Mobile Bay Runner

A Blog by Sam Yeager-Allen

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Training Log – 08/07/22

Posted on by Sam

Hey friends! Here is what training looked like last week:

Monday – 4.0 mile run (8:20 pace)

Tuesday – 10.0 mile run (7:20 pace)

  • Temperature: 82℉
  • Humidity: I was indoors, but I feel like it was probably still 100% humidity!
  • Listened to: Music! I need to share my playlist at some point.
  • It rained all. day. long. on Tuesday. I was in Mobile most of the day and the streets were completely flooded. I think they ultimately still had the race, but I had zero desire to drive back across the bay to go run in the rain through flooded streets. Thankfully (and unlike last time), I did not register for this one in advance!
  • I decided to do a progressive tempo instead. I am typically really strong on short intervals and not so much on the middle distance threshold type of work, so I am really trying to focus on that. It’s so easy to do the stuff that you are good at and skip the stuff that is outside of your comfort zone, so I am really trying to be cognizant of that.
  • I started out a 6.0 mph on the treadmill (10:00 pace) and worked my way up by 0.2 mph every two minutes for the first three miles of the run before starting the tempo portion. According to Garmin my splits were 6:32, 6:19, 6:09 and 6:04. I don’t know how accurate the footpod actually is, but I think it’s fairly close. The paces were very similar to what I ran on a similar workout outside last week and the effort level felt the same.

Wednesday – 8.0 mile run (8:35 pace)

Thursday – 9.0 mile run (8:25 pace)

  • Temperature: 74℉
  • Humidity: 97%
  • Listened to: Ali on the Run Show Episode 547: Emma Bates, Team USA Marathoner
  • I ran at the mall after dropping Ward off at school. This routine definitely seems to be working at the moment, so I’m hopeful that I can stick with it.
  • They are doing some road construction on the road around the mall, which makes it a bit more challenging to there and get parked. Once I am actually there and running, the traffic is much less than it would otherwise be. I’d say the benefits of the construction outweigh the inconveniences of it at the moment!
  • My legs were a little bit tired today. It’s typically two days post workout when my legs feel the most fatigued.

Friday – 9.0 mile run (8:05 pace) w/ 6 X 30 second strides (5:20 pace)

  • Temperature: 75℉
  • Humidity: 93%
  • Listened to: The Drop Podcast Episode 101: Steve Magness, Coach & Author
  • I ran after dropping Ward off at school, but varied my route a little bit. There’s only so many mall loops a girl can do! The driveway was a no go this week though, so I’m happy to have an alternative route that is close by.
  • My legs felt much better today.
  • Got some strides done at the end of the run in preparation for a track workout tomorrow!

Saturday – 8.0 mile run (7:10 pace)

  • Temperature: 80℉
  • Humidity: 92%
  • Listened to: The Some Work All Play Sexy Shakeout #11! Long Run Length, Favorite Races, and Going All-In! on the warm up and cool down and music during the workout!
  • The workout was written as a 2 mile warm up, 8 X 600 and a 2 mile cool down. I was supposed to push the pace on the last 200 of every other repeat. On the odd repeats, I kept the pace as is on the last 200 and on the even ones I picked up the pace by about 20 seconds per mile or so.
  • The goal was to run these at close to 5k pace, which translated into about 86-87 seconds per lap. This meant that on the odd repeats the final 200 would be close to 43 seconds and on the even repeats, he wanted me closer to 40 seconds. The idea was to work on closing strong and pushing a little bit harder when you are already tired so that in a race setting those things feels like the norm.
  • The recovery was supposed to be half of the interval (300 meters), but I have a really hard time finding the 100 and 300 marks on the track, so I just went with a 200 meter recovery instead to keep it nice and even (and easy for my brain).
  • I split the 400s so that I’d have the data to see the execution of the 200s. Splits were as follows:
    • 85/44
    • 86/40
    • 84/43
    • 83/40
    • 85/43
    • 85/40
    • 84/43
    • 84/40
  • Things got really tough around the sixth rep, but I stuck it out.
  • I really liked the way this workout was structured. Having the 200 to focus on every other time was nice, especially since I like 200s! It was a fun challenge. I also think taking splits at the 400 made it feel like I was only doing 400 meter repeats instead of 600 meter repeats. For whatever reason, mentally it seemed less challenging.

Sunday – 12.0 mile run (8:30 pace)

  • Temperature: 75℉
  • Humidity: 97%
  • I got to run with Rebecca for the first 9 miles!
  • Learned some very valuable information in regards to where you can and can not apply body glide. The secret is that you can apply it everywhere and that there is no where you can’t apply it! I’ve got several pair of spandex shorts that are a dreadful combination of slightly too old and slightly too big and there has been chafing in … let’s just say … some unfortunate areas. But now I know!
  • I got in three more miles on my own afterwards and was able to rescue Rebecca’s visor from the middle of the road. She drove off with it on the hood of her car. I told her it was a true test of friendship, as the visor was very sweaty. Ha!

Totals –
Running: 60.0 miles
Elliptical: NONE!

This was my first 60 mile week since November of 2020! Wowza. I can’t believe it has been that long, but I guess it makes sense given the life events that have transpired! Thanks for following along.

