become. 

Speed Repetitions—increasing the number
My runners have improved by an average of over 6 minutes in a marathon (3+ minutes in a half marathon) by increasing the number of speed repetitions to 14 x 1 mile for the marathon, and 14 x 800 meter for the half marathon.  I recommend that each of these be run 30 sec/mi faster than goal pace.  The recovery interval is a 5 min walk between miles and a 3 minute walk between 800's.  These workouts prepare one to maintain or pick up pace at the end of the goal race, instead of slowing down.  See GALLOWAY TRAINING PROGRAMS & HALF MARATHON books for details (www.RunInjuryFree.com).
***I definitely want to try this. I definitely can hold a speed of 30 sec over goal pace for these intervals. once I get back into training, I am going to get more speedwork on the calendar for sure. 

Improve Running Form
Most runners I've monitored have improved several minutes in a marathon by fine-tuning their running form.  As the mechanics become smoother and within one's limits, there is a significant reduction in aches, pains and injuries.  The two best ways to improve form are water running and cadence drills.
•        water running uses the same basic motion as when running on land, using a flotation device so that the feet don't touch the bottom of the pool.  When done for at least 15 minutes, once a week, the legs find a more efficient path through the water—eliminating extraneous motion.
•        The cadence drill is done for 30 seconds, counting the number of times the foot touches the ground.  This drill is detailed in most of my books.  I've found the key to improving speed on the mechanical side is quicker turnover.
**Cadence is huge for me. I want to work on shorter strides for a faster turnover. 

Race in Shorter Events
Dropping down a standard distance or two can improve your mechanics for running faster and your ability to handle a higher level of oxygen debt.  On non-long-run weekends, during a half marathon program, try some 5K or 10K races.  When training for a marathon, race at the 10K or half marathon distance.  At first, the faster pace of the shorter distance may seem awkward.  But after several short races, you will adapt—especially if you do some speed training for the shorter/faster event.  These performance improvements can translate into faster times in the longer distances.  My book 5K/10K details the training and the racing strategies for these events.
**this is something I have taken to heart this year. I so far have PRed my 5k and half times and am looking to PR in the 10k and marathon by the end of the year. I think it helps so much to race shorter distances and I learn so much each time. 

Hill Training
The only way I've found to build strength for running is to run hill repeats.  On a moderate grade hill, start at a jog and pick up the turnover rate of the feet and legs as you go up the hill, shortening your stride.  Walk down the hill for recovery.  Don't sprint, and follow the other hill training guidelines in my books and atwww.RunInjuryFree.com.  The strength from hill training will allow you to perform better in speed sessions which will help you improve in your goal race.  You'll also run faster on hilly courses, during your races.
***There is this hill by the Rose Bowl that goes up, levels out and goes up again. I did some speedwork on it before the Sunset strip half and definitely think it helped. I want to incorporate it more as I train for the NYCM since the bridges are basically hills. I need to figure out what works best and how to track my times on the hill. 

Save NOW and register for the Jeff Galloway 13.1 and Barb's 5K.  Prices increases tomorrow May 2nd!  Don't let your readers miss out on these savings! Register now athttp://www.jeffgalloway131.com.

Listen and share this great podcast "Jeff Galloway's Tips For Beginner Runners" with Mark Kennedy from Healthynomics!  From how Jeff got running to breathing while you run; it's all here!

What are some of your speedwork tips? 

It has been over a week since I finished my craziness of 4 races in 4 weeks (recaps here ) in basically the same shirt. 

Small overview:
March 27: Old Agoura 10k-Great Race (course PR-1:02:22)
I had a cold and was worried I wouldn't be able to run but I was fine. Hilly course at the end that caused me to feel like my throat was on fire. I took almost 5 minutes off my time from last year using the same intervals. 

April 4: Santa Anita Derby 5k (new PR-:29:43)-  I ran the entire race, minus a 10-15 sec water break
This course was fantastic and a new must do for me. It is gorgeous and the perks were awesome (running on the track, going to the Derby later). This was a surprise PR to me that I worked hard for. I'm so proud of myself for running the entire time but I didn't like how tired (and hungry! I was SO hungry) I felt after and wanted to see what I could do the following week. 

The next day I did 10 miles with hill repeats  on very tired legs to finish my taper for the sunset strip half. 

April 11: Angels Foundation 5k and a new PR (:28:05)
If there was ever a doubt intervals are for me, this silenced all of them. Running a 5k back to back in similar race conditions and I was over 90 seconds faster. This race was a bit unorganized for my tastes but we did get a free game which we redeemed for after the DL half. I was disappointed I didn't go sub-28 mainly because of crowding issues. 

April 19: Sunset Strip Half Marathon and a new PR (2:13:14)
This course was hilly and I had a crazy bathroom but I PRed by almost 30 seconds. I needed this race- it was running over the exact place I started to fall apart in the LA marathon as it is hilly and no shade from the sun. 


Overall, I think it all worked out well. I am proud of what I was able to accomplish and feel like it will definitely help me in the long run (no pun intended) . Since I ran a variety of distances, I was also able to work on lots of pacing. I was able to go out fast and hang on in a 5k, practice finding a comfortable pace and hanging on to push at the end of a 10k and also get in some hill practice for the NYCM in the half. 

As I said, I needed this. After the LA Marathon, my confidence was shot and I felt lost. I was worried with all of the hard work I had put in over the last year was for nothing and I felt like I was getting slower and injured. I needed to show myself that even if I have a bad race or run that it does not define me. I actually shortened by intervals and have been getting great race times. I may even shorten them again and see what happens. 

I was also sick of running a race and getting injured with flare ups. I finally figured out I need to do daily core work and stretches as well as stay active after a race. I used to think I needed rest after a race but that just seems to be my problem. Now I am able to work on an active recovery with more walking after the race and the next few days and how t modify core work as well. 

I was able to work on my fueling and nutrition which will help immensely with more races coming up. With that I was also able to work on my post recovery food and figure out what I need the eat after to recover faster. 

I was able to work on my prep routine and see that even if I don't get as much sleep as I would have liked, which was more common with Saturday races than Sunday, I can still perform. If I could get 7-8 hours of sleep before a race, I perform even better. 

Overall I enjoyed my time and can't wait to race again next week for the Pixie Dust Challenge. Would I do it again? Well I am with my really insane November of NYCM, wine and dine 5k Saturday morning and the half at night the next weekend and the Infinity challenge with a 10k on Saturday and half on Sunday. The important things to remember is to hydrate, eat correctly, sleep as much as possible, just have fun! 

Have you ever run back to back race weekends? What did you learn from it?