Dev on Running

This week I learned that when I take the time to recover properly after running, my legs feel freakin’ awesome. Duh! But I don’t always take the time to stretch, foam roll, use our NormaTec recovery boots, etc., so actually doing that reminded me what a difference it makes. It makes me feel so much fresher for my next run, which is essential now that I’m running six days a week.

My birthday is later this month, but Aaron got me an early gift: a Roll Recovery R8. I’d seen this scary-looking contraption on other runners’ Instagrams and blogs, but never thought I’d need it since foam rolling has worked just fine for me.

But this… this is really next-level, and a game-changer. It takes so much less effort than foam rolling, yet it feels like it rolls out your muscles so much better. I still prefer to foam roll certain parts of my legs (like my calves), but for my IT bands, hamstrings and quads, the Roll Recovery feels like an intense deep-tissue massage. Aaron loves it, too, which is great because he hates foam rolling and never does it. Even though it was technically a birthday present for me, he’s probably used it more than I have so far. ☺

MONDAY: 3-mile easy run at 9:11 average pace; BBG arms and abs.

Anytime I can summon the energy to run and do BBG is a big win! It’s really only an hour of exercise combined, but feels like so much more because I have to mentally switch gears in between.

TUESDAY: 7-mile easy run at 9:09 average pace.

I started on the later side, which was fine because it was pretty warm that day and I enjoyed the cooler evening weather. The bugs were out in full force, though, and I wound up with several in my mouth, up my nose and squished up in my bra! Ahhh, I had forgotten about this charming quirk of dusk running in the spring and summer.

WEDNESDAY: 3-mile easy run at 9:10 average pace.

Thank you for your recommendations for running sunglasses! I ordered a pair of Goodr sunglasses and am very happy with them so far. This week was on the sunny side for Seattle, so they arrived just in time. No slipping, no bouncing and only $25—I’m sold. I bought mine on Amazon to get fast and free Prime shipping, but there are a lot more color options available on the Goodr website.

THURSDAY: 35-minute tempo run (4 miles total) at 8:36 average pace.

Hello, random heat! When I started this run, it was 83 degrees, and my first mile felt like such a slog. I normally warm up around 9:15 pace, but my first mile was 9:39—and it felt like my typical effort. Needless to say, I didn’t hit the tempo pace I aimed for (7:40-7:50 ish), but I definitely put in a tempo effort (comfortably hard). It’s crazy how much the temperature can affect your body! I did a 10-minute warmup, 20 minutes at tempo pace (8:07, in this case) and a 5-minute cooldown. I also began seriously questioning my decision to run a late-July marathon. The race starts at 6:30 a.m., so hopefully I’ll be done before it gets really hot!

FRIDAY: Rest.

SATURDAY: 7-mile easy run at 9:05 average pace.

I ran with my friend Stephanie for the first time since her marathon last weekend (her very first!) and caught up on the whole story of her race. There were fewer than 100 runners, and she won second place in her age group! Not bad for a first marathon! It was also blessedly cool and rainy during our run, which felt like heaven compared to my sauna struggle time on Thursday.

SUNDAY: 14-mile long run at 9:13 average pace.

This was April 29, Evie’s second birthday! I can’t believe it’s been two years since we met our sweet girl for the first time. We hosted her Sesame Street-themed birthday party with family and friends in the afternoon, so I had to do my run in the morning and then jump right into the shower, get ready and finish party prep—no time for stretching or any other recovery! It was a little rough, but I kept telling myself it wasn’t as bad as being in labor two years ago. ☺ Plus, Aaron did a TON of the work—he made an incredible Elmo cake from scratch, prepped most of the appetizers, cleaned and so much more. He is the best and I’d marry him again if I could!

I ran on the same gravel trail as the marathon course, and quickly realized the Mt. Si Ultra (50K and 50 mile) was happening at the same time! As I was running down the trail from Rattlesnake Lake, a ton of runners were coming up; it was fun to smile and wave at all of them, knowing that I only had to run 14 and not 31 or 50. 😉 Those are some tough runners! I have no desire to do an ultra, but I’ll cheer them on all day long. I also made a deer friend, which is always nice.

Total weekly mileage: 38.1

Follow along in real time on Instagram @dev.on.running.

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Eek, I’m a week behind on blogging! I just completed week 5 of training and will try to write about that soon! Follow along in real time on Instagram @dev.on.running.

Watching this year’s rainy, freezing-cold Boston Marathon, I thought about what a bummer that weather was for everyone, and especially for the runners who’d put in so much effort to qualify. You work your butt off for that coveted experience; what if it turns out to be miserable?

It’s a reminder that, no matter how hard you work, things can go wrong on race day. Your race may turn out fine anyway (I follow several Boston runners who had great races!), or it may be a big, frustrating disappointment.

Two of my five marathons have been miserable. Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle was very warm, and I both trained and went out too fast. Despite running a PR, I felt like a failure.

The Eugene Marathon was downright hot, and my body felt beat up throughout the race because it was all on pavement and I had done nearly all my long runs on a soft gravel trail. The fact that I even finished that race was a win, but I spent a long time beating myself up about that crappy experience and my bad attitude during it.

It’s a terrible feeling to put in months of hard work and then miss out on the reward of a satisfying race at the end. But my co-worker has a card displayed on her desk that presents a different perspective; it says, “The reward is the process.” It reminds me to not just look forward to some future reward, but to recognize the rewarding moments I experience in my training each day.

Feeling the satisfaction that comes from putting in the miles; pushing through uncertainty and discomfort; realizing I’m getting faster and more confident—those things are the rewards I’m appreciating now. And ultimately, if all the right factors and circumstances come together on race day and I cross the finish line with a Boston-qualifying time? All the better. But I won’t let that define whether or not this training cycle was rewarding.

During and after pregnancy, I worried that I’d never again be the runner I once was. And I’m not; I’m better. Maybe it’s because motherhood comes with time constraints that determine when I can and can’t run. It’s not 100% up to me anymore. Every time I get to run, I appreciate it so much more and want to make the most of it. As much as I wanted to improve my running before I got pregnant, I never made significant efforts to put in the necessary work. Now, if I’m not making the most of my time, I think, “What am I even doing?”