Training Log – 07/31/22 

Posted on by Sam

Hey friends! Here is what training looked like last week:

Monday – 8.5 mile run (8:40 pace) w/ 6 X 30 second strides (5:20 pace)

Tuesday – 9.0 mile run (8:20 pace)

  • Temperature: 76℉
  • Humidity: 100%
  • Listened to: I’ll Have Another Podcast Episode 401: Meghann Featherstun – RD & 2:57 Marathoner on Racing Your Best & Carb Loading 
  • I was so excited to listen to this episode! I did a consult with Meghann a month or so ago. Other mothers probably get this, but breastfeeding is no joke on the nutrition front. When you combine that with training, the mother runner is a rare caloric monster! If you told me that I’d be eating 3k calories per day for maintenance, I’d have thought you were crazy. Just for reference, here is what she told me I need to be taking in currently:

Nutrition Plan
Energy: 2800 – 3000 kcal
Protein: 110 – 130 gm
Carbohydrates: 375 – 450 gm
Fat: 80 – 90 gm

  • I was originally supposed to do a track workout Tuesday morning, but we changed this up a bit. I am trying to be a lot more intentional with my schedule (now that Ward is a little bit older, it’s becoming a tad easier to create routine!). I have been all over the place, mentally, physically and emotionally. I thrive on consistency and routine and both of those things have been severely lacking in my life for the past few months.

Wednesday – 9.0 mile run (7:00 pace)

  • Temperature: 77℉
  • Humidity: 100%
  • Listened to: Music!
  • Pre-run I had a scoop of athletic greens w/ 12 oz. of water, 6 oz. of coffee and a bagel. I didn’t hit the wall or ever start feeling fatigued during this run!
  • The workout was written as a 2.5 mile warm up, a 4 mile progressive tempo and a 2.5 mile cool down.
  • The plan was to start at around 6:40 pace and then to dial it down each mile (at my own discretion).
  • I ended up with splits of 6:35, 6:25, 6:19, 6:04.
  • The third tempo mile had a small hill in it, so I was fairly consistent with picking it up about 10 seconds each mile. According to Strava, the grade adjusted pace for the third mile was 6:15 on the dot!

Thursday – 12.75 mile elliptical (5:50 pace)

Friday – 8.0 mile run (8:20 pace)

Saturday – 8.5 mile run (7:15 pace)

  • Temperature: 80℉
  • Humidity: 91%
  • Listened to: Music!
  • Workout was written as a 2 mile warm up, 3 X [4 X 400 w/ 100 recovery] and a 2 mile cool down.
  • Goal pace was 5:40-5:45 (85-86 seconds per lap). This is supposed to be close to 5k pace.
  • Actual splits were 83, 84, 85, 84 | 83, 83, 84, 84 | 84, 83, 85, 82.
  • 100 meters of “recovery” is SO. SHORT. It’s basically nothing. Holy smokes.
  • This workout was a huge confidence boost for me. I told my coach that I think the mental boost was more important than any actual physical training adaptations that I got.
  • One of the football coaches was out working on the infield area while I was running (which was 100 times better than having the entire football team out there!). Afterwards he asked me who I compete for. I was kinda like … uhh … myself? Ha! He then told me that my workout was impressive as sh*t, which pretty much made my day!

Sunday – 8.3 mile run (8:30 pace)

Totals –
Running: 51.4 miles
Elliptical: 1275 miles

Thanks for following along!

Training Log – 07/24/22 

Posted on by Sam

Hey friends! Trying something a bit new with the training log this week. I think I like it. I hope you do too!

Monday – 9.0 mile run (8:20 pace) w/ 6 X 30 second strides (5:10 pace)

  • Temperature: 82℉
  • Humidity: 82%
  • Listened to: I’ll Have Another Episode 399: Starla García – Cultural and Body Diversity in Running and Nutrition
  • Ran at 10 a.m., which is a slower time as far as traffic is concerned, so I was able to venture off of our street and do a more interesting route (the one I like to refer to as my “sailboat loop”).
  • Mile 7 of the run was 6 X 30 second strides. I do these on the pavement before I get back to the dirt portion of the driveway. I sprint for 30 seconds, then turn around, walk for 15-20 seconds and slowly jog back to the starting point & repeat 5 more times.
  • On the episode Starla mentioned that she jots down notes in Strava and uses that as a training journal, which prompted me to change the format of these posts a little bit to more of a stream of consciousness format. If I can jot down a few notes each day as I go, I think that’ll be more helpful and I think I’ll ultimately have more to say about each run.

Tuesday – 9.0 mile run w/ 2 X 2 mile tempo (7:20 pace)

  • Temperature: 79℉
  • Humidity: 91%
  • Listened to: Fuel for the Sole Episode 32: Blood Glucose Changes + Running and Types of Sports Fuel on the warm up and cool down and listened to music during the workout portion!
  • Side note: I have learned so much from this podcast. Mainly re: carbohydrate intake & proper hydration.
  • The football team was using the track, so I had to do this one on the roads. Darn football players really cramping my style. Ha. I made my route up on the fly!
  • Pre-run I had a scoop of athletic greens w/ 8 oz. of water, 12 oz. of coffee and a bagel.
  • The 2 mile tempos were 2 sets of 1200s @ 10k pace w/ 400 floats. I did a half mile of jogging rest between the two sets.
  • Goal pace for the 1200s was 6:04 pace. Goal pace for the 400s was 7:00 pace. My coach said that he calculated those paces by taking my 5k time trial time and subtracting 15 seconds because he thinks in a race setting with other people I would’ve been a tad faster.
  • Lap splits were 4:38/1:38, 4:36/1:41, 4:32/1:46, 4:33/1:41.
  • Mile splits were 6:16, 6:17, 6:18, 6:14.
  • I felt decent until the 3rd tempo mile. My heart rate didn’t really come down at all during the “float.” This was about 40 minutes in to the run. I want to track this a bit more and see if adjusting pre-run fueling or hydration impacts the point at which I start to fatigue.
  • The 4th tempo mile was a grind. I was hot and ready to be done!
  • This workout was more strength than speed focused. The strength based workouts are harder for me and are where I need to focus my training if I want to race longer distances.
  • We do Moe’s Monday (Moe’s Southwest Grill) every week and I think that makes an excellent pre-workout meal. My sweat was very salty today and no bathroom breaks were required!
  • Refueled with greek yogurt, a protein shake and Skratch sport hydration drink mix immediately post-run.

