Marathon Monday: Week 13

I am getting really worn out, I am starting to feel the effects of marathon training.  I feel like I am always running, planning a run, or recovering from a run.  It is purely mental, because I truly do have more free time than it seems, but overall I am just TIRED of the training schedule, but I am so close I am going to keep pushing through - 5 more weeks!

Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: 9 miles
Thursday: 5 miles (with stroller)
Friday: 1 mile (Fun Run - Color Run)
Saturday: 18 miles (personal distance record)
   Total for the Week: 37 miles (new weekly high mileage, woohoo)

Source

Saturday's long run wasn't great, but it was better than I expected.  I went to the local running store and got a new fuel to try - honey stinger fruit chews.  I had heard many people with sensitive GI tracts had luck with them, so I decided to try them out. The taste wasn't too bad - not sure they are the answer for me, but they weren't too bad.   I had some stomach cramping around mile 4 but kept running, I wanted to get to 6 miles before taking the fruit chews.  Instead, I felt strong enough to run until mile 9.  At that time I had to stop and use the restroom so I decided to fuel then (I took 4 fruit chews with about 3-4 ounces of water).

I had planned on taking Imodium simultaneously with my fuel and see if that helps, but the packet I had was empty (whoops).  So, I went with it.... I managed to go 5 miles after fueling without needing the restroom (pretty good for me).   And, the miles were the fastest of the day! After the bathroom break at mile 14, I took 3 more chews and headed back out - it was hard to get back into it, I struggled getting back into stride.  I had a familiar twinge in my back around mile 15 and feared a repeat lat strain issue, so I walked a few steps (less than a tenth of a mile) but I struggled to get back into the groove when I started running again so I did walk a bit of mile 16 (probably less than a quarter mile).  After that walk break, I decided to suck it up mentally and push it. I only managed to make it 3.5 miles before needing a bathroom break, but again... given my previous experience, not bad.

After that bathroom break, I headed out for the last half mile and decided to sprint the last quarter mile to come in just under 3 hours. I didn't ever feel like I was hitting a wall, the miles were relatively pain free, and if not for my stomach I feel like I could have gone a few more miles.  And, in honestly my stomach wasn't nearly as big of a deal as it was two weeks ago so I am counting this as a success.

Still smiling after 18 miles - cheesy thumbs up and all.

Proof I did it!

One thing I am not happy about - my splits were all over the darn place!  For my own reference I will list them here, feel free to skip over this part! :)

Next week is a cut-back week - my Saturday run will only be 16 miles, but its a 16 mile trail run, so its probably going to be harder than my 18 this weekend.  Crazy me - I signed up for this race purely because its a points race for the local track club.  I did the single loop last year, and have heard the 3 loop is really not that enjoyable, but here I am planning to run it next weekend!

My plan for this week is to focus on my nutrition - I haven't been eating the right things, and I am sure thats part of why my body is dragging.  Because I am so tired, its been easy to fall back on easy, quick foods and those typically aren't the healthiest foods.  This week, I am planning to have more homemade meals and hope that makes a difference for me.  Oh, and the diet pop - gotta cut down on that too (again, consumption has increased because I am just so exhausted).

Anyone have any miraculous solutions to combat the cravings for incredibly unhealthy food?  It's ridiculous!

Detroit International Half Race Recap

It all worked out quite conveniently - my daughter was out of school on Friday and Monday for fall break so we decided to make a long weekend out of this race trip.  We headed to Michigan Friday morning, after dropping the hubby and kids off at my in-laws house I headed down to the race expo to pick up my bib.

I honestly wasn't super impressed with the expo, there wasn't anything WRONG with it, just nothing that overly stuck out as worth my time.  It was a 30 minute drive and I hate Detroit traffic.  The exit my gps told me to get of at was closed so I had to back track and it was sort of a pain.  Add to that, waiting nearly 20 minutes to get into the parking structure and having to pay $8 to park for the less than hour I was there.  Not the best experience for me.  I did hate that you had to wind/snake your way through the expo to get to bib pick up.  That was probably the one thing I would change.  They had several booths giving away freebies: granola bars, sweet potato chips, lara bars, and my personal favorite -  coupons for free chocolate milk!

Before leaving I found a photo of the international crossing in the tunnel.  I had to take a photo because  I knew that I had no plans to stop and take a photo during the race.  I knew this would be my biggest challenge on race day.

