Category Archives: Run Recap

Crap Racing

Saturday I continued my race-a-month streak and eeked out a 5k.

It was slow. It was painful. It was not my finest moment.

I came home just as cranky and frustrated as I was when I was running those few, short miles. Just a few days earlier I’d had a great run, same with a few days before that. With all of the events going on this month, I knew I had to knock out this month’s race early. The only races available were all 45-minutes or more away, so I signed up for the one 45-minutes away and the full drive back my frustration sat.

There’s not much technical advice from this post. But there is resilience.

Because that’s what was clear to me as I was trudging along, my feet clomping through those 3 miles on Saturday. Resilience is a muscle that must be exercised.

Throughout those miles, I knew my time was shit. I knew that every time I tried to run a bit more, my muscles were going to spasm again. I knew this was going to be one of the crap ones on my long list of continuous racing. But… I knew that finishing was more important than all of that.

Because I also knew during those miles what I know sitting here on this couch. There’s a lot more ahead I’m going to have to push through, often while pulling much more. There will be races ahead, and hurdles ahead, just as there has been in the past.

The important thing, in my mind, is assuring that what I’m doing is in service to a greater goal. That 5k this weekend was not about that 45 of time. It was about the bigger goal of getting out there each month no matter what. That’s what builds resilience. Continuing to stand up and show up and work toward the big, hairy, audacious goals ahead.

One of my favorite quotes from Cheryl Strayed’s book, “Brave Enough” is the following:

“We don’t reach the mountaintop from the mountaintop. We start at the bottom and climb up. Blood is involved.”

I’ve climbed mountains. I remember the times when I thought I was going to not be able to make it a step further. When I thought my lungs were giving up. When I wanted to cry and say, “close enough.” But that’s not the mountaintop.

So, as long as you have a clear picture of where you’re climbing, you can keep fighting those single steps each day. With the rain, with the wind, even with the cramps.

In those moments, when you finally get to the top… even the crap races have their purpose along your journey. Because resilience is a muscle you have to exercise all the time.

What makes a runner?

If you were to judge me by my book cover, you might guess any number of things. You might guess about the correct age, you might guess my occupation, you may even guess where I’m from and get a few things right.

My guess is you would never guess that I was a runner based on how I look.

For starters, I’m short and built sturdy. Weight has always been a battle for me and I’ve come to realize that will never go away, it’s just how I was built and I can accept that.

When I started running in the fall of 2010, it was easy to hit accomplishment milestones. Fast races, more weight lost, longer and longer distances, it was all new and a new milestone was around each corner. I was learning how strong I could feel breaking my self-imposed barriers and adding mileage, distance and times.

I’ve never been “traditionally” fast, and I likely never will be. What I’ve always said to that is that I can be fast… for me, and as long as it’s my best, that’s good enough.

I’ve continued my at least one-race-a-month cadence for 43 months now, over 3.5 years. When I set the goal it wasn’t about a good time each month, it was about holding myself to a standard that I wouldn’t stop and get lazy, I would keep going. I’ve said before, some months were faster, some months were slower, but finishing the race was accomplishment enough. It was about making time for the goal and that was good enough.

The past 6-8 months, however, I’ve been battling an inner voice that said maybe that race a month wasn’t good enough, maybe I wasn’t. What was the accomplishment in just getting out of bed when my times slipped slower and slower and my walk breaks stretched longer and longer. If I couldn’t even run a full 5k anymore without walking, could I really call myself a runner? What was the point in just “checking the box”. And I started to feel shame over my times, instead of accomplishment in finishing. I was embarrassed to go to running club social runs because I was so slow, I was embarrassed by my times. I knew I was physically capable of better. I just couldn’t get my legs to realize that as well. Training runs were mentally painful and there were many days I wanted to quit. I was embarrassed to call myself a runner.