All of that is to say that I was really happy with this week of training, especially my speed workout and marathon goal pace run. It still feels strange to see mile splits that start with a 7, but I can feel it getting easier to run them. This week, Aaron was looking at one of my runs on Strava and said, “Whoa, you’re faster than you were before you got pregnant!”

Who would have thought? That in itself is its own reward.

MONDAY: 3-mile easy treadmill run at 9:14 average pace; Bikini Body Guide arms + abs workout.

I missed strength training last week and it felt great to add it back in this week. I’m going to aim to do it on Wednesdays as well. I just have to commit to it before I start my run so I can’t back out! On Monday, it helped that I shared my commitment on Instagram Stories because I felt like I had to update afterward to confirm that I followed through. If I can’t find the motivation anywhere else, I’ll just do for the ‘gram!

TUESDAY: 6.5-mile easy run at 9:02 average pace.

I worked from home since we needed to have our garage door fixed (the spring broke!), so I wrapped up work at my normal time and ran before Aaron and Evie got home. I hit a nearby gravel trail and listened to a podcast featuring Tiffany James of Running for Carbs, who went from running a 4:57 marathon to a 3:27. She just ran her first Boston Marathon and PR’d with a 3:19! I wanted to learn all her speedy secrets. Turned out she just worked really hard. Go figure! I still found it (and her) inspiring. It’s episode #29 of The Rambling Runner podcast if you want to check It out.

WEDNESDAY: 3-mile easy run at 9:07 average pace.

I love that Ali uploads the newest episode of her podcast each Wednesday night, even though it technically “comes out” on Thursday. It usually shows up in my feed right as I’m lacing up for my run! I listened to her interview with Sarah Sellers, the full-time nurse anesthetist who passed every other elite runner besides Desi Linden to finish second at the Boston Marathon. Worth a listen!

THURSDAY: 4 x 5-minute intervals (5.2 miles total) at 8:11 average pace.

This workout isn’t on my Hal Higdon plan; it came from Hallie, who used it to train for this marathon last year with great success. It’s actually supposed to be 5 x 5-minute intervals with one minute of recovery in between, but I started with four since I didn’t know if I could hang in for five. It was hard, but I definitely could have done five and will do the full workout next time! I aimed for 7:30 or faster average pace for each interval and ended up with 7:13, 7:24, 7:30 and 7:18. Including the one minute of slow jogging between each interval, the middle three miles of this workout clocked in at 7:30, 7:36 and 7:39—the fastest consecutive miles I’ve ever run!

FRIDAY: Rest.

SATURDAY: 6-mile marathon goal pace run at 7:56 average pace.

I ran this almost all on gravel travel and pushed my pace a bit because I always think I need to compensate for the slowing effect of the surface, but I guess that’s not an issue anymore. Anyway, the pace didn’t feel too hard—just a solid effort. I was happy! I cooled down with a wagon ride around the neighborhood with the fam. ☺

SUNDAY: 13-mile long run at 9:14 average pace.

I ran 6.5 miles up the last stretch of the marathon course and then 6.5 back down. On the way up, I listened to the Mia Michaels episode of the Ali On the Run Show, which I had been skipping because it’s about dance, not running—but she is a hardworking, inspiring woman, and I found it motivating. On the way back, I listened to my favorite chill music to avoid bombing down the hill: Gregory Alan Isakov’s album The Weatherman. It was a gorgeous day, and with the sun filtering through the trees and making them glow, it felt almost like a religious experience—the church of the Sunday long run.

Total weekly mileage: 36.7

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First thing’s first: Des Linden won the Boston Marathon!!!

I, like everyone else, wanted so badly to see an American woman break the tape for the first time in 33 years, and I fully cried at my desk at work as I watched her turn right on Hereford and left on Boylston with no one else in sight behind her. Talk about running inspiration! GET. IT. GIRL!

I also want to give a shoutout to my friend Meg, who ran a PR of 3:21 despite the miserable rain and wind! Ah-maz-ing!

Back to week three of my training, which now seems very boring in comparison. ☺ I’m still plugging along, putting in mostly easy miles. Since I’m running slowly Monday through Wednesday, I find myself feeling paranoid that I won’t be able to run fast during my speed workout on Thursday—but I just have to relax and trust the process.

This week’s big lesson came in the form of a comment Hallie left on Instagram after I expressed doubt that the splits from my Thursday speed workout were fast enough. She said: “I was reminded the other day, by a very speedy lady, to not get hung up on the paces of one interval workout, but to focus on the consistency of showing up for each workout each week.”

Thinking back on my past marathon training, I don’t think I’ve ever done consistent speedwork, so the fact that I’m even doing it this time is a win. And Hallie’s speedy friend is totally right: consistency is the most important thing.

Funny that Des’ advice is pretty much the exact same thing:

MONDAY: 3-mile easy run at 9:11 average pace.

The sun came out and it was downright warm, which felt like a nice preview of all the shorts-and-tank-top running I’ll be doing this summer. I even wore my sunglasses, which slipped down my sweaty nose every 10 seconds and made me realize I need a better solution for sunny-day training! Any suggestions for sport sunglasses or croakie-style attachments that don’t look silly?

I also intended to do BBG or lift weights, but since it was so nice out, I spent the rest of the evening weeding our backyard. It’s definitely not my favorite chore, but it was lovely to get even more fresh air.

TUESDAY: 6-mile easy run at 9:12 average pace.

Nothing notable about this run except that I’m loving my new Distance long-sleeve tees from Brooks! When it’s not warm enough for short sleeves but too warm for layers, this thin tee is the perfect in-between piece. I bought it in two colors because I love the style and fit so much. It’s not super loose or shapeless, not super form-fitting—just right. I wear size medium (as I do with all Brooks gear).

WEDNESDAY: 3-mile easy run at 9:06 average pace

Another day, another Distance tee. Aaron got new wireless headphones and I promptly swiped them for this run. They’re less than $30 on Amazon, and they sounded pretty good and stayed in my ears! He decided I should have this pair and ordered another pair for himself. ☺ I’ve really enjoyed listening to podcasts on my easy runs to keep from getting bored. I think sheer boredom is a big part of what caused me to do my easy runs too fast in the past!

THURSDAY: 4 x 800m speed workout (5 miles total) at 8:21 average pace.

I finally did my first interval workout of this training cycle! I did an easy one-mile warmup, ran 4 x 800m between 7:15 and 7:24 pace with 400m of easy jogging in between, then finished with a one-mile cooldown.