There was one major hiccup - when we registered we gave our passport info to be "pre-cleared" to cross the border and also had to show our passports to pick up the bibs.  No where did they mention that we needed to carry our passport during the race.  Apparently this year there was a change in policy and it was highly recommended runners carry their passport in case they were stopped by customs crossing the border.

Many runners, myself included, were upset because they didn't want to carry and risk losing/ruining such an important document.  Luckily, I realized that my passport fit in the zipper pocket on the front of my running skirt - problem solved!  To keep it safe, I put it in a baggie and also pinned the bag inside the pocket, just for double security.  Honestly though, the biggest mistake is that it took them nearly 24 hours to send out an official email to runners to make them aware of the issue.

Race morning came and I still wasn't sure what to wear, it was predicted to be in the 40s at the start and get to 60s.  I had a new long sleeve shirt that I was dying to wear so I went with it - though by mile 2 I regretted that decision.   I headed to the start line about an hour before the race was to start, we were running late so I didn't have time to put on the KT tape to stabilize my ankle that I had rolled a few days prior.  After saying goodbye I squeezed my way into corral D and waited for my go-time.  Turns out that I somehow ended up going off with corral E - but it doesn't really matter either way.

Me and my Girl

It was dark at the start - the first few miles went by rather smoothly though it was very crowded - shoulder to shoulder.  I felt like my legs were running into other runners, because if was so packed it was a battle to make sure that I wasn't tripping over people's throw away clothes.  I knew the bridge was the first real landmark in the race, and it felt like it took FOREVER to get to the bridge, though honestly once we arrived I was wishing it was would be over.  The ramps/inclines to get on the bridge seemed to go on FOREVER, and once we were on the bridge, the incline still continued until about half way across.  I did manage to pull out the camera and snap a picture as I was running.  It was beautiful, the sun was just starting to come up as I crossed the bridge.  Somewhere before the bridge ended, we hit the 5k mark.

Mile 1: 9:24
Mile 2: 9:04
Mile 3: 9:21

Ambassador Bridge

Let's get this thing started!

I have to say, once we reached the top of the bridge, the climbing was all worth it - the view was beautiful and running in Canada was probably the best part of the race.  The spectators were out in full force and they were very supportive of the runners. The miles in Canada were my fastest of the race.  I felt strong and felt like I was running consistent and looking at my splits I was doing fantastic.
Mile 4: 8:48
Mile 5: 8:48
Mile 6: 8:49
Mile 7: 8:50

Then, it all changed... the tunnel... the darn tunnel, the underwater mile.  I knew it would be difficult for me, mostly because of my fear of being underwater.  What I didn't realize is that it would be physically difficult too - the first part of the tunnel was a nice decline (at its lowest point the tunnel is 75 feet below the surface of the water) however, even with the decline the crowding started to take its toll (and what goes down, must come back up).  It was hot and humid, the air was stale and I was struggling to get any air into my lungs.  It felt like I had a buffalo sitting on my chest - I couldn't get a good breath and I was getting light headed.  The worst part is that I had no clue what my pace was because the garmin drops out when you enter the tunnel.  I slowed down and tried to focus on breathing, the incline kept coming, I was so relieved to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.  The cold air slapped me in the face as I exited the tunnel and I was never so glad to feel cold air in my life.

Just after the tunnel - I was suffering here

Not long after I re-entered the US I saw Tommy and the kids - it was SO nice to see them mid race, its not something I normally get to do.  I waved hello and kept putting one foot in front of the other.  It was getting hard and I knew I had to keep my head in the game.  I started to feel rumbling in my tummy so I decided to hit the next porta-potty for a bathroom break.  Miles 8 and 9 splits are off due to the tunnel - these also included my bathroom stop.
Mile 8: 10:12
Mile 9: 10:37

Somewhere around mile 9 I popped a jolly rancher to try to keep my sugar levels up - I was really starting to struggle but I refused to give up.  I don't honestly remember much of the last 4 miles - I was miserable and there was nothing left to look forward to except the finish line.  I had no clue where I was - I sluggishly followed the crowd, I could feel myself slowing down but I kept pushing on. There were several more short inclines - at this point every incline felt like a mountain.
Mile 10: 9:17
Mile 11: 9:15
Mile 12: 9:23

