Four months of training definitely paid off for this race!

The theme was #PRorBust for this race and I definitely achieved that goal.  But, more than a few times during these past few months before the race I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t be able to race.

I started training in July because I had taken the month of June almost entirely off from running.  July was hot and humid and so was August.  When September rolled around and we were driving up to Valpo for the Popcorn Panic I remember saying to Jerrod that I wasn’t sure I’d run the Monumental Half because I didn’t think I’d be ready and didn’t think I would be in the right shape to run it in time.  After finishing the Popcorn Panic strong, I changed my tune and started weekly training runs with a friend of mine to help keep each other on track.  I got serious about my training schedule and really dug in to training this time.

I had a really great long run three weeks ago that gave me a lot of confidence going into this weekend.  Two weeks ago I had a bad long run, which I was hoping meant I got that out of my system.  Last weekend I did a hard 6 miles, which was supposed to be an easy long run taper, but it felt a little rough regardless.  So, this week I took most of the week off and just did a few miles on Wednesday on a treadmill.

By Thursday this week I was chomping at the bit to race on Saturday.  I felt ready and excited and started to put my goals and race day plan together.

Based on my training plan, here was my race plan:

Miles 1-3: Run the first 3 miles, walk a minute, have some Gatorade, start back up.

Miles 4-6: Run the next 3 miles, walk a minute, have some energy chews, start back up.

Miles 7-10 and 11-13.1: Repeat pattern for the rest of the race.

I wanted to finish the race in 2:45:00, which was a bit of a stretch for me, but way better than my May 1/2 time of 3:08:27.  That meant basically shaving 2 minutes/mile off the last half time and was even :15 seconds faster/mile than I had been training at – even on my best days.  BUT, I wanted to aim high and see what happened.  I didn’ t put it in writing in public in advance because I was afraid of failing and too much pressure, but that was the goal time.  I expected to fall just short of it and end at a 12:45 pace, like my good training runs.

I woke up on Friday, the day before the race, and I knew something was wrong.  I didn’t feel well,  I didn’t feel like myself and I debated between going to the doctor or ignoring the symptoms and finally ended up at the doctor on Friday night.  And, it turns out, diagnosed with a bit of an infection.  The NP I saw said I could chance it and wait until after the race to take first course of antibiotics, but risk feeling bad during the race, or start the first course of antibiotics on Friday night as I was leaving her office, but risk running the race on the antibiotics which I didn’t know how they would impact my system during the race.

There’s a cardinal rule of running… Don’t try anything new on race day.   Welp, that doesn’t really help me here because either the meds, or the infection, was going to be new… so I opted to roll the dice with the medication and hope for the best.

So I was terrified on Friday night that after all this training, after feeling so ready for this race, that it wouldn’t happen.

Thankfully, I woke up on Saturday and felt much better than I had on Friday night.  It was looking like taking the medicine on Friday night was the right to do.

I had planned and laid out almost everything the night before so I quickly got ready to go and Jerrod bundled up because he was going to be biking along the course to see me at several points.  We were running just a few minutes behind when we were driving downtown and I realized, to my horror, that I had forgotten my bib.  Whoops.   I pulled a U-turn on College and ran back in the house to grab the bib.   Now, I was officially running late.

Luckily, there was no traffic and I got downtown just in time to walk over with about 10 minutes to spare before gun time.  We lined up and I was feeling pretty good about how the race was going to go.

Pre-Race

Race Recap

Miles 1-3: I started out at what I wanted to be a solid start pace, 12:30.  I was feeling like it was a bit fast, but I figured my watch was correct and I would just have to make it work.  About mile 2 I realized I had forgotten to turn the GPS feature on my watch on and it was WAY off.  By about 30 seconds, if not more.  So, I figured I would just do the best I could without dropping below an okay pace according to the watch and then I would have some padding built in to the end of the race.  Jerrod was going to be waiting to see me about mile 3, and I was internally debating if I would walk after mile 3, like I did on some training runs, or mile 4, but wanted to keep running until I saw Jerrod, so I decided to go until mile 4.