After last month’s 8k, that voice was louder than ever. Down nearly 15 lbs from the start of the year, I was torn up mentally with how slow my time was and how often I had to walk during that course depsite my better physical shape. My lungs and legs were determined to slow me down and my brain berated those miles spent walking along the course. No amount of intervals could inject energy into my body and disappointment was plentiful.

This past weekend I turned a corner mentally when I ran the 500 Festival 5k.

When I say I ran it, I mean just that. I ran the entire thing faster than I have run a 5k in years. The whole thing felt different and I was able to capture the control, the spark and the energy I’ve lost lately as fun and pride filled my legs, my lungs and my heart on those 3.1 miles.

I don’t know what my next race will feel like, I realize I can’t control that. I don’t know how my fall races will go, or if I’ll ever make it to my first full marathon like I’d like. But what I found this weekend was the perspective that I’d been lacking. The reason behind getting out of bed one Saturday morning a month to keep this streak alive. It’s about forcing myself to never give up, especially when it seems hopeless and pointless at the time. The bigger picture is more important than any one Saturday, or even multiple Saturdays in a row.

I had planned on walking the mini with a friend of mine and we’d been training to walk it. I wasn’t worried about my time for that, it was about the two of us accomplishing her goal together and I wanted to be there to encourage her along the way, maybe even capture some of that “newness” magic I’d lost over the past year.

The 500 Festival Mini Marathon course is one of a kind, with the amount of people, fanfare, cheering and entertainment along the course. It’s a fun course to run and as a huge Indycar fan, I love that it kicks off the month of May in Indianapolis. When my friend hurt a nerve in her back, she had to drop out of the mini and I had to decide what to do with my entry. It was too late to sell the bib, and I was really tired of the disappointment feeling I had after finishing longer races with poor times that I’d felt the months prior.

I set my sights on the 5k, however, and had a hunch I might be ready for a decent 5k. Decent for me typically being just under 13 minutes, or 12:30 on a good day. (Hey, I said, I’m not fast…) The 5k course is one I know like the back of my hand. When I started running nearly 5 years ago, I ran around White River State Park a few times a week. It’s where I trained for my first mini, and my second, and where I ran some of my first races that were over 3 miles. I remember in 2011, running my first 10k and bursting into tears as I pushed past the finish line thinking how those miles represented the farthest I’d ever run in my life.

This course is as close to home field advantage as it gets for me.

So, I lined up at the start line and remembered the unique differences that larger races like this 5k have. These larger races draw so many first-time runners, walkers and 5k-ers, that the dynamic is just different. Walkers push to the front of the line, which causes some initial bobbing and weaving, and you have to be very aware of your surroundings – more so than in smaller races with more experienced participants.

As we started out the race and enjoyed the gentle downhill of Washington street toward the river, I was very focused on getting through the crowd and enjoying the entertainers and spectators around the edges of the course that it was about 1/4 mile into the race before I realized that I felt good – really good. I had some tightness in my lower back, but my legs felt strong, my lungs felt strong and the weather was perfect. Today, I thought, just might be a good day for me.

No matter what race I’m in, and what intervals I’m running (or walking, as the case may be), I always run the first mile. I knew about where that was on the course, so I settled in and started to repeat a mantra in my head – something I hadn’t done in years of running. “You’re only competing against yourself. You can win this.” Over and over, as others passed me, and I passed others, I kept encouraging myself and mentally prepared myself to turn up the White River Parkway just past the Zoo.

This is a section of the course I remember vividly from years-old training runs and other races as there’s a gentle uphill slope, barely a climb at all, but it used to be a mountain for me as I climbed it and fought for each step. In flat Indiana, that little climb used to be a giant obstacle for me. Yesterday, however, that section might as well have been the straightaway of the IMS it felt like nothing to me. I flowed up that section like nothing happened and keep on moving past the first mile mark.