Have you heard of Yasso 800s? The idea is that someone who can run a certain marathon time (say, 3 hours and 35 minutes) should be able to run 800m repeats in the equivalent number of minutes (3 minutes and 35 seconds). That’s what I aimed for, but I ended up running 3:38, 3:37, 3:37 and 3:42. Not too far off, especially this early in training. But I did feel a little down about it anyway, prompting my lackluster Instagram post about this workout and Hallie’s wise response. Going forward, I’ll try not to get too wrapped up in numbers, but it’s hard to do when you’re shooting for a big non-goal.

FRIDAY: Rest!

SATURDAY: 6-mile marathon goal pace run at 8:02 average pace.

Rain, rain, rain. I’m sick of running in it, you’re sick of hearing me complain about running in it. But the downpour gave me a lot of confidence on this run because I nailed my goal pace in less-than-ideal conditions. I didn’t think it was possible when I started, so I felt very accomplished when I finished. I also did the middle 4.5 miles of this run on a gravel trail (just like the marathon course), so that was another confidence-booster: I can run fast on gravel, you guys!

SUNDAY: 8-mile trail run at 14:44 average pace.

This was a stepback week with a shorter long run than the previous two weeks. Hallie is running a trail 50K this coming weekend, so she was down for a short and easy trail run with me! We did a fair amount of hiking, which left my glutes sore and my right piriformis tight (something I’ve struggled with in previous marathon training cycles), so I made sure to visit my chiropractor on Monday for an adjustment and some soft-tissue work. If you’re in Seattle, I’ve been seeing Dr. Devine for years and highly recommend him! When I’m training, I usually see him once a week for routine maintenance.

Total weekly mileage: 31

Follow along in real time on Instagram @dev.on.running.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

This was the kind of week I had hoped for in week one: straightforward, uneventful and—dare I say it?—easy.

Most of my running was at a relaxed pace; my speed workout felt really short; pushing my 30-pound kid in the running stroller one day felt pretty effortless; and my long run was mentally challenging due to the conditions, but definitely not the worst long run ever.

It feels easy now. I know it won’t feel that way for long, so I’ll enjoy it while it lasts.

I’m trying not to make the mistake of running too fast, too often, which is a mistake I’ve made plenty of times before. The only runs I’m trying to work really hard during are my Thursday speed workouts and Saturday marathon-pace runs (although they’re not every Saturday; this week was an off week). Every other run—especially my long runs—I’m going easy.

It seems like a counterintuitive method for getting faster, but I’ve read enough articles (like this one) to convince me it’s worth a shot. I’ve never tried it before, and I’ve never made huge leaps in my marathon finish times before, so why not? Plus, I’ve never run six days a week for a marathon training cycle before. I need to take it easy at the very least to avoid burning out partway through.

Not every run feels like a sweaty, breathless, confidence-boosting rush of endorphins—and that’s OK. I’m focusing on being patient, sticking to my strategy, and really going for it when it counts.

MONDAY: 3-mile easy run at 9:06 average pace.

I used to take Mondays off running to recover from my Sunday long run, but now I do a short recovery run instead. I don’t think I could run fast on Mondays even if I tried. ☺ My friend Stephanie had five miles to do, so I joined her for the last three. Her first marathon is on April 21—so soon! I’m so excited for her. I also lifted weights and did some ab exercises.

TUESDAY: 5-mile easy run at 9:08 average pace.

I haven’t run with headphones since I very first began running in 2010, but for some reason on this day, I didn’t think I could get through these slower miles without something to entertain me. I listened to my friend Ali’s podcast, The Ali on the Run Show, which I’ve become obsessed with. She interviews a great mix of pro runners, regular runners, celeb runners (like Andrea Barber, aka Kimmy Gibbler!), doctors, nutritionists and more. Ali is one of those people who can chat with anyone and make it fun and engaging, so listening to her show on the run is sort of like listening to a good conversation while running with friends. I ran on a gravel trail, and the show was a million times better to listen to than the crunch, crunch, crunch of my footsteps.

WEDNESDAY: 3-mile easy treadmill run at 9:15 average pace.

When I was dealing with my foot pain last week, one of the things I thought might help was replacing my orthotic insoles. I was originally fitted for them at a running store in Colorado, where we went on vacation last summer, because I had packed my running shoes but not my insoles. Anyway, I ordered those same insoles from Amazon, and realized when they arrived that there was an option to heat them up in the oven and mold them to my feet! (Or you can just let them mold to your feet over time, but where’s the fun in that?) I followed the directions, then did a super-easy treadmill run in my freshly baked soles. They feel great so far, and this method was definitely cheaper than having custom insoles made at Road Runner Sports, which is what I used to do. That costs $80 now! Noooo thank you.

THURSDAY: 4-mile tempo run at 8:34 average pace.

It was super rainy, but also warm, so I wound up ditching my jacket midway through and just getting soaked during this run. That was no big deal, but maybe it was being too warm/messing with my jacket that made me feel a little off. I spent the 15 minutes of running at tempo pace (7:50ish) doubting that it was fast enough for my marathon non-goal. But I ran comfortably hard at a pace I felt I could sustain, like I’m supposed to, so I don’t know. I just never settled into a good enough rhythm to feel satisfied with this run.

FRIDAY: Rest.

Rest day is the best day! We got a babysitter and went out for a kid-free double date with Stephanie and her husband at The Attic. Pizza, BBQ ribs and beer, oh my.

SATURDAY: 5.3-mile run at 8:38 average pace.

Aaron went for a bike ride first thing in the morning, and I decided to attempt a stroller run with Evie since we hadn’t done it in a while. (I say “attempt” because she’s almost two… you never know what will happen with a willful toddler.) 

Luckily, she was happy as a clam for most of the run since she had a snack cup full of Goldfish and plenty of people and animals to say “hi!” to along the way. It started pouring rain about halfway through, but again, it was warm rain. I’ll take that over cold rain any day! And we literally ran into Hallie as she was heading out for her run, so we enjoyed the last two miles with her. 

SUNDAY: 11-mile long trail run at 11:51 average pace.

Speaking of pouring rain… think of the most intense, relentless rain you’ve ever seen. Now imagine that going all day long. Welcome to Sunday in the Pacific Northwest! 