Miles 4-6: I started to feel good as I started this amount and decided to keep running, no break.  The only non-running steps I took through the first 6 miles were the few I took to swallow a sip of water and chew an energy bite at about mile 6.  I saw Jerrod just after mile 5 and I was feeling great and wanted to keep running as long as I could.   I set my next goal to keep running until at least mile 7, when I planned to take an aspirin and the half split off from the full marathon.

Miles 7-10: I popped an aspirin at mile 7’s water stop and decided to keep running, no walk break.  I was still hanging in there and didn’t want to give in.  I just wanted to keep running, at least though nine miles, which was the longest I had previously run continuously.  I wasn’t going to see Jerrod until mile 11.5, so I figured if I was going to walk I could do it around mile 9 or 10.  My pace was slowing by about 10-15 seconds/mile and I was getting tired.  I grabbed my energy bites at mile 9 to eat a few more and as I chewed the first two, I decided to keep running.  I was going to try and go the distance.  At about mile marker 9.7, just as we turned on to Meridian Street I got the best surprise yet – a friend had a “Go Diana!” sign and was out braving the elements to cheer me on!  I nearly ran past her without noticing and when I did it gave me such a burst of energy to get through the next few hard miles!

Miles 11-13: As I approached mile 11, it started to rain/sleet.  I was determined, though, to just keep going and at this point I began to really think it would be possible to run the entire race.  I was tiring and it hurt, a lot, but I just kept reminding myself that this is what I’ve been training for.  I could destroy my muscles and body today, but this was no training run, I was going to leave everything I had out on the course.  I finished my energy chews as I approached 16th and Meridian, where I knew Jerrod was going to be waiting again (this time in the sleet… what a trooper!) and kissed him as I ran by.  The last few miles were going to be hard and tough, but I was going to make it happen.  My friend Jess was along the course again cheering and it was an awesome burst of energy as I high-fived her and kept on going.   I wanted to walk, my body wanted to give out on me, but I would not give in.  I was going to run this thing to the finish.

At the mile 12 I checked my watch and saw the goal time was in reach.  I just needed to keep running.   That last two miles got progressively harder to the point that I may have blacked out a bit because I can’t remember much more that just putting one painful foot in front of the other.   DO. NOT. STOP. RUNNING. was the only thing going through my head.  I had made it this far, there was NO WAY I was going to walk now.  Blisters, muscles spasms and pain are a given.  The last mile or two aren’t about your physical strength or training plan… it’s only about mental toughness, and this was a battle I was going to win.

Crossing the finish line!

The last half mile seemed like 5 miles.  I pushed and pushed and wondered if I was going to drop dead before I reached the goal.  DO. NOT. STOP. RUNNING. was all I had going through my head.  I told Jerrod later, after the race, that I really, REALLY, had wanted to walk during the last mile.  He said exactly what I had going through my head during that stretch… “If you had finished and told me you ran the entire race only to walk during the last mile, I would have been pissed.  And you would have been, too.”  [That’s the support I love ;-)]

But, I did not walk and I did finish the race.  And then my body just kind of gave up as I finally let it rest.  I paid for my leaving everything on the course for the next 5 or so hours, but it was well worth it thanks to the awesome accomplishments I achieved with this half.

What I achieved:

          – Longest consecutive running in personal history.

          – Ran the entire half marathon.

          – Bested my first 1/2 marathon time by 25 minutes, 1 second.

          – Bested my goal by 94 seconds.

This will go down as my best race to date and it’s in large part to all the awesome people who encouraged me in training and on race day.  All this excitement definitely gets me excited for Half #3… Mini Marathon 2013.

November Race
13.1 Miles
12:28 pace
2:43:26 total time

What’s next?

My next race will be the Santa Hustle 5k which would be another fun run to finish out the year. Jerrod and I are doing this one together and I love the energy and atmosphere at this run race, where everyone dresses as Santa.

I’m also considering joining the #RWSTREAK plan.  This is an initiative by Runner’s World magazine where everyone who commits promises to run at least one mile per day every day from Thanksgiving to New Year’s.

