Happy Friday! Hope you all have had a great week!
This first full week of March has been a great one! It’s felt like spring over here in Boston, a huge contrast to last winter where we had about five feet of snow still blanketing our city at this time. I will take it!
Five highlights from this week:
1.I signed up for my next race, which is tomorrow morning! It’s called the Black Cat 10 and 20 mile road race and is located in Salem, MA, about 20 minutes north of Boston. The race is held during the Boston marathon training cycle for those training for that race, but is for all levels of runners. Mark and I are signed up for the 20 mile race, although I am going to run about 15 because I am still recovering from Phoenix. My sister is running the 10 miler as well. It will be so great to run together again! I ran this race a few years ago and felt that it was very well supported and had great scenery. There is no better way to run 10-20 miles than with others! Race recap to come.
2. I paid a visit to my local running store, Marathon Sports (located right at the Boston Marathon Finish line!), to get appropriately fitted for new shoes. Turns out, my previous Brooks shoes (Adrenaline’s) were not the right fit and I could feel this during my marathon in Phoenix. I have more of a neutral foot, less over-pronation, and therefore was recommended Brooks Defyance model. So far I LOVE the new shoes! Lesson learned: you may be fit for a certain type of shoe, but you can always get a “second opinion” if those don’t fit perfectly. It’s always fine to try a few different fits and brands!
3. I signed up for my first ultra marathon! Running an ultra has always been on my bucket list, but I hadn’t anticipated signing up for one this year. After some encouragement from my ultra-marathoner friend, as well as some inner motivation, I bit the bullet and signed up for the North Face Endurance Challenge 50 miler located in Ontario, Canada. The race is held in mid-July, and a group of us will be heading out to run/spectate/support. My ultra friend has run two North Face sponsored ultras and has good experience with these races, as they’re very well supported and managed. With a terrain that isn’t very technical, this is a great race for first-time ultra marathoners. Signing up for my first ultra marathon is both frightening and exciting! I can’t wait to test the limits and see what I am capable of. At the same time, following the race, I am going to take some serious time off from running. Maybe I’ll delve into some other interests or try out some new sports. Or maybe I’ll just get back into my favorite outlet, running! :)
4. As I mentioned above, the springlike temperatures in my city have been AMAZING for running and spending time outside! The city has been flooded with people, as if they are coming out of their winter hibernation for the first time. It’s always a magical time to be in Boston when the temperatures rise after a long and cold winter. Normally this occurs around marathon Monday (mid-April), but spring has decided to settle in a month early and I am pretty happy about it. Warmer weather also has me excited for the next hiking season in the northern mountains!
Hiking the white mountains last fall:
Beautiful sunset in Boston this week:
5. Speaking of marathon Monday, Boston training has been somewhat on-schedule this week. I was able to get in three workouts, one with hill sprints, and added in some extra rest in there as well. As I mentioned above, I am still recovering from Phoenix, and think I need another few days to fully recover from soreness. I’m going to run tomorrow’s race at a very easy pace, and might drop down the mileage depending on how I feel. Many elites and other runners take off two full weeks post-marathons for recovery, but I have to juggle recovery and the fact that my next race is only 6 weeks away! Hard to believe. Regardless of how the next weeks of training go, I know that my ultimate prize is running Boston, and I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity. 
Ps- I got my marathon jacket ahead of time (love the colors this year!), and promptly put it away in my closet until marathon Monday :)
What was the highlight of YOUR week? Has spring come to your neck of the woods yet? Any runs in shorts and tanks? I cannot wait for those days!
Any fun weekend plans? Races or training runs? Besides the Black Cat road race, I am heading home to celebrate my Dad’s birthday followed by a friend’s birthday. Then it’s a relaxing Sunday ahead for me!
Ultra-marathoners: What race did you run? What training plan did you follow? And lastly, what is one piece of advice you’d highly recommend to a first-time ultra marathoner?
Jane Runs Wild 
Ok, first of all that jacket looks awesome! Second, I love, love, love the idea of a 20 mile race. How fun is that?! And I love the North Face races. Years ago we did the 10k up Bear Mountain as Rock’s entry into racing (I can’t believe he came back for more). That 50 miler is speaking my language and can’t wait to hear about it.
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Awesome! My ultra-friend also ran the Bear mountain north face race (I think she ran the marathon), and loved it! Sounds like north face races are perfect for first-time ultra runners. Thanks for your note and have a great run this weekend!