Mile 12 was where I felt the desire to give up and stop to walk.  I actually moved to the side several times with the intent of stopping.  I slowed down and every time I got to the sidelines I reminded myself how far I had come - I was so close to the end of the course.  I was so close to my goal of running the entire 13.1 miles - I would kick myself later if I stopped to walk.  I kept plugging - I kept closing my eyes imagining the finish line in front of me.  With my eyes closed, I couldn't see how far I still had to go.  Finally, the balloon arch was within reach - I had done it.  I pulled out as much of a "kick" as I could manage and pushed hard to get across the finish line.  I had secretly hoped for a sub-2:00 half, but knowing I had run the whole course made it easier to except when I missed that goal.
Mile 13: 9:20
Last .20: 1:19
     Official time: 2:02:37 (9:21 pace)
     Overall place: 2262 / 9557
     Gender place: 878 / 5983
     Age Group place: 154 / 843

This race wasn't a PR for me, not even close.  It was actually a minute slower than my first ever half marathon last year.  However, as I said, its the first time I have ever run every step of the race.  It was also my fastest half of the year (my others were 15+ minutes slower).  I went into this race knowing I wanted to push but not overdue it - I think I managed a good balance.  I think if it weren't for the tunnel and the crazy incline to get over the bridge I could have managed to break 2 hours. 

I had a good enough time running Detroit, but it honestly won't be on my "to-do" list again for a long time, if ever again.  The tunnel just about killed me and I really didn't enjoy the last 4-5 miles.  In addition, it was a royal pain in the butt to get out of down town after I was done running.  I guess its inevitable but the police out weren't helpful and I hated driving around in circles for 30-45 minutes! Although, the medal is pretty nice so it might lure me back again sometime....

Marathon Monday - A Day Late

To state the obvious, this post is a day late and I don't honestly have much to say about my training this last week, but to keep myself accountable I am going to post this anyway.

Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: 5 miles
Friday: 3.25 miles (cupcake classic virtual run with Natalie)
Sunday: 13.19 miles (Detroit Half - race recap to come)
    Total for the week: 25.44 miles

Some weeks there just isn't much joy in the run for me.  This was one of those weeks, but I got out there and got the miles in even when I really didn't want to.  Week 12 complete - starting week 13 today on tired legs!  It's getting so close - I am really scared I won't be able to finish this!

Race Recap: Run for Riley 5 mile

Sunday I ran the 6th annual Run for Riley.  This race was founded by a local runner and benefits Riley Children's Hospital.  Riley is the only comprehensive children's hospital in the state of Indiana, they treat childhood cancer, heart disease, diabetes and also  houses the worlds largest autism center.  I forget the exact dollar amount, but I think they have raised over $70,000 for the children's hospital - which is fantastic!

To say I was dreading this race might be an understatement.  I signed up because it was for a good cause and it was a points race for our local track club.  But the way my training fell, this race came the day after a 16 mile run.  For some more experienced runners that might not be a big deal, but I really wanted my rest day.  Somehow though, despite the rain forecast and the terrible wind I managed to get myself to the start line.  What got me to the start line?  Well, the promise of free frozen yogurt of course!  

I was expecting the worst of the course based what I had heard from other runners about the past years.  Honestly, it wasn't the most exciting run, but it was pretty close to home which is neat, and I got to run on roads that I have always wanted to but been too afraid to run on due to traffic, so that was a win.  

I didn't have any real goals for this race, I knew I would like to finish in less than 50 minutes.  Outside of that I knew I didn't want to push too hard since the goal right now is to get to Memphis injury free.   I started out semi-close to the front since it there were no mats to start our chips, but tried to make sure my pace was maintainable.  Since I have done so many races, I know my competition.. it took all the mental toughness I had to let them go - there will be more races in the future.  

Instead, after about a quarter to half mile I fell in beside a friendly face.  I ran with Gail during my Fort4Fitness recovery run a couple weeks ago, she is a wealth of running (and life) knowledge.  I asked her what her planned pace was and when she responded I was relieved to hear her answer.  I forget the exact numbers now, but she wanted to average under 8:30 min per mile.  I knew this would be a challenging pace, but not crazy hard.  I asked her if it was okay to fall in beside her and run with her as long as possible - thankfully she obliged!  