This race put me back in my place.

Part of running is remembering to enjoy the journey.  Much like yoga, the destination is the journey. My joy in running is about learning to enjoy the tiny victories and push myself just enough to keep moving forward, without pushing farther than you’re ready for.

This weekend I was feeling great and strong going into Saturday’s 5k.  I was cocky. I thought… 3.1?  I can do 3.1 in my sleep.  My short runs these days are 4.  What’s a 5k going to do to me?

So, I set unrealistic expectations and unrealistic pace goals.  I wanted to hit 10 minute miles.

I was racing around the area of town I grew up in, so there was no fear of not knowing the roads or the area of the course. When we got to the race site, it was colder than I thought it would be and there was quite a bit of downtime between packet pick-up and race start.

Sidenote: I was very lucky to have my husband running this one with me, and promising not only to stick by my side, but push me when I needed it.

I started out hard and fast, and ran my first mile in just over 10 minutes.  And then, just as I hit the first mile, I couldn’t breathe.

I did too much, too fast, and learned very quickly that endurance training is not speed training.  So, I started gasping for air.  My lungs were full of junk as I slowed for the first water stop.

My husband helped me calm my breathing for a minute or two and get everything under control.  We started back up running after the water stop and I went probably too slow for this mile as I tried to catch my breath again.  I caught my breath and picked up the pace again only to have to slow myself again for the 2nd water stop and my husband helped me calm my breathing again.  Then we got ready to push it for the final mile.

Three miles never felt so long.

I was huffing and puffing for the last mile as we pushed it out and tried to kick it up the last quarter mile.  I made modest achievements in trying to finish strong (my prior worst running trait) and we kicked up through the end.

A very cool feature of the race was they announced for the crowd as we crossed the finish line.

We finished in what is my second fastest 5k time, which I was happy with.  But, I was in pain at the end of this race and I learned my training lesson.  Endurance training is not speed training and just because I can run double digit mileage, doesn’t mean I can run shorter distance much faster.  After the race we walked around a bit and I tried to let go of the crankiness that had built up over my failed expectations.  We went off about our day and later found out that we had indeed crossed another milestone… despite my personal missed expectations, I placed for my age group (2nd place)!  It was a very small race, but still pretty cool.

When I started running I said, specifically, that I was never going to win any races, that’s just me acknowledging my journey and knowing that’s not where my expectations lie.  That said, it was a very happy milestone the day that I not only didn’t come in last, but was shown another small victory for all my hard work.

Next up is my second half marathon, in about four weeks.  I’ve got two more long runs ahead of me and three weeks of steady racing before the big day.  I’m nervous and excited, but I also feel strong as I continue on this running journey.

October Race
3.1 Miles
11:42 pace
36:15 total time

Often, in running, the biggest hurdle to overcome is not in your body’s ability, but in your mind’s ability.

Right now, I’m training for a half marathon.  It will be my second half marathon, so I’ve already passed through the barrier of seeing if I can do it.  I know I can physically make the distance, but somehow the idea that I can do it again is an even bigger hurdle.  It’s a bigger block on my mind than the first time I ran a half marathon.

As a result, I’ve found my training harder than I remember it being the first time around. It’s harder to make each step of my training schedule a reality and the heat and humidity of this summer certainly hasn’t helped.

All that aside, I’ve still managed to complete my one race a month goal that I set in January.  Each race has steadily made sure I stay in the game, and September I was scheduled for a 5-mile run while we were visiting my in-laws.

My husband even agreed to run with me, which is always a great boost, especially when he stays by my side and helps me push through the hard times and mental blocks.  And, boy, were there some mental blocks for this race.   Up until we started I was regretting the distance decision.  There was a tight cut-off of 14/min a mile and I was afraid on the new course, with hills, that I would get the course shut down on me.   I didn’t want to fail according to someone else, I kept trying to stop before I  could fail.  I was worried I wasn’t in good enough shape.  I thought I didn’t have it in me to do the full race this month since I’d been sloppy in my training to date.