I was soaked within the first five minutes of this run, and it was not warm rain. Once I got onto the actual trail in the woods, the trees helped a little to mitigate the downpour, but not as much as I’d hoped. I also climbed nearly 2,200 feet, so it got reallyyyyy cold as I neared my 5.5-miles turnaround point and my hands went numb. I think it’s time to invest in some lightweight, waterproof running gloves! I borrowed Hallie’s for the Orcas Island 25K and they were so necessary. 

With the cold, the rain and the steep trail wearing me down, I had an internal battle with myself over whether I should keep running up the trail to hit 5.5 or turn back early and make up the mileage on the flat gravel path to the parking lot. The latter would have been easier, but I knew I’d be disappointed in myself if I chose to do that. During the Tiger Mountain Half, I won’t have the option to run some of the miles on a flatter trail. 

I’m glad I chose to push through my discomfort and keep going. It reminded me that, in addition to the physical rigor of running a race, at least half the battle—if not more—is totally mental.

Total weekly mileage: 31.3

Follow along in real time on Instagram @dev.on.running.

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I’ve officially begun training for the Jack & Jill Downhill Marathon on July 28! This will be my sixth marathon, and my first since having a baby. I’m excited to work hard and see how much I can (hopefully) improve on my PR of 3:59 (2013 Chicago Marathon).

I was so excited to jump into my 18-week training plan this past week, and then things went… not quite as planned.

On the Sunday before day one of marathon training (Monday), I went on an 8-mile trail run wearing trail shoes I’d only run in once before. When I first put on these shoes, they felt a little small, but they were my normal size and felt OK while running, so I shrugged it off. After I completed my first run in them, I had blisters on each of my big toes (very unusual for me). I shrugged that off as being the consequence of having not been trail running in a long time. On this second run, I finished with blisters again, and also some pain on the top of my right foot that would haunt me throughout the week. The lesson here is: when your first instinct tells you that your shoes might be too small, they are probably too small. In other words, don’t ignore your instincts!

That being said, here’s how the week went down.

MONDAY: 3-mile easy treadmill run at 9:15 average pace.

It was nasty outside, so I happily hit the treadmill and watched some very fine programming: The Bachelor Winter Games. If that show is not made for the treadmill, I don’t know what is. My foot felt fine during this run.

TUESDAY: 5.6-mile easy run at 8:52 average pace.

I misjudged my route and wound up running an extra 0.6 mile to get home, but the real problem was that my foot started hurting in the last few miles, which left me feeling very upset and confused about how my training was already going off the rails on day two. (I hadn’t yet made the connection between the pain and those too-small trail shoes.)

WEDNESDAY: Rest.

This should have been an easy 3-mile run, but considering my foot hurt just walking around during the day, there was no way that was happening. Instead, I spent quality time on the couch with a frosty bag of peas on my foot.

THURSDAY: 3-mile easy run at 8:54 average pace.

During the day, my foot felt much better, so I was optimistic that I could do my planned speed workout Thursday night. However, I knew within the first half-mile that running far and/or fast was not meant to be. I clicked off three easy miles, not in a ton of pain, but just knowing I shouldn’t push it.

FRIDAY: 2.2-mile family bike ride at slower-than-slow pace.

Friday is my regularly planned rest day, so I was more than happy to take it in the hopes that more rest would help my foot would feel good enough to tackle my weekend runs. Evie’s daycare was closed, so Aaron and I took the day off and we had fun at a local farm, petting baby animals and hunting for Easter eggs. Later in the afternoon, the weather was lovely, so we hopped on our bikes and rode to a nearby park for some playground time. I ride my bike maybe once a year, so I’m ridiculously unsteady and slow. Aaron was dumbstruck by my lack of skills. The phrase, “It’s just like riding a bike!” doesn’t apply to me, apparently. ☺

SATURDAY: 10-mile long trail run at 12:05 average pace.

Since I have a trail half-marathon in May, I’m planning to do all my long runs on trails until then. I switched back to my tried-and-true trail shoes for this run and my foot was just fine! It felt like a freakin’ miracle to go from three painful miles on Thursday to 10 pain-free miles on Saturday, but I don’t need to understand it… I’ll just take it. The weather was great and there were lots of other cyclists, hikers and runners on the trail. I appreciated that because if I’m trail running alone and don’t run into anyone for 10-15 minutes or so, I start to get a little freaked out about wild animals! We have bears and cougars out in these parts—not that I’ve ever seen either of those, but you never know.

SUNDAY: 5-mile goal pace run at 8:00 average pace.

We had a crazy-busy Easter Sunday, leaving home at 8:30 a.m., making three different stops and returning around 6 p.m. I originally planned to run first thing in the morning, but I decided to give my feet a full 24+ hours of rest and attempt to run in the evening. I didn’t expect it to go very well, given that I spent the whole day chasing our almost-two-year-old, eating candy and drinking (mimosa at brunch, two glasses of wine with dinner). Miraculously, this run was awesome! Again, I don’t need to understand it! I aimed to run about 8:04 average pace and wound up going a little faster because (a) I didn’t feel like I was working hard enough to hit the pace I wanted, but I guess that pace just feels easier than I thought, and (b) it started hailing halfway through the run and I wanted to get home ASAP. And then it SNOWED a bit later that night. Nice April Fool’s joke, Mother Nature.

Total weekly mileage: 26.6

It was so nice to end the first week of training on a huge high after feeling frustrated and uncertain for most of it. In the end, I only missed one run, which should have little to no impact on my training in the grand scheme of things. I was upset to have my excitement and momentum interrupted, but the positive outcome of this minor setback is that I’ve realized how lucky I am when I’m healthy/not injured, and that whenever I feel like skipping a workout, I should remember to be grateful that I have the chance to run at all. A lot of people are dealing with injuries, illnesses, etc. that are far worse and don’t have that opportunity.

Now, on to week two. You can keep up with my training in real time on Instagram @dev.on.running. Thanks for following along!

My 18-week training plan for the Jack & Jill Downhill Marathon starts today! I’m not training to qualify for the Boston Marathon. But I’m not not training to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

You might be like, “Wait, Devon—your marathon PR is 3:59. The qualifying time for your age group is 3:35. Why are you even talking about Boston?”