Honestly, that made the race a thousand times better for me.  I had someone there to keep pushing me when I wanted to give up, someone to reign me in when I was pushing too hard, and someone to carry on a conversation with when I could breathe.  Towards the end I told her I was having "catch syndrome" - I saw someone ahead that I wanted to beat and they were pulling me to run too fast.  She told me to slow down, wait til the end, and then push it....   She was completely right, and I HAD it... I just let my mental toughness crumple for a minute.  Next time, my legs will keep moving no matter what.  Tommy missed my finish for the first time ever - cursed bathroom breaks!   I guess it was for the better, they missed my "near-tossing" episode that cost me at least 10-15 seconds and my sub 42. 

Borrowed from the FWTC facebook page

Not that it matters, because like I said, this race wasn't about winning but I managed to take 3rd in my age group, here are the "official stats."

    Official time: 42:10.6  (official pace: 8:26, garmin pace: 8:22)

    age group place: 3 / 13

    Overall place:  88 / 271

    Splits:  mile 1 - 8:17

               mile 2 - 8:22

               mile 3 - 8:26

               mile 4 - 8:26

               mile 5 - 8:26

Not all races are going to be like this one, typically I push for a PR or to finish on top.  But Sunday I was so thankful for the opportunity to run with and learn from Gail.  She is a fountain of knowledge, seriously.  She saw me struggling after the race with my quad/hip and she asked if I knew what stretch to do to help.  When I said no, she pulled me to the side and gave me some pointers and they really helped.  Runners can be such amazing, generous and giving people and it still amazes me sometimes.  

And, the perfect end to a great day... free celebratory frozen yogurt.  Our local fro-yo joint offered free frozen yogurt to anyone who ran/walked the race on Sunday! 

   

Marathon Monday: Back on Track

If you will remember from my last marathon Monday post, I struggled with some hip/upper leg pain during my last long run.  I was sure it was bursitis based on everything I had read, but now I am not so sure.  I am thinking it may just be something with the IT band and the quads - I have been using the stick and stretching and it seems to be helping - hooray!  Week 11 of my 18 week training plan is complete.

Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: 2 miles
Thursday: 2.25 miles (plus I swam for 25 minutes)
Saturday: 16 miles
Sunday: 5 mile race (recap tomorrow!)
      Total for the week: 29.25 miles

I deviated from the schedule some this week, I should have had two 4 mile runs and my long run was supposed to be on Thursday.  I decided to switch my long run back to Saturday after the hip issue last weekend - I wanted to give myself a bit more time to heal, plus I can only get two hours of childcare during the week so I wasn't sure what to do with Daniel.  And then a stomach cramp mid run Wednesday kept me from completing 4 miles.  But, overall I got the miles in.  So, its a success!

Besides the hip pain last week, the 16 mile run was glorious.  This weeks long run was miserable to say the least.  I had to stop at the bathroom only 4.5 miles in, by 6-7 miles in I was dragging, I had nothing left in the tank to keep my body moving.  So, I tried to take fuel and that caused more stomach issues.  By mile 9.5 I was struggling with being light headed.  I pushed on though, trying to balance getting enough fuel to keep conscious  while minimizing the stomach issues. Then, the actual stomach cramps started at around mile 13.  By mile 14 I was walking, I ended up walking most of those last 2 miles.  But I finished and on a day where my body was so adamant it didn't want to do the miles, that is a big fat WIN.  Just for fun, lets check out the splits shall we?

Mile 1:       10:01
Mile 2:       9:49
Mile 3:       9:44
Mile 4:       9:51
Mile 5:       9:52
Mile 6:       9:53
Mile 7:       9:42
Mile 8:       10:11
Mile 9:       9:52
Mile 10:     9:42
Mile 11:     9:48
Mile 12:     10:56 (this is where the struggling really started)
Mile 13:     11:42
Mile 14:     11:32
Mile 15:     14:47
Mile 16:     13:14


Anyone else have as many stomach problems as I do?  It seems like even WATER causes problems anymore.  I have NO CLUE how I am going to run a marathon in 6-7 weeks if I can't get this figured out! :( Any suggestions?  I have tried sports drinks, gummys, jelly beans, gu, chomps, and powerbar energy blasts. I used chocolate #9 with some success, but I can't buy that locally and honestly it still caused problems.  HELP! 

Fundraising Friday!