Even through the first mile, I said out loud, “I so regret doing this race…”

By the end of the five miles that statement was obliterated.  We started the fist mile like I always do, let’s just run the first one and see where we’re at.  Get my road-legs, if you will.  So, we ran the first mile and there was a water stop right there, so I walked through the water stop, and we started back up running.  I set the plan, “Let’s try and make it to mile 2, if we get there, I’ll walk for one minute then pick it up again.”

Mile two completed, one minute walked, and we set off running again.  By this point, I was feeling pretty good and was happy my husband was right by my side, pushing me along, to make sure I ran to the best of my ability, instead of letting fear trick me into walking.

We make it to mile 3, walked one minute, and then started running again.  By this point, the course had been almost all gradual uphill.  I was looking forward to the downhill back down and was re-energized by how well I had done so far.  One minute walking for each mile, and on pace at just over 12 min/mile.   Mile 3 brought dancing, singing and a marvelous hill through a tree-shaded neighborhood when I realized, about half way down the hill… that we’d likely have to go uphill again after this.  It was too steep to be leading back to our gradual downhill last mile, there had to be more.

So, I asked my husband who was familiar with the course from his high school running days it was all downhill from here, “Pretty much, basically” was his answer and with that answer I knew there was a big one coming up.

And there it was.  Right at the end of mile 3, before the mile 4 marker, a steep, STEEP hill straight uphill.  I hadn’t walked more than 3 minutes to this point, exactly 1 minute at each mile marker.  I wanted to make this happen and didn’t want my mind to win out.  So, one step at time, head down, huffing and puffing, we pounded out that hill step by step.  I didn’t look up, I didn’t look to far forward, I just focused on getting through one step at a time.

And we did it.

At mile marker 4, we walked the final minute and then took off for the finish.  A wonderful gradual downhill until the last 1/4 mile uphill to the finish.

I was huffing and puffing at the finish, but I was stronger than I was before I started.

Often, in my training runs I walk because I think I won’t be able to do the distance without stopping.  I don’t push to the brink because… well I don’t know why, I just don’t push as much as I should.

This race behind me, I know now that part of this training series will be about the mental part of it.  Physically, I know I can do it, so now I just need to work on mentally making it through the rest of my fall training to get to where I need to be.

After the race, we had homemade strawberry pie for breakfast.  And that could be one of the best things about running… the freedom to have fresh strawberry pie as a celebratory breakfast.

September Race
5 Miles
12:16 pace
1:01:20 total time

I’ve been putting off this June race recap because, well, I sucked it up on this one.

After the Mini I gave myself a training break that extended even longer than the initial 2 weeks I had planned when life, as always, go in the way.  The past two months have been very slow in terms of training as I work to balance out my “new normal” with a new job, new schedule and, what feels like, a new life.

The scale has been kind enough to let me know, this week, that that break is very much over.  As has the extra 5 lbs that has pleasantly situated itself in my mid-region.  I’m back in the saddle now, though, which is probably why I finally feel ready to post this misery of a “race” recap that really should be called a lazy Saturday run/walk.

The Saturday of the race, I was geared up despite lackluster (okay, straight lazy) workouts the two weeks prior to the 5k.  I showed up expecting to be slower than usual, but I was in no way prepared for my body to totally fail me in terms of endurance and speed.

The 5k turned into a half run/half walk as opposed to the full run I had anticipated.  It was hot that day, and the heat took it’s toll on me and didn’t help at all.

The race itself well pretty well run.  There was a good number of people racing, not too many, and the course was nice.  The start went off about 15 minutes later than expected and it was pretty messy, but the rest of the event was very well organized with very nice volunteers pointing the way.  The last .1 of the course was a zig-zag straight up hill and it was a nice, unique way to end the morning.

A race I would consider again, but one I would most certainly train for in the future.  Now that this month/training break is out of the way, onward to the next chapter of this year’s races.