Wednesday – 9.0 mile run (8:40 pace)

Thursday – 11.75 mile elliptical (5:35 pace)

Friday – 7.0 mile run (7:05 pace)

  • Temperature: 78℉
  • Humidity: 92%
  • Listened to: Ali on the Run Show Episode 544: Ask Ali, World Championships Edition on the warm up and cool down and listened to music during the workout portion!
  • Workout was 2 mile warm up, 12 X 200 w/ 200 recovery and a 2 mile cool down.
  • Goal pace was 5:20 (40 seconds per 200).
  • Actual splits were 39, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 39, 38 and 38.
  • I went earlier than normal, before dropping Ward off at school and had the track to myself! Woo to the hoo!
  • About three quarters of the way through the workout, I realized that I was letting off the gas ever so slightly in the last 100 of each rep. I started making a conscious effort to push once I got to the 100 meter mark (after coming out of the turn).
  • I wonder how many miles the Saucony Endorphin Speed is supposed to last? This shoe is definitely one of my all time favorites. I’ve currently got 160 miles on this pair.

Saturday – 13.1 mile run (8:10 pace)

  • Temperature: 80℉
  • Humidity: 87%
  • Listened to: Some Work All Play Podcast Sexy Shakeout #9: Caffeine Use, Cross Training Guidelines, and Supershoes! and The Drop Podcast Episode 99: World Athletics Championships.
  • I love David and Megan’s podcast so much. I support them on Patreon, which is where this episode is found. They are so smart and I love their scientific approach to training and their positive outlook on life! I do, however, which their language was a bit more reigned in. When you have such an expansive vocabulary as they do, you should certainly be able to substitute a few choice words for something more meaningful.
  • Richard went to the chicken auction in Atmore Saturday morning, so I took Ward over to my mom and dad’s and my mom watched him while I ran. Thank you, Pom Pom!
  • It was fun to run through my old stomping grounds. I chose an out and back route with some gentle rollers.
  • For some reason, I developed a side stitch (actually I think it was more in my rib cage area) around mile 9. This happens so infrequently that I always seem to promptly forget about it after the fact. Documenting it here this time so that I can refer back and try to determine what causes it.
  • I saw a lot of female runners out, which was both nice and also a bit sad because everyone was running alone. I think we all need a good old fashioned group run every now and then!

Sunday – 8.0 mile run (8:55 pace)

  • Temperature: 77℉
  • Humidity: 91%
  • I got to run with Rebecca Sunday morning! She was doing a longer run than I was, but we met up for 8 miles together. It’s nice to run with someone who truly gets you and who you can open up to and not feel judged by! This was a very nice way to finish up the training week.

Totals –
Running: 55.25 miles
Elliptical: 11.75 miles

Thanks for following along. Talk to you guys soon!

Training Log – 07/17/22 (Week 16)

Posted on by Sam

Hi friends! This week wraps up the “base building” phase of training. Now it is time to move on to more of an “official” training cycle for a yet to be determined race. Ha! I’m actively working on that as we speak!

Monday – 8.0 mile run (8:05 pace) w/ 6 X 30 second strides

I started the week of with my standard run + strides. A rainy start to the week forced me to do this one on the treadmill instead of outside.

Tuesday – 8.0 mile run w/ 4 X 400, 1 X 1600, 4 X 200 (7:30 pace)

Tuesday’s workout was almost the exact same as last week’s workout, but with a tempo mile in between the two sets. The goal was to run this at a steady effort at just under 6:00 pace. We were working to be able to keep the breathing in check when things get tough and to be able to handle heavy legs in a race. 400s were done in 83, 84, 82 and 82, the mile was done in 5:50 and 200s were all exactly 39 seconds.

Wednesday – 9.0 mile run (8:40 pace)

I procrastinated my run on Wednesday until after work, which turned out to be nice as there was a storm rolling in and it was much cooler out. I got rained on a little bit, but that also felt really nice! Every now and then, a run in the rain is good for the soul.

Thursday – 7.0 mile run (8:35 pace)

I got in a few easy miles after work on Thursday as well. Nothing major to note otherwise.

Friday – 70 minute elliptical (6.0 miles)

Friday was an easy cross training day in preparation for Saturday’s time trial.

Saturday – 8.0 mile run w/ 5k TIME TRIAL (18:32)!

Saturday morning I headed to the track to test the fitness. I split each lap just for the heck of it (this wasn’t planned, but was more of a game time decision). Also more data = more better in my book! Ha.