You see, my friend and frequent running buddy Hallie ran Jack & Jill last year as her first marathon-distance race (she had run farther in 50K trail races) and qualified for Boston in 3:34:38. That was her goal; she trained her butt off and achieved it. The course is also a gentle downhill the entire way, making it a particularly fast one that’s popular for runners chasing BQs.

Hallie thinks I can do it. I sort of think I can, if I put all my energy and focus into my training and happen to feel good on race day and execute a perfect race strategy.

Here’s the thing, though: I’ve run five marathons, and I’ve experienced high highs and low lows during those races. I mostly enjoyed highs when my primary goal for the race was to have fun and finish strong. I mostly suffered lows when my primary goal was to PR or hit a certain time on the clock. I ran a seven-minute PR at my second marathon and was so upset afterward because I didn’t hit the time I wanted. What is that about?!?

I know some people thrive on setting a big, scary goal, believing they can do it and putting every ounce of their energy toward it. I’m not the type of person who can do that and then relax enough to enjoy race day regardless of what happens. The pressure is too much. I’ve learned that I’d rather go in with a laid-back attitude and low expectations than pin all my hopes and dreams on a single goal and feel crushed when I don’t meet it.

So my strategy for this training cycle is a little weird, but I feel good about it. I will train with the goal of qualifying for Boston in mind, but my actual goal will just be to enjoy the race and finish strong. And to PR, too, because I think I can do that for sure. Running a strong Lake Sammamish Half and achieving a nine-minute PR convinced me of that.

I’ll do all the things someone would do to train for a Boston-qualifying time: use an advanced training plan that includes six days of running per week, regular speedwork and three 20-mile runs. I’ll aim to do my marathon-pace training runs at Boston-qualifying pace. I’ll stretch, foam roll and use NormaTec boots to help with recovery. I’ll eat well and eliminate alcohol for three weeks before the race. On race day, I’ll aim to run a negative split and finish under 3:35:00.

But I won’t be disappointed if I don’t. And I don’t want anyone else to be disappointed for me, either. It’s a far-out idea, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

Let’s get started!

You know how you look forward to running a race so you can relax afterward, only to find yourself intoxicated by the running bug and itching to race again?

On the way home from the Orcas Island 25K, Hallie and I spent the car ride looking up half marathons to sign up for. We found the Lake Sammamish Half on March 10—a race I had run twice before (2013, 2014)—and signed up right away.

I’m at the point with my running where I don’t want to pay to run a race without really training for it and aiming for a PR. I only had about five weeks to train for this race, but I made the most of it with weekly speed training (alternating between tempo runs and intervals) and I felt myself get quite a bit faster as a result.

It also helped that Aaron and I turned our half-office/half-workout-room into a dedicated gym during this time, which included buying a used treadmill—so I really had no excuse to miss a run!

My main goal was to PR (sub-1:55), but I also thought I could run a 1:50 (8:15 average pace) or maybe even break 1:50. I vividly remember trying so hard to break 2:00 when I first started running, so this time goal seemed really scary! But the workouts I did based on my goal pace felt great and, barring total disaster, I was confident I could do it.

The night before the race, I set my alarm for 4:30 a.m. It seemed like I woke up every 10 minutes or so to check my phone and make sure I didn’t sleep through it! And when I did sleep, I dreamt that I woke up late. It wasn’t a very restful night, to say the least.

Hallie picked me up at 5:30, and we picked up our friend Kelli on the way to Redmond Town Center, where the race began. We completely beat the traffic and arrived around 6:30, with plenty of time to pick up our packets, use the porta-potties multiple times with no lines and stay warm in the car until the 7:30 start. In years past, this race began at Marymoor Park, and the traffic getting into the park was a total nightmare. I once had to jump out of our car on the freeway offramp and run to the start! This was a big improvement.

We warmed up a bit (I probably didn’t even run a quarter mile; I’m not great at warming up), then ran to the start at 7:29, snapped a quick picture and took off.

Hallie and Kelli are faster than me, so I had no plans to keep up with them. Sure enough, they took off in the first mile and I never saw them again. I originally planned to run the first few miles somewhere between 8:30-8:45 pace, keeping it nice and easy and then gradually speeding up through the end. Well, I ran nice and easy, but completed the first mile in 8:17.

My first instinct was to panic, thinking that I was running way too fast and would surely burn out at some point and completely ruin my race. But I took stock of my breathing and heart rate and realized that, no, I wasn’t running too hard at all, and yes, this did feel easy. Maybe I’m a little faster than I thought.

Mile 2: 8:09
Mile 3: 8:11

I noticed that my watch clocked one mile about 0.10 before I reached the mile marker, which I thought was odd because I really paid attention to running the tangents. The gap between my watch distance and the mile markers only grew each mile, until the disparity was about a third of a mile. This was bad news—it meant that if the mile markers didn’t correct by the end of the race, I’d be running closer to 13.5 miles than 13.1 miles and pick up the extra time it took to do it.

If I wanted to reach my goal, I had to run faster.

Photo c/o Woodinville Bicycle/Westside Bicycle.

Also, around mile three, the 1:50 pace group passed me. I had started well ahead of them, so this meant I was falling behind 1:50 pace?!? I couldn’t believe this, based on the splits I was running. But something was wonky with the mile markers, so maybe they were running extra fast to make up the difference?

Rather than making a big effort to catch up and stay with the group, I resolved to keep them in my sights, and settled into a harder-but-comfortable pace. I ate a vanilla bean Gu at mile 5, and settled in behind a woman who was running strong. I felt like if I couldn’t keep up with the pace group, I’d be OK if I could at least keep up with her.

Mile 4: 8:05
Mile 5: 8:00
Mile 6: 8:09
Mile 7: 8:01

There were two or three miles where the paved path gave way to packed gravel, and it took more effort to keep up the same pace. I felt my energy flagging and doubted I could hold my pace in the low 8s until the end. Somewhere around here, I started hating running and wondering why I do it at all (haha!).

Mile 8: 8:08
Mile 9: 8:12

I took another vanilla bean Gu at mile 10. I complimented the woman I’d been following/running next to for a while on her strong running, and she said I was doing great, too. We both caught up to the 1:50 pace group, and the pacers confirmed they were running quite a bit faster than planned based on the wonky mile markers. I stuck with the pacers for a while, and the course finally turned back into pavement, so it felt easier to run a little faster. I felt good and there was no slowing down now.