I reached my "minimum fundraising goal" yesterday thanks to the generosity of my family and friends, and even some complete strangers.  A huge THANK YOU.

However, because cancer doesn't give up - I won't either.  I am on a mission to raise even more!  

St Jude Heroes is holding a fundraising contest that ends today - the 3 heroes with the most donations will win a giftcard to Dick's Sporting Goods.  Any of you who run know how expensive running shoes can be, and I will need one more pair before the marathon - that gift card would really help me out!

Not to mention, any donations you make go to help the kids of St Jude!  All it takes is a $1 donation (its not the dollar amount of donations, but the NUMBER of donations).  If I am a top fundraiser, I will be doing a giftcard giveaway and anyone who donates today will be eligible to win!

St Jude is such an amazing charity and I every dollar really can help change their lives.  Can you spare $1 or $2?  It's less than a cup of your favorite coffee, and it really can save these kids' lives.

To donate, please visit my heroes page.

If you share this post via facebook or twitter it will earn you an extra entry for the giveaway if I win!  So please comment so I know you have shared!

And, last but not least - I am trying to clear out my inventory of bondi-bands.  If I don't sell these I have to mail them back out of my pocket.  I would much rather sell and make money for St Jude... so please, take a look and let me know if you see anything you like.  I am holding a "Friday Flash Sale" - all bands are $5 a piece and only $1 to ship up to 5 bands!

Please check my inventory here and let me know which ones you would like!

Marathon Monday

Again, not much on my mind - what can I say, I am a terrible blogger.

Tuesday:  3.5 miles
Wednesday: 7 miles
Thursday:  4.01 miles
Saturday:  16.02 miles (PDR)
    Total for the week: 30.53 miles

I was terribly nervous for my long run this week. I have never gone over the half marathon distance and for some reason anything beyond that is all "too far" - be it 14, 16, 20, or 26.2 miles.  Crazy enough, in my mind I felt like "if I can do 16 - I can do a marathon."  Now that I have done 16 I realize that was a stupid way of thinking and I am still super nervous.  I am also having some hip/leg issues... I think its either bursitis or a tight IT band.

As far as my long run, it was my first attempt in a while to figure out fueling of some sort.  I ate 4 jelly beans at mile 6 and by mile 8 I had to make a pit stop at the bathroom.  I ate them two other times just to test it out  and it didn't go well - seemed to give me stomach cramps.   I am starting to think I may have to just going into the marathon knowing my stomach will be an issue and eating just enough to get through - timing my fuel around the potties on the course.  So frustrating, but I won't let it stop me.

My running felt good until mile 12 when my hip started bothering me.  I stopped to stretch it out some and attempted to run again, and it was still bothering me.  I stupidly kept running because darn it this 16 was hugely mental for me and if I had failed it would have been a huge hit to my training. I did try to keep it to an annoyance more than a pain.  However, still today its bothering me.  Its weird I notice it more sitting then standing - its like a tightness/numbness in the quad and down the leg to the knee which leads me to the whole IT band thing.  Either way I am taking it easy and stretching lots - hoping its better by tomorrow, if not it may be time to go see a doc!

Anyone else experience any hip issues?  What were they and how did they resolve? :)

P.S.  St. Jude is holding a fundraising contest this week, I would LOVE to be one of the top 3 this week - the prize is a gift certificate to Dick's and I could really use another pair of shoes!  How can you help?  I need as many donations as possible.  Amount doesn't matter, its based on the NUMBER of donations, so even $1 donations help greatly!  If you can help, please donate here.

Race Recap, Double-Header Style

Maybe the title isn't 100% accurate, but I was struggling to come up with a clever title so you are stuck with my corny attempt.  Last year, the Fort4Fitness half was my first half marathon and I ran a very solid time of 2:01 and change.  As weird as it sounds, I knew running that same course slower than last year would be a huge mental/emotional roadblock for me in my marathon training so I decided to forgo the half and sign up for two of the other events instead.

We were downtown about 6:30 for the 7:30 am start of the 4 mile race.  I lined up in corral C and waited for the start - it was very chilly (40s) but perfect running weather if you ask me!  They start the race with a canon and we were off.  My only real complaint was trying to squeeze through the "start arch" they had set up - it was significantly narrower than the road we were lined up on.  I didn't have any goals for this race, I was running it in conjunction with the later race more as a way to get my training miles in than anything.