My splits were 91, 89, 86, 88, 89, 88, 88, 88, 89, 91, 88, 88 and 42 for the last 200. Aside from the one 86 second lap, all of the laps were very consistent and within a 3 second range. The mile splits were 5:54, 5:53 and 5:56. The goal was to start out at 5:50 pace and work down, but that just didn’t happen. I knew from the get go that I didn’t feel quite as good as I was expecting. I’m just glad that I realized it, adjusted my expectations in the moment and ran a smart “race” based on what I had to work with on the day.

Sunday – 8.0 mile run (8:35 pace)

I finished up the week with an easy run with Rebecca! It was great to catch up after being out of town and missing our Sunday rundowns the last two weeks.

Totals –
Running: 49.5 miles
Elliptical: 6.0 (70 minutes)

Thanks for following along!

Where to Run and Play on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay!

Posted on by Sam

I was recently a guest on the SuiteRun podcast where I got to share all about the beautiful area that I am lucky enough to call home. If you can’t tell based on the name of my blog, Mobile Bay and running are two things that I am extremely passionate about. The podcast discussion was the perfect intersection of my two passions! In preparation, I wrote out a bunch of information about where to run, where to stay, where to eat and where to play. I’m going to share it here as well in case anyone would rather read than listen.

Here are a few of the things that we talked about …

Tell us about your running journey? You can read all about that here!

Where do you live and how long have you lived there? I live on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay in Alabama. I’ve lived here for 15 years, but both sets of my grandparents are from this area and my parents grew up here, so I’ve been coming to Mobile Bay my entire life.

What do you love most about your area? That would definitely be the sunsets on Mobile Bay! From the east side of the bay, we have a spectacular view of the sun as it sets in the west.

What is your favorite running route? As an added bonus, here’s a Strava file that shows the majority of the route!

My favorite place to run is on the Eastern Shore Trail, a paved path that runs along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay from Spanish Fort to Weeks Bay, passing through the communities of Daphne, Montrose, Fairhope and Point Clear along the way. In 2010, the paved path was designated a National Recreation Trail. The “trail” is mostly concrete or asphalt, but because of the wide variation in grade, you will encounter elevated boardwalks and high-rise bridges, both wood and metal.

I’m going to take you through this beautiful 30+ mile route and point out lots of things of interest along the way!

We are going to start at USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, which would likely be considered a top local attraction. Battleship USS ALABAMA had a remarkable career. She began her World War II adventures in the North Atlantic in 1943, then later that year, went to the South Pacific seas. Most American warships end their useful life after wartime, but ALABAMA was destined to live another day. She ended up in Mobile, Alabama as a National Historic Landmark and memorial to millions.

We will start our run heading east on Battleship Parkway, commonly referred to locally and in the media as the “Causeway.” This stretch is about 5 miles that will take us eastbound across Mobile Bay. We will run past several popular restaurants, including Felix’s Fish Camp and the Bluegill. Both of these restaurants offer fresh, local seafood, live music, and a fun, casual atmosphere.

We will then run by the Five Rivers Delta Resource Center. This is the place where the Mobile, Spanish, Tensaw, Apalachee and Blakeley rivers flow into Mobile Bay. It’s the ultimate place to begin your adventure into over 250k acres of scenic waterways, woods and wetlands. The center features an exhibit hall, theater, Delta boat tours, canoe and kayak rentals, hiking trails and picnic area.

Next we will pass by Meaher State Park, a 1,327-acre park situated in the wetlands of north Mobile Bay. The park is a day-use, picnicking and scenic park with modern camping hook-ups for overnight visitors. Meaher’s boat ramp and fishing pier will appeal to every fisherman and a self-guided walk on our boardwalk will give you an up-close view of the beautiful Mobile-Tensaw Delta. The Mobile-Tensaw Delta consists of approximately 20k acres of water, is the second largest delta in the contiguous US and Meaher State Park is the perfect access point to this massive natural wonder. Formed by the confluence of the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers, the Mobile-Tensaw Delta is a complex network of tidally influenced rivers, creeks, bays, lakes, wetlands, and bayous. Since the Delta empties into Mobile Bay, it is a productive estuary with numerous species of fresh and saltwater fish, which makes Meaher State Park an angler’s dream.

Speaking of wildlife, as we approach Spanish Fort, the first “city” along our route, we will run across the Gator Alley boardwalk where keen runners can spot alligators and turtles. As we make our way south, we will pass Village Point Park Preserve on our way to downtown Daphne. In downtown Daphne we will pass two popular restaurants, Manci’s Antique Club and Cousin Vinny’s. I would highly recommend Vinny’s! They have a grilled yellow fin tuna sandwich that is to die for. It has avocado, sprouts, mozzarella, smoked provolone and asiago vinaigrette.

After we pass through Daphne, we will run through Montrose, which is a historic residential district. While this section of the run is not directly on the water, it is particularly breathtaking as you run under a canopy of very old, very beautiful oak trees. This is also the hilliest section of the run, but don’t worry … the hills in Alabama aren’t very hilly. Ha. We will only get about 600 feet of elevation gain on the entire 30+ mile route.

Once we come through Montrose, we will enter Fairhope! We will pass by the Fly Creek Marina, Sunset Pointe, the Fairhope Yacht Club and Coffee Loft. Sunset Pointe would be one of my top dinner recommendations. You can sit on the creek (with misting fans keeping you cool) and enjoy a cocktail while you watch the sunset and wait for your dinner to arrive. You can dine on some fresh gulf snapper, grouper or shrimp. In the morning after our run we will definitely be hitting up Coffee Loft for their delicious flavored coffees (creme brulee, southern pecan, blueberry, oh my!) and their tasty smoothies.