Mile 10: 8:06
Mile 11: 8:02

Photo c/o Woodinville Bicycle/Westside Bicycle.

I pulled ahead of the pacers at some point, but not by very much because I heard the man say to the group, “About a mile and a half to go. If you’re feeling good, now’s the time to go for it!”

So I went for it.

Mile 12: 7:56
Mile 13: 7:44

The last few miles took everything I had; I was sucking wind so hard. But that’s how you finish a race, right? And then the most glorious thing happened: my watch clocked mile 13 just as I hit the mile marker. The course had corrected itself, and I was steps away from a big PR.

Last 0.1: 7:29 pace

I crossed the line at exactly 1:46:00 (8:05 average pace), according to both my watch and the official results. There’s something oddly satisfying about my watch time and official time matching, plus it being a perfectly even number. Oh, and the nine-minute PR doesn’t hurt either! (Hallie and Kelli both ran 1:43 and PR’d, too!)

As I doubled over with my hands on my knees in the finish area, I kind of wanted to throw up and kind of wanted to cry with happiness. It had been years since I’d run a half-marathon, and since my last one, I’d had a non-running pregnancy, given birth and struggled to get back into fitness and running for about a year and a half. Now, here I was, faster than ever. I felt so freakin’ proud.

When I was struggling to get back into a running routine, I came to accept the fact that I might not ever be as fit or as fast as I once was. It helped mentally, at the time.

But once I really dedicated myself to working out and eating well and started to see some progress, I realized I didn’t need to have that mentality anymore. Why couldn’t I get into as good of shape as I was before—if not better? Why couldn’t I run as fast as I could before—if not faster?

The things I’ve experienced and the ways I’ve changed since becoming a mom have only made me stronger and more equipped to do hard things. And I already had to start over from scratch with exercise and running, which is super hard in itself—why not keep going from there?

This race proved to me that nothing is out of reach if I really commit. I only seriously trained for this race for about five weeks; what could I do with 10? If I approach marathon training with the same dedication, what can I achieve in July at the Jack & Jill Downhill Marathon?

I’m thrilled by the possibilities, and I’ll give it all I’ve got.

—

RACE GEAR 

Half-zip top: Athleta (old)

Tank: Brooks Pick-Up Tank
Tights: Brooks Greenlight Tights
Shoes: Brooks Levitate (c/o)
Hydration vest: Ultimate Direction Ultra Vesta
Hydration: nuun
Fuel: Vanilla bean Gu

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

I’m way behind on blogging, but rather than try to go back in time and catch up where I left off, I want to share what I’m excited about now: my first trail race!

I ran the Orcas Island 25K this past weekend, which was 15.8 miles of running up and down Mt. Constitution with roughly 4,450’ of elevation gain and loss.

In other words, it was a killer first trail race. And it was amazing!

My friend Hallie talked me into it several months ago, back when it sounded impossible to me. She had run it a few times before, along with her husband Patrick (who routinely places in the top five) and various friends. The race is small and popular, so it relies on a lottery system.  I figured I would just enter the lottery and leave it up to fate.

Once my registration was approved and my credit card was charged, there was no turning back.

I didn’t come up with any sort of formal training plan for this race, but rather invited myself on Hallie’s weekend trail runs and tried to do longer and more frequent road runs to get my body used to higher mileage. I wouldn’t say I felt super prepared for the race when it came time to run; my longest trail run had been 10 miles, and my longest road run had been 12 miles. The longest time I had spent running was two hours; I anticipated spending about four hours on the course. Plus, I hadn’t even come close to tackling the kind of elevation I’d face. But no matter!

Hallie, Patrick, Aaron and I took the ferry out to Orcas Island on Friday afternoon, met up with two other couples who came to spectate and party, and then spent the evening enjoying burgers, garlic fries and local IPA at the Madrona Bar & Grill. A greasy, hearty dinner is the key to race-day success for me. It worked for the Chicago Marathon, and it worked this time. The IPA was to calm my nerves. 🙂

The race didn’t start until 9 a.m. on Saturday, so we got to sleep in until 7 (unheard of with a toddler! we left her with the grandparents), leisurely eat breakfast and get ready. We left our shared digs at 8:15 and arrived at the race start at 8:20 (gotta love a small race on a small island). In no time, we picked up our bibs and just had to kill a little time before the start. Hallie and Patrick did short warm-up runs, but I figured I’d need every shred of energy and leg strength I had to complete the race.

The weather was cloudy and cold, but not raining or snowing. The race director announced that there was no snow on the course… but there was four inches of slush near the summit instead! Good times.

9:00 came and off we went. The first few miles were steady uphill on roads, which I didn’t realize would be the case. (I didn’t really study the course at all. I like surprises, I guess.) I tried to run a steady pace without gassing my legs too much in anticipation of all the miles ahead. I didn’t really want to, but passed several people anyway.

Mile 1 — 10:21
Mile 2 — 10:35

We finally hit trail, and it was nice and runnable for a good while. Lots of people whom I had passed on the uphill started passing me. I’m a much more confident road/uphill runner than I am a trail/downhill runner. I’m super wary of tripping over rocks and roots, so where more experienced trail runners open up and let it rip, I slow down and get overly cautious. I’d like to work on that.

Mile 3 — 10:10
Mile 4 — 11:14
Mile 5 — 11:40
Mile 6 — 13:51

I ate my first vanilla bean Gu around mile 5 and hit the first aid station at mile 5.6, before anything very exciting had happened. The non-running couples had hiked up there, so they greeted me with cheers, which was awesome! I quickly refilled one of my water bottles, had a friend help me pop half of a Nuun tab in there, grabbed two Oreos, and took off.

The most difficult part of the course—the Powerline Trail—was just ahead. Hallie had advised me that Oreos would help. I fully believe in the power of Oreos.

The Powerline Trail climbs about 1,500’ over two miles and does not involve any form of running, but rather laborious hiking, what feels like straight up, while bent over at the waist so as to keep a low center of gravity and not tumble backward down the mountain.

Oddly I had been looking forward to the Powerline so I could take a break from running and just hike. Not that hiking such a steep incline is fun, but at least it was a good excuse to slow down and catch my breath. Sort of. It just wound up being a different kind of hurting.

