FFF Diva Accomplishment: Morgan Hill 1/2 Marathon 11.7.10

The Inaugural Morgan Hill Full and 1/2 Marathon was sold out with 1,000 racers. I ran with some fantastic ladies of Operation Boot Camp! This race was the first time in a week that I was back to cardio or ANY type of running after a week of chest congestion and a double ear infection. Dumb move--should have walked. In the end had to walk 5 miles of the race, but after a major hill ran the rest of the way. Ended with a 3:39:45 finish time, and my previous PR for a 1/2 marathon was the Nike Women's 1/2 Marathon a couple weeks back at 3:28:17. I know next time I can do better! Below are some photos:








Below is an email from one of my Operation Boot Camp Instructors regarding INTENSITY:

good morning campers! I hope you all enjoyed the extra sleep on Monday. It will be awesome having a bit more light in the morning now as well! Congrats to the half marathon runners this weekend - Mo, Lakshmi, Alex, Karen, and Julie. We had the privilege of running a beautiful course through the countryside of morgan hill - lots of trees and vineyards. I was gorgeous! Great workout and good fun together. Running 13 miles is DEFINITELY outside of my comfort zone - which is precisely why I do it :) We have to train our weaknesses. And the satisfaction of finishing something so daunting, is fantastic!

When you are working out, ask yourself if you are comfortable. If so, you probably aren't pushing yourself enough! Intensity is, in my opinion, the biggest factor MISSING from most people's workouts. Why? Cause it doesn't feel good during an intense workout - it feels good after. And it feels good to be fitter!! The "talk test" is super useful. If you are running during Long Run, and you are having a full easy conversation with your fellow camper, you aren't pushing enough! You should be able to talk, but it should be a bit labored and require some effort. Something like "...ya...I love long run....it is.....so....great....my favorite thing....to.....do at 6am is...run 4...miles....with all...of...you..." with some gasps of air between words would be perfect! If you get through a set of 10 pushups, and rep 10 felt like rep 5, maybe it's time to add an inch of depth! These are the changes in intensity that will keep you progressing and not let your body become comfortable in your routine. Routine is the enemy! That is why our workouts are so varied at camp. Who wants to do the same workout every day anyways?!?
Keep up the good work this week campers. We have some short weeks ahead, so do your very best to get to camp every day.