Once we have passed Coffee Loft, we will shortly be in Downtown Fairhope, where there is plenty of shopping, more restaurants and coffee shops, bookstores, museums and art galleries galore. There is something for everyone in Downtown Fairhope! We will pass by the Fairhope Pier, known by locals as “The Big Pier.” The pier is Fairhope’s “town square” with a swimming area, picnic areas, landscaped rose gardens, benches, restrooms, a marina, walking trails and a duck pond.

After a few miles (that will be directly on beautiful Mobile Bay!), we will be in Point Clear and we will have arrived at the The Grand Hotel. The Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection, has been known throughout the South as The Queen of Southern Resorts for more than 170 years. With a spirited allure, and very independent signature throughout, the Grand Hotel has joined the Autograph Collection by Marriott, an exclusive array of hotels where the hospitality is exciting and original, exactly like nothing else. Directly on the hotel grounds you have access to pools, a spa, a fitness center, tennis, golf, shopping and plenty of dining options.

After we pass the Grand, we will run by the Punta Clara Kitchen, where you can satisfy your sweet tooth with a homemade treat. Punta Clara (Spanish for “Point Clear”) Kitchen offers specialty candies, homemade fudge, pralines, jellies, preserves, pickles, relishes, and cakes. All of the products are made from scratch in small batches to ensure that homemade flavor and quality. Located directly behind Punta Clara Kitchen is The Wash House Restaurant, an upscale, fine dining, locally sourced, coastal cuisine restaurant located in Point Clear. The Wash House is another top recommendation for dinner, especially if you are looking for something a bit on the fancy side (and not fancy like Applebee’s).

On the final stretch of our journey we will pass Mullet Point Park en route to Weeks Bay Reserve, which will be our destination. One of the best things about this route is that you can hop on just about anywhere and run as little or as much as you want. You can go a mile out and a mile back, a few miles point to point or thirty miles out and thirty miles back (if you are extra like that!).

Where would you recommend people stay? Definitely The Grand Hotel! However, if that’s a bit out of your price range, there are plenty of less expensive hotel options in the area or you could rent a Fairhope Cottage through Airbnb.

Recommendations for a great meal? Another great breakfast and lunch location that wasn’t on our “route” is Warehouse Bakery & Donuts. I would highly recommend the baja bowl! You get roasted sweet potatoes, steamed veggies, avocado, salsa and shredded cheddar cheese with two eggs cooked however you like them on top. It’s delicious. They have a breakfast all day menu as well as a lunch menu. You can get everything from donuts, to oatmeal, to fried chicken on french toast!

Best place to grab a beer? The Fairhope Brewery.

Local races to plan your trip around?

The Battleship 12k is a patriotic run on Veterans Day weekend to honor those who have served our country. The course is flat and fast and as a bonus it is typically an automatic PR, because where else do you run a 12k?! The race actually runs directly on the route that we just talked through, but starts in Spanish Fort and runs west on Battleship Parkway (the “Causeway”) across Mobile Bay to USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. A nice little added touch at this race is that volunteers at the last water stop (around mile 7) hand out American flags to all the runners. It’s so special to cross the finish line with the flag in your hand! There are so many men and women that sacrifice their lives to protect our freedom. Participating in a patriotic event on Veterans Day weekend is a wonderful reminder of just how much we have to be thankful for.

The Spring Fever Chase 10k is one of my all-time favorite races! This year was my twelfth time running it (it was cancelled the last two years because of COVID). It’s a small local race (think no chip timing) with a lot of hometown charm. It’s a rolling 10k that winds through beautiful downtown Fairhope and finishes overlooking Mobile Bay. The race takes place during the Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival. Over 200 vendors from all over the country bring their best work and set up booths all along the streets downtown. After the race, you can meander through the streets of downtown or just hang out and enjoy the atmosphere. It’s awesome! If you don’t believe me, you just need to come experience it for yourself!

Best time of year to visit? While we don’t really have seasons here in lower Alabama, but I’m going to say Spring or Fall. If you come in the Spring, you can race the Spring Fever Chase and if you come in the fall, you can race the Battleship 12k!

One thing unique about your area? The Jubilee! During a jubilee, the lack of oxygen in the water forces bottom-type fish and crustaceans ashore (looking for oxygen). Because of the lack of oxygen, the fish and shellfish cannot carry out normal muscular activities, such as swimming. They move slowly and are reluctant to swim. During a jubilee you will see hundreds of flounder, crab and shrimp all right at the surface of the water.

For a jubilee to take place, a very specific set of conditions must exist. They occur in the summer before sunrise during a rising tide. The previous day’s weather conditions must include an overcast or cloudy day, an east breeze and a calm, slick bay surface. It takes a combination of all these conditions to produce the phenomenon. Jubilees of this magnitude occur only two places in the world, Tokyo Bay in Japan and Mobile Bay in Alabama.

Where can people find you?

Strava
Blog
Instagram

Training Log – 07/10/22 (Week 15)

Posted on by Sam

Hi friends!