Mile 7 — 21:43
Mile 8 — 18:03

As slow and arduous as the climb was, I passed a handful of people and gained some confidence on the way up. I wasn’t trying to pass anyone at all, but I locked into a steady hiking pace and it felt better to keep moving than to slow down and stay behind people who were hiking more slowly. I also ate one of those Oreos, so. Obviously that helped.

The other Oreo slowly disintegrated in my pocket until I scraped it out the next day.

Running again felt ah-mazing once the Powerline was over. It didn’t last too long, though.

Mile 9 — 11:12
Mile 10 — 13:28

The climb up to the summit of Mt. Constitution (and second aid station) at mile 10.7 was even more of a killer. One, because my legs were already tired. Two, because we reached the snow line and the trail was nothing but mud and slush. At least this portion of the course was switchbacks, so it felt slightly more manageable than the straight-up vibe of the Powerline. I ate my second vanilla bean Gu here.

I passed even more people on this portion. I was even complimented by a woman for being “strong on the climbs.” Another guy said, “Seeya on the downhill” as I passed him, because clearly he’d caught on to my strengths and weaknesses by this point. I laughed because he was right.

Mile 11 — 23:44

I was thrilled to reach the summit/aid station, but didn’t stay long because it was cold and windy and gross. I refilled my other water bottle, ate an orange slice, said hi to Ingunn’s husband JK (because I awkwardly recognized him from reading her blog/following her on social media for years) and headed back onto the course.

It was still slushy and muddy, but now I was going downhill, so I was immediately hesitant. I tried to walk along the side of the trail to avoid a big puddle, slipped on some snow and fell on my butt pretty much immediately. Great way to restart the race! But I was fine, and carried on. Slowly.

I ran into Aaron at mile 12! He was mountain biking all along the mountain during the race, and we just happened to cross paths. He followed me for a bit, took a few pictures and videos, then split off to continue his ride. That was a nice boost, even though I was already feeling great.

Mile 12 — 14:00
Mile 13 — 13:12

Here is where I became frustrated that I’m not a more skilled downhill runner. I got passed a lot, again. All those people I’d smoked on the climbs got their sweet revenge. I also started feeling the steep downhill take its toll on my knees, and my left IT band felt like it seized up every time I turned around a switchback. This led to a slooow mile 14, since I not only ran super slow, but stopped three or four times to massage/curse my IT band.

Mile 14 — 17:21

Once the trail flattened out a bit, I tried to pick up the pace and finish strong. I had been running alone for quite a while, but caught up to a small cluster of runners here, including Ingunn’s husband, and tried to hang onto them.

Mile 15 — 12:03

There were a few wretched little hills at the end. I passed one woman, then made one final push to pass Ingunn’s husband just because. (Nothing against him.) Despite my efforts, he passed me back in the final stretch and finished 0.03 seconds ahead of me. (I said, “Nice job, JK!” as he passed, which was probably super weird again, because I never did introduce myself or anything. Cool.)

Last 0.8 — 11:29

I finished in 3:41:57 — good for 107th place out of 242 finishers, and 37th female out of 120. Not too shabby! Patrick finished in 4th place, and Hallie scored a huge 24-minute PR. Those two just crush, crush, crush!

I was aiming to finish in four hours or faster, so I’m thrilled with my time—and even more thrilled that I enjoyed the race so much and finished with a smile on my face. I see so much room for improvement with my downhill running and look forward to working on it over the next year.

Will I run this race again? I’ll certainly enter the lottery.

And leave it up to fate.

I went back to the gym 17 days after giving birth.

That was a mistake.

I was eager to feel a little bit like my old self again, to move my body independently of doing things for my baby, and dear God, to actually be alone and do whatever I wanted for 30 glorious minutes. And yes, I was eager to start working toward my pre-baby body again.

17 days after giving birth.

That was a mistake.

I always thought I would give myself more grace after having a baby, but it was much different psychologically for me at the time from what I imagined. I gave myself all the grace in the world when I had a baby in my belly, but once she was out, I felt like I no longer had an excuse to carry the extra weight (even though, duh, I totally did—I just had a baby and was breastfeeding to boot).

I didn’t anticipate the physical awkwardness of that postpartum in-between phase, when my pre-baby clothes were still a looong way from fitting, but my maternity clothes were pilled and stretched out and unflattering. I didn’t realize I’d have to buy a whole third wardrobe to accommodate that phase (many pieces of which I’m still wearing, by the way, since I don’t comfortably fit into my pre-baby jeans or some tops nearly 17 months later, but I’ve long since accepted that).

Back to that first trip to the gym. The common advice after an uncomplicated vaginal birth is to wait six weeks to do anything other than light walking, and then get cleared by your doctor to exercise again. I felt great by 17 days out, though, and had stopped bleeding (after giving birth, you basically have the longest, heaviest period of your life—woo-hoo), so I figured it was OK. I think I did a slow, gentle stint on the elliptical and lifted some weights. I felt great!

And then I started bleeding again. It was then I realized I had pushed my body too far, and decided to wait until my six-week checkup to exercise again—just like I should have in the first place.

I got the all-clear at that checkup on June 11, then went for my first postpartum run the very same day. I alternated one minute of running with one minute of walking for 30 minutes, with a 13:07 pace overall. 

I felt great, but certain body parts definitely jiggled in a way they never had before. I must have either fed Evie or pumped right before I left, but my chest was still… a factor… in my running that I’d never experienced before. The larger sports bra I’d worn throughout my pregnancy was laughably way too small now that I was feeding a hungry baby, so I bought a Fiona bra at a local Brooks outlet store to keep everything nice and strapped in.

Side note: Now that I’ve experienced what it’s like to have a larger chest, I have major sympathy for ladies who have dealt with that their whole lives. It’s a real pain in the ass. I nursed for 13 months, so it’s been about four months since we stopped and I am thrilled to be back in my pre-baby bras.

I ran/walked a few times a week until the end of July, when Evie was 12 weeks old and I went back to work. I should also mention that Aaron and I did Whole30 during the month of July. I was inspired by Cely writing good things about it, and I really needed to do something to clean up my eating and gain some body confidence before going back to work.

I was particularly mortified by this photo taken in June, where I still looked quite pregnant. 

I was less than two months postpartum, so of course I recognize now that looking like this is totally normal and perfectly fine. But I also wasn’t eating very well at the time, and knew I could do better and feel better in the process.