I joined a new gym to inspire me to get back to it, I’m armed with a few groupons for cross training (2 yoga, 1 bootcamp) and I’m scheduled to start training for this fall’s 1/2 marathon this weekend.  Almost a month into my “new normal,” I feel confident that I’ll be able to gear up for the second half of the year and get back on track with fresh legs and a fresh outlook.

 June Race
3.1 Miles
13:50 pace
42:53 total time

Milestones and Benchmarks

Originally, my plan called for a the 500 Festival 15k this month.  Unfortunately, I was sick that weekend and couldn’t race, despite how much I wanted to make it to the 15k this year.

I wasn’t feeling well the night before, took some medicine in hopes of feeling better, but was doubled over the next morning after trying to get ready for the race and it was clear I wasn’t going to make it happen.  I was really bummed.

So, I had to find a new April race.  Work had gotten pretty crazy and that coupled with being sick landed me with almost 2 weeks of no workouts at all thanks to working nearly every waking hour to get ready for Opening Night.  It was hard enough to find time to eat and sleep, there was no time at all for working out. So, I knew I needed to wait until we got through our first homestand to pick up a race.

That led me to this past weekend to choose a race.  I contemplated picking up the 8k in Carmel, but changed my mind after a really tough long run this past Wednesday.  As soon as I was reminded the Race for the Cure was on Saturday, there was no doubt that’s the one I needed to run this month.

Race for the Cure was the first 5k I ever ran, as a sophomore in high school.  I ran it with my high school softball team.  We ran it again the next year.  I remember a few things about running those races, but most of all I remember the pride I felt when they were over.  Without running those races in high school, I’m not sure I would have had the courage to start running last year.

So, I picked up the race this year, forgetting a little bit about how unlike any other race this is.  It’s unlike any other race because, for better or worse, it’s not typically runners.  That means a lot of really excited newbies and just a few crankies (of all ages… there was a 15 year old who could use a lesson in manners).  It meant tripping over walkers we lined up at the front, and mix-ups in timing tags and non-timing tags.

But, more inspiring, it meant seeing thousands and thousands of people walking for a common cause, for individuals and for themselves.

This year’s race was another milestone and another benchmark.

The last time I ran a 5k the entire way through was in high school, for the Race for the Cure.  This weekend, I ran the entire thing all the way through again.  It wasn’t the fastest 5k I’ve ever ran, in fact last month was quicker.   What it was, was a mental breakthrough.  I broke through the mental wall that I couldn’t keep running – that my body wasn’t capable of just running, that I had to take walk breaks.  Instead, I just kept running.

And, I can’t think of a better race to have broken through that wall.

April Race
3.1 Miles
11:46 pace
36:31 total time

Whoooo, this was a tough race.

For the first time ever, I ended a race in pain.  I was in pain for hours after we went home and was in pain for probably half the race.

When I ran this race last year, I ended with a 1:20:12 time (12:56/pace).  I also ended feeling good, which was quickly changed when I ended that day unable to walk on my foot.  This race last year was too far, too soon, and it ended my running for months with the tendonitis I picked up.  My foot swelled up for weeks and it ended with me too hurt to run the mini.

So, I was a bit nervous about the race before it started today.  I knew I wanted to finish in under an hour and fifteen minutes.  I also didn’t want to get injured again this year, so I was going to pay closer attention to my body and take it easy when something hurt.

Well, I finished the race without my foot hurting, but I was in a mess of pain otherwise.  I ran for about 3 miles with a stomach cramp, ended up getting sick around mile 4, then finished with a side cramp as I hammered out the last quarter mile.  I did feel better after getting sick (stopped the clock for that), but by the end when I crossed the finished I was in so much pain.  I walked off the side cramp and was sick for about the next 3 hours after we got home.

It’s bizarre to end a run without the endorphins taking over and feeling happy, but I think that’s probably part of the process of learning and teaching my body to get used to running and doing more.  It was good to get beyond the 5k distance and know, even feeling ill, that I could keep my pace up.  Back to the 5k distance next week with training runs bumping up the distance mid-week.   Next long race will be in April – a 15k.

So far, on track for a solid Mini this year.

March Race
6.2 Miles
11:58 pace
1:14:12 total time