Unfortunately I do not have a race recap to share with you today. I’m embarrassed to admit this as I am typically very attentive to details, but the race that I registered for was at 7 p.m. on Sunday evening and not at 7 a.m. on Sunday morning like I assumed. It honestly never even crossed my mind to check the a.m. vs. p.m. thing when I registered and if I had, I probably would’ve thought it was a typo! The race was over 3 hours away and there was no way I was going to get home at midnight on a work night. I’m picturing myself lining up on the start line in my pajamas if I had participated! Ha.

This threw a bit of a curveball into my “planned” week as far as training goes, but modifications were made and I still got in a solid week of training!

Monday – 8.5 mile run (8:00 pace) w/ 6 X 30 second strides (5:25 pace)

I started the week of with my standard run + strides.

Tuesday – 8.0 mile run w/ 4 X 400, 4 X 200 (7:40 pace)

Tuesday’s workout was a 2.5 mile warm up, 4 X 400 with 200 recoveries, 4 X 200 w/ 200 recoveries and a 3 mile cool down. At this point, I was still planning to race the 5k and Tuesday’s workout was intended to be a light tuneup workout. 400s were done in 88, 85, 83 and 82 and 200s were done in 40, 39, 39 and 39. Aside from the first 400, all of the splits were within the prescribed pace ranges. The first rep of any workout is always tricky from a pacing perspective!

Wednesday – 9.0 mile run (8:15 pace)

I ran 9 miles Wednesday morning and all I remember is that my stomach was not good. If you’ve been there, you definitely get it! Things were definitely a bit dicey for a minute or two, but thankfully my stomach settled down and was completely fine after about halfway through the run. Thank goodness for new construction is all I’ve got to say about that!

Thursday – 7.0 mile run (8:50 pace)

Thursday’s run was uneventful compared to Wednesday! No issues and just some nice, easy running.

Friday – 8.25 mile run (7:55 pace)

We went back up to my in-laws’ house the weekend after the Fourth of July as well. I enjoy running from their house, as it’s a nice change of scenery. We runners can be very habitual in our route selections unless forced outside the box.

Saturday – 12.0 mile run (7:15 pace)

I had a long run + workout combo Saturday morning. The workout was a 3.5 mile warm up, 2 miles at marathon pace, 1 mile at moderate pace, 2 miles at half marathon pace and a 3.5 mile cool down. I averaged 6:40 for the marathon pace miles, 7:10 for the moderate “middle” mile and 6:22 for the half marathon pace miles. Other than the fact that I felt like I was slowly roasting myself (the feels like temp was 97℉), I really enjoyed this run! While there is a zero percent chance that I could hold those paces for a marathon or a half marathon at this point, the paces were appropriate for purposes of the workout.

Sunday – 65 minute elliptical (10.5 miles)

I finished up the week with an easy elliptical session at the gym once we got back home.

Totals –
Running: 52.8 miles
Elliptical: 10.5 (65 minutes)

Thanks for following along!

Training Log – 07/03/22 (Week 14)

Posted on by Sam

Hey friends! I officially signed up for a 5k race next weekend. I’m super excited to get out there and knock some rust off. Here is what the fourteenth week of postpartum training looked like!

Monday –
Plan: 8.0 mile run w/ 6 X 30 second strides
Actual: 8.25 mile run (8:40 pace) w/ 6 X 30 second strides (5:30 pace)

I started the week of with my standard run + strides. This is a weekly staple at this point. Gotta get those leggies turning over before the Tuesday workout!

Tuesday –
Plan: 8.5 mile run w/ 6 X 800
Actual: 8.75 mile run (7:25 pace)

Tuesday’s workout was a two mile warm up, 6 X 800 w/ 400 recoveries and a two mile cool down. The goal was to run the 800s at current 5k pace, which we are estimating to be somewhere between 5:40 and 5:50 (so 2:50 to 2:55 per 800). My plan was to head to the track after I dropped Ward off at daycare, but by the time I got over there the football team was using the track and I didn’t feel like getting in the middle of all that. My backup plan was to head over to my “pandemic track” (i.e., the mall parking lot). This was not ideal, but was a solid backup for sure. There was actually more traffic than I was expecting, which was not great as far as the workout goes, but was great in the sense that the world isn’t shut down anymore. Yay!

I felt like I had to work really hard (harder than I was supposed to) in order to hit the prescribed paces. I ended up with splits of 2:50, 2:52, 2:54, 2:50, 2:52 and 2:51, which looks great “on paper,” but I was TOAST afterwards. I don’t know if that bodes well for next weekend’s race, but I do know that the paces likely would’ve felt a bit easier on the track. The track has a slight bounce that seems to make faster running feel better. At the end of the day, I’m happy I sucked it up and got the workout in when things didn’t go according to plan. Good race day mental prep for sure!

Wednesday –
Plan: 60 minute elliptical
Actual: 75 minutes (7.0 miles)

Technically Wednesday was supposed to be a 9 mile run and Thursday was supposed to be my elliptical day, but I had to switch those days up this week due to an extremely muddy driveway that was not runnable in any way, shape or form.

Thursday –
Plan: 9.0 mile run
Actual: 8.5 miles (8:25 pace)

As it turned out, the driveway was still not runnable on Thursday, so I went back over to the mall parking lot for my easy run. We had so. much. rain. this week. It was kinda ridiculous! The silver lining, however, is that all of our plants and flowers look amazing!