I did a lot of research before starting Whole30 about how to do it as a nursing mother, and about whether or not it would impact my milk supply. (Please do your own research and talk to your doctor about what’s right for you; don’t go by my decisions!) Typically snacking between meals is discouraged while doing Whole30, but nursing moms are free and encouraged to snack whenever they need to. 

I also read many accounts from moms who said that Whole30 either had no impact on their milk supply or actually increased it. Whole30 is all about eating real, unprocessed, nutrient-rich, calorie-dense foods, so it made sense to me that it would only improve the quality and/or quantity of milk. I obviously can’t be a judge of quality, but I can report that I experienced no negative impact to my supply. In fact, July was the month I really focused on pumping as much as I could to build up my stash of frozen milk before going back to work, and I was able to do that just fine.

By the end of the month, I had lost eight pounds, was sleeping better (when I was able to; I was still waking up several times a night) and had so much more energy in general. Whole30 was a great success, and I went back to work feeling awesome!

I was much happier with this family photo, taken in mid-August. That’s a whole pre-baby outfit! (All made of stretchy knits, but still.)

I had always been pretty sure I wanted to go back to work—I enjoyed my creative job and just never pictured myself as a stay-at-home mom—but I still cried leading up to my return. I knew it was the end of the first phase of Evie’s life, when her mom was around 24/7 to take care of her, and the time had gone by so quickly. It felt like I was losing something I’d never get back. I get teary-eyed even now thinking of those feelings.

But the first day I went back to the office, I knew I’d made the right decision. I still missed my baby like hell, and fumbled my way through pumping three times a day while trying to catch up on everything that had happened at work while I was gone, but it felt so good to be showered and dressed in real clothes and doing grown-up work with other grown-ups. 

I have so much respect for stay-at-home moms; it is truly one of the most difficult jobs in the world. It just wasn’t right for our family.

It helped me a lot emotionally that Aaron had a month of paternity leave left to use, so he stayed home with Evie through August before she started daycare. The transition to daycare was pretty rough as she adjusted to being cared for by complete strangers and being around other babies all day, but she was completely settled in after about a month and grew to love it. Even though she’s now in a toddler room, she still loves her teachers from the infant room and will leap into their arms for big hugs whenever she sees them. It’s so sweet.

Anyway, I’m getting off track! After I started back at work, making exercise a priority became a lot more challenging because all I wanted to do when I got home was snuggle my baby. More often than not, I chose to do just that—which was totally the right decision. Even though in those early days, when you’re barely sleeping, it feels like your baby will be a squishy, helpless, cuddly little thing forever, that stage goes by so fast. Everyone says it, and it’s annoying, but it’s true. I’m glad I savored every chance to have my little squishy baby take a sweet, open-mouthed nap on me.

Evie began sleeping through the night around six months old, after several grueling nights (weeks? who knows) of letting her cry for certain amounts of time and then comforting her until she learned to soothe herself back to sleep.

This. Was. A. Game-changer.

Evie now had a predictable bedtime and was (almost always) guaranteed to sleep for 12 hours, so I knew I had plenty of free time to work out once she was down. We had also just bought our house and moved to a different town, so I enjoyed going on short runs to explore the new area.

Still, I struggled with the transition to fall—colder temps, more rain, and nights that became dark earlier. Looking back on my GPS records, I didn’t run for the entire month of September… and also for another entire month between Thanksgiving and Christmas. (I decided to embrace the holiday season and just go all-out with eating and being lazy).

When 2017 rolled around, Aaron and I decided to do another round of Whole30 as a post-holiday reset. I lost another five pounds in January and effectively kicked my sugar cravings.

My friend Hallie invited me to join her team for a relay in April, so I had an actual goal to motivate me to run on a regular basis. The fact that I’d be part of a team of five women was a big motivator because I didn’t want to be the out-of-shape weak link.

This post is getting veryyy long, so I’ll save the rest of my relay prep and the race itself for the next one!

In the meantime, you can catch up on my running and exercise in real time on Instagram @dev.on.running.

Hi there! What’s new with you? Only a few things have happened here since I last wrote:

• We spent many months in a fog of exhaustion and all-consuming love.
• I went back to work when Evie was three months old.
• Aaron enjoyed a month of paternity leave with Evie, and then she started daycare at four months old.
• We bought a house when Evie was five months old.
• We took a few trips with Evie (to California for weddings) and without Evie (to Vegas for food and booze!).
• I moved to a new role at my company when Evie was 13 months old, taking an awesome step forward that I didn’t think I’d be able to take for a few more years — and certainly not immediately following a year of just trying to get by as I adjusted to life as a working mom. (I’m a little proud of this, if you can’t tell.)
• I turned 30.
• I started running again… then stopped… and started again… then stopped again. But now I’ve started again! And it’s going really well! It’s been a process.

• I ran a trail relay with four other women in April (we won second place!) and the Beat the Bridge 8K in May. I plan to write recaps of both!
• I thought a lot about what this blog would be become.
• I finally decided what this blog would become.

Despite what my relentless pregnancy blogging may have suggested, this will not be a “mommy blog.” As much as I love gushing over my daughter’s every move and sharing photos of her, I’m much more comfortable doing that in more contained settings: in-person with family and friends, on my private Facebook, and on my now-private Instagram. (I’ve started a separate, public Instagram account to focus on running and fitness: @dev.on.running!)

I grew up without the details of my life shared on the Internet, and I chose when and how to eventually share them. I would like to give her the same opportunity. This isn’t a judgment on anyone who does share their kids’ lives via blogging and social media — I love following many bloggers who do this — it’s just what feels best for us.

The first year of motherhood was an incredible journey (I’m cringing at the cheesiness as I write that, but it’s true), and I want to share a bit about it as I continue to write about running. One of my good friends just had a baby and has been asking me questions about the newborn stage that I struggle to answer because I’ve nearly forgotten what those days were like, even though they weren’t really that long ago. In my writing here, I want to preserve some of those early memories before they’re completely lost to the new-parent haze of chronic fatigue.

So, please bear with me as I slowly return to blogging — probably haphazardly, although I’ll aim for at least one post a week — and randomly mix in stuff about being a mom with stuff about being a runner. I am both now, but I’m still me — trying to be fit and healthy as always, just with a kid in tow. 

Thanks for reading!