I can't believe training is coming to an end and the marathon is 7 days away!  I haven't blogged nearly enough but it doesn't mean the work didn't get done.  So much has happened to get me to this point again.  I honestly don't know where to begin other than to say, I feel ready.  

Today was the last long run of the training season.  Its "cold" here in TX so it was a wonderful run.  If you have followed my progress at all over the last 2 years, I am a cold weather runner.  I run in the heat only out of necessity but much prefer colder temps!  

I have to tell you the best thing I did this time around was hire a coach!  His training schedule has kept me injury free (mostly, but more on that in a minute), challenged and motivated but the most important thing for me was knowing I was being held accountable.  It was easy to skip a workout in the past when I used a plan that I found online.  Who would know I didn't do it or didn't push my limits and just took it easy.  

As I got into the tough weeks, I just kept checking off the workouts.  Some were better than others but I was hitting them!  My first 20 miler came and when I finished, I felt great; tired but great.  The only bad part of that run was knowing the next day that our running group would be minus a one of our most important members. A stress fracture was going to put him out for 6 weeks and wouldn't be going to Houston with us.  He will be cheering from home and I have strict orders not to come back without a BQ.

I think I may have started having sympathy pains shortly after this incident.  I started feeling some pain in my ankle during my runs and started to panic a little.  So much so that I asked the group to do 5 mile loops on my next 20 miler.  Which they graciously did and I made it through just fine.  Slower than the first one but it got done and that was another first for me.  I have never completed two 20 mile runs in a training season.  Kudos to my coach once again.  

So today, after weeks of early morning track workouts, threshold runs and runs just to put some time on my feet, l've completed that last long run healthy and feeling good.  I will pray that the Lord guide me through and when I am tired, remember that all my strength is in his hands.

I am truly blessed to be given the ability to attempt to reach my goal once again and even more so to be surrounded by a community of running friends that will run at crazy early hours of the morning just to keep me company.  I love each and everyone of you.

Until next Sunday.......

Wish me luck!

Changes

Post written in October but forgotten to publish......


So the weather it seems is finally changing here in Texas and I couldn't be happier.  It has been perfect running weather.  Training has been going well.  

I ran a half last weekend and it wasn't one of my better races.  At the start, it was in the 70s and the course was an out and back on the dam with no reprieve from the sun.  I forgot my sunglasses that morning and ran most of the race solo.  It was mentally tough and I had to keep talking myself up.  A few days after the race, I got an email with my races photos.  Ugh, not pretty!  That form I've been working on.....well, lets just say that I revert back to old habits when I get tired.  Baby steps!

Fast forward through a busy week and I found myself again running solo.  By my choice I decided to change the time of my run to allow me to join the family at church.  The weather looked to be ideal with temperatures in the high 50s to low 60s.  I headed out about 9 am and the weather was great.  I had a target pace but was told that it was not as important as just getting the miles in.  Overall the run was a good one.  It got tough the last 4 miles as the temperature rose and legs tired.  

Training is changing this week.  Speed work is finally on the schedule and I'm excited to see how I do.  I hope that I don't disappoint myself.  

In addition to weather changes and form changes, the schedule change may become a permanent change as well.  Changes may be in the horizon for our family but change is good and God will provide.

Looking Forward to Monday!

Wow, what a week!  I've had bad weeks before but friends this one really had me in an emotional tailspin.  I'm glad I waited until Sunday night to share with you all because had I done so earlier, I'm sure someone would have sent some nice people in a padded van to pick me up for some R&R!

Let's start with Monday. I usually don't work but because I had a trip planned to Chicago to celebrate a dear friend's retirement, I adjusted my week.  No biggie, I'm flexible!  (No comments from the peanut gallery!!)  I didn't have a run scheduled so it started as an easy morning.  Little did I know .......  After school is crazy busy for us on Monday's so I dropped the older two off at home while I took AVZ to Taekwondo.  I had barely pulled out of the driveway, when my phone rang.  The kids were calling to tell me the dog had had an accident and it smelled like someone had died in the house.  Bless their hearts!  By the time I got home, they had cleaned up the dog, the carpet (as best they could) and gotten the bed out of the crate and outside!  Huge points scored!

On to Tuesday, at this point I don't remember but I'm sure I had a run scheduled.  Since I don't remember, it was uneventful and completed as scheduled.  Tuesday is starting off pretty good.  Well.....again busy after school schedule and I found myself sitting in the parking lot of the high school with 2 out of the 3 kiddos while the oldest was at his flute lesson.  While we were reading stories & talking about the events of the day,  I watched a teenager in, what was soon obvious, a vehicle too big for him, attempt to pull into the spot beside me.  Unfortunately for my front quarter panel, he over estimated his turning radius!  While it really sucked, no one was hurt so I took his information and will get the car fixed.

And so we are on to Wednesday and I remember what was suppose to be run, because I didn't get it done.  You always remember the ones you miss or don't run well.  I was too tired to get up for 6.5 and told myself I would run after school.  Ha, what a rookie!!  Remember the dog that was sick on Monday?  Well, he paid a visit to the vet but I was still optimistic that I would run when I got home.  Nope!  Things went south really quickly and without going into details, the teenager wasn't speaking to me and I was holding that coveted "Mother of the Year" award for screaming insanely.  Hold off on that padded van.  All is good, I ate my humble pie and apologized.  I also canceled my trip to Chicago which I was very sad about but knew I needed to be home.   Sometimes, parenting is not pretty and down right hard!  