I still felt good as I gut-checked my pace and realized I was doing pretty good – 11:45 for the first mile. I decided to keep running and see if I could push myself to the 2nd mile mark without walking, or at least the first water stop which was in between miles 1 and 2. As I approached the water stop, I had a clear lane to keep running, so I did. I ran through and grabbed the water as I practiced years ago and kept running as it cleared up my dry throat and I kept moving. I kept running over the bridge that I had remembered giving me trouble so many times before past IUPUI’s apartments to New York Street. I was feeling strong and suddenly my mantra had changed, “If you walk, you have lost this race. If you run this entire thing, you have won.” The race was now about me against myself and to win I just had to keep running.

I finished the race, and checked my time, coming in just under a 12-minute pace, at 11:58 average.  I won that race and beat myself yesterday.

That time probably sounds slower than molasses to most people, but to me, it represented years of work and the chance to regain pride in my running accomplishments again. It wasn’t my 5k all time, but it was better than I’ve run in years, and that was enough yesterday. Yesterday’s part of the journey was enough to remind me that I can still be a runner, and that each step does build up to something better, even when you can’t see the progress made every time.

It also reminded me that my race streak is about streak itself. It’s about giving myself the chance to be great, even as the definition of “great” evolves over time.

Because yesterday, I won my race against myself and the negative voices. And yesterday, that was enough.

 

What do you think makes a runner a runner? Do you ever challenge yourself on how you are defined?

Winter Run 5k – Race Recap

This weekend’s snowy 5k was a lesson in patience and will.

Screen Shot 2014-01-19 at 9.19.02 PMThis was my second year running this 5k. It’s also the second year in a row the course was snowy and cold, though this year I thought it was a lot colder and snowier than the last! As a result, or totally unrelated, this year I finished about 3 minutes slower than last year.

I wasn’t really happy with the race itself, but I was very happy to finish. This was a really hard race for me with the two hills on the course that I ended up having to walk up and my toes going numb about a mile in.

Before the race started, the race organizer’s gathered everyone in the gym at Marian University.  I tuned out a bit for most of the announcements as I was quickly trying to make a playlist with two last second song adds.  Side note… why can’t you add songs via iPhone 5 to an existing playlist? That seems like a no brainer.  As the race was about to start and the participants were about to head out to the course (also right before I accidentally deleted my newly created playlist) I heard the “frostbite warning” and how to spot frostbite on your fellow runners.

So, this year wasn’t going to be as fun of a run as last year. I hit the course and instantly regretted not wearing another top layer, but figured I’d warm up as I ran. I did, but I also greatly enjoyed my face mask for about 1/2 the race. Using it as a neck gaiter the other 1/2 for quick access.

Overall, it’s not a bad course, just hard when it’s so snow covered. They had great course coverage with cheering this year, which I don’t recall from last year at all, and that helped. I brought water this year, which I remember wishing for last year, so that helped. But, it was a smaller field this year so I felt myself slipping into panic mode that I’d be the last one across the line somehow and felt myself competing with others, which quickly slowed me down and beat my spirits mid-race.

I fought hard to finish this one strong, though the time doesn’t reflect it with the walked hills. Overall it was a good workout and glad I got my January race in.

And now… I’m ready for slightly warmer weather and paved trails and sidewalks so winter running can go back to being less stressful on my ankles and grip!

 

The Streak Lives On

Once again, while I was able to keep the Runner’s World Holiday Run Streak going, I wasn’t able to keep the blogging going.  So here’s another mega recap as I head in the the last week of the streak.