Friday –
Plan: 7.5 mile run w/ 8 X 1:00 on/1:00 off
Actual: 7.0 mile run (7:20 pace)

Friday’s “mini” workout was a 2.5 mile warm up, 8 X 1 minute hard (with no prescribed pace) with 1 minute easy recoveries and a 2.5 mile cool down. I ended up averaging exactly 5:30 for the minutes on. I was working hard, but definitely not killing myself. I got sprinkled on during the workout, which was a welcome reprieve from the oppressive heat and humidity.

Saturday –
Plan: 11.0-13.0 mile run
Actual: 12.0 mile run (8:20 pace)

We went to my in-laws’ house on the lake for the holiday weekend and I got my long run in Saturday morning from their house. There was 175 feet of elevation gain in the first mile! Oof. Based on how I felt during the first mile, I thought this run was going to be a struggle, but it actually turned out just fine. I did an out and back route that took me three miles down a dirt road (no traffic!). I can’t seem to get away from these dirt roads lately. Welcome to Alabama!

Sunday –
Plan: 7.0 mile run
Actual: 7.0 mile run (8:25 pace)

I finished the week up with another run from their house on the same route with an earlier turn around point. Sunday’s run was just an easy recovery type run, so I took it upon myself to walk to the top of the hill before starting my run. I typically don’t shy away from hills, but running straight uphill during the first mile of your run is definitely not pleasant and I wanted to have a pleasant run! Mission accomplished.

Totals –
Running: 52.0 miles
Elliptical: 7.0 (75 minutes)

I finished the week out with 52 miles. Y’all. I’m not gonna lie … I am loving the tangible week-to-week progress that is evident during this postpartum return to running. I know it won’t last forever, but I’m soaking it all in at the moment. I feel like a new runner who PRs every race they run for the first little bit after really getting into the sport and I’m totally okay with feeling like a newbie in that way!

Talk to you guys soon … hopefully with a RACE RECAP!

Training Log – 06/26/22 (Week 13)

Posted on by Sam

Hey friends! Is it hot where you are?! Things are heating up rather quickly here on the Gulf Coast. Welcome to the first official week of summer!

Monday –
Plan: 8.0 mile run w/ 6 X 30 second strides
Actual: 8.25 mile run (8:20 pace) w/ 6 X 30 second strides (6:10 pace)

I ran at 10:45 a.m. Monday when the temperature was 88℉ w/ a feels like temperature of 101℉! Oof. I like to try to get some work done in the morning before I run so that when I go out and run it is reasonable to call it my “lunch break.” I did the strides on the driveway so the sand, dirt, etc. slowed me down a bit, but the effort was there.

Tuesday –
Plan: 8.0 mile run w/ 3 mile tempo + 2 X 400
Actual: 8.0 mile run (7:10 pace)

To avoid doing a quality session in 100+℉ temps, I decided to take my workout to the treadmill on Tuesday. The workout was written as a two mile warm up, 3 X 1 mile at tempo pace (goal pace was 6:20) with 90 second recoveries, 2 X 400 with 400 recovery and a two mile cool down. Since I made things a bit easier on myself by running indoors, I decided to counteract that and make things a bit harder by skipping the recoveries on the tempo portion, running it straight through. My tempo splits were 6:17, 6:13, and 6:08 and the 400s were 80 and 78. When I run on the treadmill, I use the indoor run setting on my watch and I pair the watch with my foot pod. I think the paces for this one are a bit artificially inflated (or perhaps deflated, depending on how you want to look at it). I’d say the tempo was probably closer to 6:30 than to 6:10 average, but I don’t know for sure. Either way, I’m happy with how it went!

Wednesday –
Plan: 8.0-9.0 mile run
Actual: 9.0 miles (8:10 pace)

I ran at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday when it was a cool 81℉, feels like 89℉! Ha. I don’t know if it is the warmer temps or what, but my legs were warmed up and ready to go. I expected to feel tired and sore after Tuesday’s workout, but I felt better than expected. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve had a “casual” nine mile mid-week run!

Thursday –
Plan: 60 minute elliptical
Actual: 60 minutes (5.75 miles)

I took it super duper easy for Thursday’s elliptical session. Recovery was the name of the game!

Friday –
Plan: 7.0 mile run w/ 8 X 200
Actual: 7.0 mile run (7:20 pace)

I had a short workout Friday morning! This was the first time I’ve had a second little speed session show up during the week during this training cycle. The workout was written as a 2.5 mile warm up, 8 X 200 w/ 200 recovery and a 2.5 mile cool down. The goal was to run the 200s at close to current one mile pace, which my coach estimated to be 5:20 pace (40 seconds per 200). My actual splits were 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, 39 and 37. I’d say he was pretty much spot on with that pace prediction!

Saturday –
Plan: 12.0 mile run
Actual: 13.1 mile run (8:15 pace)

I misjudged my route Saturday morning and ended up with an extra mile, but I kept the pace easy and my coach was a-okay with this. I guess I could’ve just walked a mile back to the house, but that just seemed like it would take too long. Ha! This was my longest run in 45 weeks, helping me also cap off my highest mileage week in 45 weeks! I’m really enjoying this whole postpartum return to running thing. I’m seeing tangible progress each week and that keeps me motivated and hungry for more!

Sunday –
Plan: 6.0 mile run
Actual: 6.0 mile run (8:25 pace)

I met Rebecca for an easy six miles Sunday morning. This is becoming part of the weekly routine and I am not sad about it. It’s so nice to run with a friend!