That being said, I started out a bit faster than I intended, not a "fast" pace but faster than the 9-10 minute miles I had figured I would run. Being that I was in a front corral, there wasn't a whole lot of weaving after the first few minutes.  I was passing people pretty much constantly - as mile two clicked off  I decided I was going to hold onto the speed as long as I could.

By mile 3 I was tired but I told myself I was half done to suck it up and keep running.  So, I pushed harder.  As I neared the end of the race, I recognized the course from my half last year.  I remembered falling apart that last half mile and how it cost me my sub 2:00 half marathon.  I put that frustration and anger into my running and picked up the pace even more.

As I entered the stadium and saw the finish line I decided to put it all out there, which is very difficult given the surface - I find it very difficult to get traction and felt my feet slip with nearly every step.  I crossed the finish line proud of myself for leaving it all on the course the last two miles.

Mile 1: 8:15
Mile 2: 7:59
Mile 3: 7:55
Mile 4: 7:27
Last .1:   27 seconds if my math is correct*
      Official Time: 32:03
      Age Group Finish: 4 out of 244
      Gender Finish: 21 out of 2158
      Overall Finish: 96 out of 3196

      *I forgot to stop my garmin, so I subtracted miles 1-4 from official time

The downside to all of this is I came in 4th in my age group.  Now, don't get me wrong, fourth is FANTASTIC, but I was so close to 3rd and if I had any clue I had a chance at placing I know I could have run the first two miles faster and probably taken 2nd or 3rd place. There were only 14 seconds between myself and 2nd place!  Ah well, next time!  I also won't look up race results online between races if I do this again - sort of psyched me out for the next one.

I ran to my van and switched shirts and bibs to get ready for the 10k that was to take place at 9 am.  One last visit to the port-a-potty and I got into corral D to prepare myself mentally for the next "race."  Again, this wasn't meant to be a race, more so just miles.  I actually lined up at the back of corral D hoping to run this a bit more conservatively.

Again, we started with a canon and we were off through the crowded "arch" - I said good luck to a friend and started on my way.  I am terrible with remembering specifics from the course, but somewhere in the first mile there was a large, very encouraging group of individuals from a charity raising money for Congo.  They played music and cheered on the runners.  I believe also in the first mile or so was a clown juggling plungers - yes, toilet plungers.  

Other than that I don't remember much, the 1.25 or so miles and the last 2 miles were the same course I had run earlier for the 4 mile.  This was both a blessing and a curse.  On one hand, it was hard to not having something new to look at to keep my mind off the miles but on the other it was nice to know exactly how far I had left to go!

One other "highlight" of this race (as well as the 4 mile) - towards the end, about 1.5 to 1 mile before the end there was a great neighborhood that decorated the streets with paint, had tons of people out cheering, people dressed up, and even beer shots (not that I took any).  It was nice to have that encouragement towards the end.   That's about it... for my reference, splits are as follows:

Mile 1: 9:06
Mile 2: 8:54
Mile 3: 8:49
Mile 4: 8:46
Mile 5: 8:52 (curse you, I was so close to having negative splits for both races)
Mile 6: 8:33
Last .32: 2:10 (again, assuming my math is correct)  *course measured a bit long again
   Official Time: 55:12
   Age Group: 14 out of 183
   Gender: 81 out of 1216
   Overall: 269 out of 1801

Up next, a 16 miler on the schedule for this weekend.. I am TERRIFIED!  Any pointers on how to make it a successful run?

Marathon Monday:

I am excited to say that I have officially finished half of my marathon training - week 9 went much smoother than I anticipated.  I am still nursing some soreness in the lat area of my back but nothing that I can't deal with.  But, I got all the scheduled runs in plus some so I am happy about that!

Monday: 0.4 mile with Natalie
Tuesday: 3 miles + 1 mile with Natalie
Wednesday: 7 miles + 1 mile with Natalie
Thursday: 4 miles
Friday: 1.27 miles (with Natalie, final leg of her kids marathon)
Saturday: 4.1 miles (race) + 6.32 miles (race)
Sunday: 4.14 miles
  Total for the Week: 32.23 miles (new high)
  Total for the Month: 120 miles!  (new high)

I don't have much time to go into detail right now so this is all for now, will try to post about the races (which I used as my long run for the week) tomorrow.

How was your weekend?  Any new milestones in your training?