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Sounds like a great week..no running in shorts and tanks, it has been pouring in Seattle all week! Awesome on the ultra, we are going to be signing up for a timed 6 hour trail endurance event and am planning to complete my first ultra distance though it will be 50k not 50 miles, but I’ll also be looking for those rookie ultra tips too. One key that I’ve read is to throw out your road marathon pace…it is much slower during the ultra events and it is not about pace but the challenge of the trail and finishing. Have a great weekend!
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I’ve got a 20 miler coming up tomorrow too – enjoy your race and the beautiful weather! :)
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I ran my first ultra last summer; an ‘intro’ distance of 31 miles / 50km. Advice given to me that I would pass on is: If at mile 1 you think you are going too slow… SLOW DOWN!!! Other wise just don’t forget to look at the view and smile! Enjoy, look forward to hearing all about it.
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Thank you for your advice! This is great to note :)
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Best wishes for tomorrow! Hope it goes well and you have a great time! You’re right, there is no better way to run longer distances than with a bunch of people! Have a wonderful weekend!
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Your pictures are gorgeous!
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Thank you :)
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Love the jacket! Can’t wait to get mine when I go to the expo.
I have signed up for my first 50km trail run in July. It is called the Broken Goat and I am looking forward to it but scared too.
Good luck in your run tomorrow.
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Kudos for signing up for the ultra. That has always intimidated me and I commend you on taking on the challenge. Hopefully the new shoes will work out better for you!
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I ran in shorts two days this week! I’m so happy! Tomorrow is spandex because although it will be a high of 60, it’s 30 when I’ll be out there. I have an ultra on the schedule two weeks (!!!!) after my marathon. I’m probably going to take off most of those weeks and then run the ultra for fun, stopping and having a good time with friends. At least that’s the plan for now :-)
Have a great weekend!
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The highlight of my week was definitely the nicer weather. It rained a lot but it was still warm! Love the jacket and good luck (:
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Well done on signing up for the ultra, you are going to love it. Running an ultra is so different to running a marathon.
My advice: invest in you…
By this I mean make sure you take care of yourself, don’t ignore any of the subtle signs your body gives you. Dealing with little things now is so much better than dealing with big things later on. There is always another race, there is only one you.
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Awesome stuff. I haven’t been paying close enough attention to the BAA e-mails to realize you could get your jacket ahead of time.
I’ll have to look back through older blog posts . . maybe you’ve already done this . . but this will be my first Boston and my wife & my first trip to Boston. I’d love a post on Boston tips: must-sees, shopping, and most importantly how the famous T works. (Their site has a great map but doesn’t actually tell you how to use the T).
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Thank you for your comment! That’s a great idea- stay tuned for an upcoming post with my Boston suggestions. I will even explain how the t works in detail! Hope the training has been going well, I’ll be in touch!
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I loved all five updates but ADORE that Boston sunset pic! Can’t wait for the Boston race report from you!
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Whoa! An Ultra! Have never been brave enough! Can’t wait to hear about your journey!
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Thank you!
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Looks like you had a good week! Maine shared some of those awesome warm days, and it was lovely! I’ve done a few runs in shorts and short sleeves, no tank tops yet! Way to go for signing up for your first ultra! I’m running my first ultra in May, a 50k. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all goes for you, There is a 50 miler here in October that scares me, but also I kind of want to do it :)
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Nice to hear you’re gonna do an Ultra too :-)
Having just done my first one on Saturday (only 33 miles), I’d say (what with following your blog), you’ll blast it. Not a problem :-)
Keep up the great work.
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I am from Rhode Island (and work in Westwood, MA), and I have been loving this winter! I’ve been able to get a lot of good runs in so far this year. We had a boot camp at our gym in January and February, and both times we were able to go outside in t-shirts and shorts. We deserve a good winter after last year!
Best of luck with the ultra! That is so awesome!
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I can’t believe I took so long to read this. I am so happy and excited for your ultra! It is totally different than other races and in my experience it showed me just what I can endure.
My best advice is repeating what has been said: listen to yourself, trust your knowledge and training. You know what you are doing.
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Thanks so much for your advice! I’ll be asking you some other ultra questions as it gets closer to the race, no doubt!
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I will share what little wisdom I have!
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