DAY TWENTY-ONE (12/12/12)

Mileage: 1 mile

DAY TWENTY-TWO (12/13/12)

Mileage: 1 mile

DAY TWENTY-THREE (12/14/12)

Mileage: 1 mile

DAY TWENTY-FOUR (12/15/12)

Mileage: 1 mile

DAY TWENTY-FIVE (12/16/12)

Mileage: 3.1 miles

DAY TWENTY-SIX (12/17/12)

Mileage: 1 mile

DAY TWENTY-SEVEN (12/18/12)

Mileage: 1.25 miles

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT (12/19/12)

Mileage: 1.55 miles

DAY TWENTY-NINE (12/20/12)

Mileage: 1.37 miles

DAY THIRTY (12/21/12)

Mileage: 1.5 miles

DAY THIRTY-ONE (12/22/12)

Mileage: 1 mile

DAY THIRTY-TWO (12/23/12)

Mileage: 2 miles

 

Mega Recap 2.0

This was an interesting stretch of days for the run streak.  I had my final Resolution Race in the middle of this stretch and I wanted to feel healthy for it, so I stuck to just one mile leading up to it.  I’ve been slacking since the run as the days tick on and my legs and feet are begging for a break.  With only nine days left in this streak I’m confident that I’ll finish, but I’ll also be very ready for a break before I start my next training stint in late January.  I’m much more at peace with the treadmill after this past month, but I still prefer the outdoor runs.  And, I’m still on track for 300 miles for the year, so I’ll be ready to celebrate that mark in just a few days.

 

November Race: Monumental Half Marathon

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.

October Race: Pike Township Race for Education 5k

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

September Race Recap: Popcorn Panic 5 Mile

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

August Race Recap: Race Away from Domestic Violence 5k

I’ve been waiting since April for great race weather like I had for this race!   A cool, cloudy morning and a great day for a race meant a great run on a new route through downtown that I really liked.

About 700 people showed up for this race which started and ended at Victory field and raced through the southern portion of downtown.  I love racing down Meridian Street, not stopping for any lights and enjoying the city in this totally unique way.  It’s a great rush that helps to push through the tough spots of the race.

After this race I’m certainly sure that I’m just at the beginning of my training for the half this November and have quite a bit of work to do to get to where I need to be, but it was a great early training run and a good sign of things to come.

August Race
3.1 Miles
12:20 pace
38:19 total time

July Race Recap: The Color Run

July’s run was a total departure from any other run I’ve ever done.  There were great points and things I should have known better for, but overall it was a wonderful race and a wonderful way to spend a cool July morning.

The concept of The Color Run is that it’s an untimed, totally fun run.  Their slogan is “The Happiest 5k on Earth.”

The race is filled with young, old, strollers and everyone in between.  It’s a very non-competitive crowd and a very happy, friendly crowd (which you don’t always get at traditionally non-runner races).

Everyone lines up at the start dressed in white tees and fun attire.  We saw tutus, high socks, full body suits and everything else you can think of to dress in white.

Each “k” of the 5k is a color station where you run through and get doused with cornstarch color.  There’s music and dancing and everyone is just having a great time.

I was trying to decide how to dress for it, so I broke the cardinal rule of road racing… I wore a new pair of shorts for the race. When I thought about it that morning, I thought, oh well, it’s a fun day, so it doesn’t matter.   Well, during the race I had an absolute blast, but after the race when I got home I was seriously regretting the new shorts decision thanks to some serious chafing.

I also hadn’t put on my good racing socks, as I just threw some fun clothes on that day.  My shoes are quite a bit more colorful after the race having filled with the blood of my busted heels 🙂  Again, I didn’t notice it really during the 5k because we were having so much fun, but definitely a lesson learned for the future.

This race marked the first race I ran with a buddy (who was not my husband) the whole time, and that was great.  It really kept me motivated and moving forward.  It was such fun that we’ve decide to start running once a week together from now on.  And let me tell you, it’s quite a bit harder of a workout to run while talking!

No timer for this one, no plan, no pace and no problems.  Just a fun, mellow race and exactly what I needed to start off the Monumental Half marathon training for November.

Overall I had probably the most fun I’ve ever had at a race and would seriously recommend it to anyone in the future.  Photos to come, as they’re on other cameras at the moment.  Up next is an August 5k this weekend as I kick training up a notch and really work hard to cross train, get back in shape and get ready for the fall.

July Race
3.1 Miles
fun pace
fun total time

June Race Recap: Head for the Cure

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