Totals –
Running: 51.4 miles
Elliptical: 5.75 (60 minutes)

Training Log – 06/19/22 (Week 12)

Posted on by Sam

Okay, friends. This week was nothing but easy miles and a couple strides towards the end of the week. My little head cold decided to linger around for close to two weeks. I was actually due for a down week anyway, so I do believe this was my body’s way of making sure that I got what I needed. Hopefully I will be back with more interesting runs and more details to share next week!

Monday –
Plan: 8.0 mile run w/ 6 X 30 second strides
Actual: 7.0 mile run (8:30 pace)

Tuesday –
Plan: 8.0 mile run
Actual: 8.0 mile run (8:50 pace)

Wednesday –
Plan: 60 minute elliptical
Actual: 60 minutes (5.75 miles)

Thursday –
Plan: 8.0 mile run
Actual: 8.0 mile run (8:50 pace)

Friday –
Plan: 7.0 mile run
Actual: 8.0 mile run (8:15 pace) w/ 6 X 30 second strides (5:15 pace)

Saturday –
Plan: 10.0 mile run
Actual: 10.0 mile run (8:30 pace)

Sunday –
Plan: 5.0-6.0 mile run
Actual: 6.5 mile run (8:15 pace)

Totals –
Running: 47.5 miles
Elliptical: 5.75 (60 minutes)
Walking: 4.0 miles

Training Log – 06/05/22 (Week 10) & 06/12/22 (Week 11)

Posted on by Sam

Today you get two training logs for the price of one! I know you are thrilled.

Ward caught RSV his first week of daycare (*literally* the first day he was there). It was scary seeing him sick since he is still just so little. It was pitiful. And of course I ended up sick as well. Long story short: we both got sick, we are both getting better and I am behind on my training logs, work, chores, etc. life.

Week 10

Monday –
Plan: 7.5 mile run w/ 6 X 30 second strides
Actual: 8.0 mile run (8:15 pace) w/ 6 X 30 second strides (5:45 pace)

Tuesday –
Plan: 8.0 mile run w/ 3 X “broken miles”
Actual: 8.0 mile run (7:10 pace)

The workout was written as a 2.5 mile warm up, 3 X [800-400-400] w/ 400 recovery and a 2.5 mile cool down. The 800s were done at approximately 10k effort, then the middle 400 was a “float” at slightly faster than easy pace, then the last 400 of each mile 400 was at approximately 5k effort. There was also a 400 jogging recovery to reset between each set.

The 800s were 3:02, 2:56 & 2:54. The faster 400s were 87, 84 & 85. The mile splits (including the floating 400) were 6:23, 6:04 & 6:05. I was really happy with this one!

Wednesday –
Plan: 7.5-8.0 mile run 
Actual: 8.0 mile run (8:25 pace)

Thursday –
Plan: 60 minute elliptical
Actual: 60 minutes (5.75 miles)

Friday –
Plan: 7.0-7.5 mile run
Actual: 7.5 mile run (8:40 pace)

Saturday –
Plan: 11.0-12.0 mile run w/ 3 miles at threshold
Actual: 11.2 mile run (7:20 pace)

Saturday’s workout was a long run with 3 up-tempo miles in the middle. The goal was to have those miles in the 6:30 range. I surprised myself and my coach with an unintentional progressive tempo (splits of 6:36, 6:22, 6:09). Woo!

Sunday –
Plan: 4.0-5.0 mile run
Actual: 4.8 mile run (10:00 pace)

I got to run with Rebecca again on Sunday!

Totals –
Running: 47.7 miles
Elliptical: 5.75 (60 minutes)
Walking: 3.1 miles

Week 11

Monday –
Plan: 8.0 run w/ 6 X 30 second strides
Actual: 8.0 mile run (8:45 pace)

Tuesday –
Plan: 8.0 mile run w/ “Aussie Quarters” (8 X 400 w/ 200 float)
Actual: 8.0 mile run (6:55)

The workout was written as a 2.5 mile warm up, 8 X 400 at 5k pace with a 200 “float” at moderate pace and a 2.5 mile cool down. The workout ends up being 3 miles and is great for 5k specific training. I will likely hop in a 5k at some point in the not too distant future, so I was excited to see what I could do for this one.

I ended up running 3 miles in 18:30 and was very pleased with that. My goal pace for the 400s was 5:30 to 5:40 (splits of 84-85 seconds per lap) and my goal pace for the 200s was 7:00 (splits of 52-53 seconds). My actual 400 splits were 86, 87, 87, 87, 86, 86, 84 & 85 and my 200 splits were 51, 51, 51, 52, 52, 53, 53 & 54.

Wednesday –
Plan: 8.0 mile run 
Actual: Rest Day

I started feeling kinda crummy on Wednesday, so I decided to play it safe and take a complete rest day. Since my symptoms were all above the neck (no flu-like symptoms), we felt like it was fine to do easy efforts the rest of the week. My coach modified the remainder of the week to remove a short track workout on Friday and cut back the long run on Saturday.

Thursday –
Plan: 60 minute elliptical
Actual: 60 minutes (5.5 miles)

Friday –
Plan: 7.0 mile run
Actual: 7.0 mile run (9:40 pace)

Saturday –
Plan: 6.0-8.0 mile run
Actual: 8.0 mile run (8:45 pace)

Sunday –
Plan: 5.0-7.0 mile run
Actual: 6.7 mile run (8:45 pace)

Totals –
Running: 37.9 miles
Elliptical: 5.75 (60 minutes)
Walking: 2.0 miles

Thanks for following along. Catch you guys next week!