My coach has been extremely patient and accommodating (yes, he will probably read this!) with my varying schedules so no run was scheduled for Thursday because of the trip.  Well, like a good girl, I got up and ran my 6.5 from the previous day.  Most of the run was done by myself, in the dark, alone!  I don't like to do it but its just the way it worked out.  I survived and was glad to say I hadn't missed it.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful, thankfully.  My long run this week was on Sunday, again because of the trip to Chicago.  It started out pretty humid but the wind changed and picked up and we even got some welcomed rain.  I felt really good and while I am still struggling with form, I am feeling optimistic that it will come.  

I always look for the lesson and what I learned this week is its time to re-evaluate where I choose to place most of my energy.  After Wednesday night, it was pretty obvious that I need to direct more of my energy towards my kids and our relationship.

Here's to a fresh start tomorrow and the opportunity to do better.

Wish me luck!

Form First, Speed Later

So, two weeks ago I had some company on my long run.  I've been feeling the shin splints a little.  Its not a constant but enough to remind me that I need to run smart so I've been keeping the coach up to date on how I feel after each run.  He decided he should come out and watch my form.  The picture above reminds me of what I felt like knowing I was being "watched".   I joked that he had a paper and pencil out making notes to grade me on later! 

Not really, but it still was a little unnerving.  No one wants to have this vision in their mind of looking like Shalane Flanagan only to be told you look more like Phoebe!

But in all seriousness, form matters!  My focus during runs this week has been to drive from the hips and keep my upper body quiet.  Hmm, ok.  Doesn't sound too hard until you try it.  I honestly thought my form was good, then I caught a glimpse of my shadow in the street lights Wednesday morning and saw just what he meant by keep your upper body quiet.  The frustrating part was my pace slowed as a result of focusing on form.  Shouldn't it be as easy as lacing up the shoes and putting one foot in front of the other?! 

I've been running for years without any thought to form.  To change it won't happen overnight, so I've been told.  I'll get there, it will just take work, time and patience.  I'm not afraid of the work, I'll put in the time needed but man that last one!  It gets me every time!  

Wish me luck.

Refreshed and Ready!

Its been 8 months.  I didn't realize how long its been since I last posted but it was a much needed break.  I've been running but just for the fun of it.  No pressure to run a particular distance or pace.  

It was on a recent, no pressure run that the discussion, as it always does, turned to Boston.  The group was discussing how many of us were registered again for the half marathon in Houston this coming January and that I wouldn't run another full marathon until 2018.  I would be in the next age bracket then, gaining 10 minutes to the qualifying time.  A comment was made that if I did run 26.2 in 2017 my qualifying time would be for my age in 2018.  Confused?  Well, I was too, so I looked it up and here's what I found.

So, after some discussion with J, I transferred to the full marathon in Houston, January 2017, hired a running coach and just finished week 2 of training!  I've got a long road ahead of me but I'm excited.  My training goals are to be patient, smart and stay injury free.  

Notice I said patient first!  This is a daily struggle for me but one that I know God continues to put before me to make me stronger.  After all, its a marathon not a sprint!

Wish me luck!

On to Plan B....

Race Change: Chevron Houston Marathon to Aramco Houston Half Marathon Dear Hillarie Van Zanten: You have successfully switched your race from the Chevron Houston Marathon to the Aramco Houston Half Marathon.

Time for an update!  Its been 3 weeks since the infamous "Acorn Attack".  I have spent a lot of time in the pool still, visited the Chiropractor and had long conversations with the husband.  

The last of these left me with a heavy heart and a lot of praying for an answer.  J has always had my back when it comes to my drive to see goals achieved.  This has not changed but for the first time he voiced concern over the long term affects of continuing to push through to the marathon next month.  It was time to take a moment to listen and contemplate this.  What is the ultimate goal?  What are the repercussions after the marathon if I pushed it?

In the end, he's right, as usual!  Of course this pisses me off but God brought this man into my life to support, encourage and sometimes be my dose of reality when needed and for all of this I love him!  

I am not physically or mentally ready for 26.2 miles.  To run a marathon unprepared is not the goal.  It would be miserable (not that a properly trained for one isn't but I digress).  So I will take my ultimate goal off the table for now and will go to Houston next month to run, not for PR or to qualify for a bigger race but just to run.  I will run the Half Marathon for the pure fun of it!

Thank you all for the support this year!  Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!  Here's to 2016, a healthier year both physically and mentally!

Wish me luck!

Acorn-1/Me-0

This was the plan anyway!  Saturday's weather was ideal and most of the group was back out and ready for 16 miles.  It felt great to get going.  Football and the upcoming College games were the topic of conversation.  We were 2 miles in and I decided to take the lead (or they let me think anyway).  And then it happened.  One step all is going just as planned and the next step you watch your ankle turning in an unnatural direction and then you are on the ground!  A darn acorn! Unbelievable!

So after x-rays, the good news, its not broken.  It is however, a partially torn ligament.  Three days off my foot and then to see how much I can tolerate.  Not the way I wanted to start my weekend but all is not lost.  As a friend said, "tis merely a flesh wound'.  

We've got 6 weeks to go but I'm taking it a week at a time and in the end, it is what it is.

Wish me luck!