Showing posts with label Run. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Run. Show all posts
Friday, February 19, 2016
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Piney Woods TrailFest 5K Race Report
I ran this race 5 years ago, when I was about 4 months postpartum. I remember liking it, loving running through nature. This year I sort of defaulted to it - I wanted something in late January, and it was close-ish to home.
I should begin by saying: I have NOT been running. I mean not at all. Not since the Santa Stampede 5K back in early December. So the trail run also appealed to me because I knew it would naturally be slower than a normal 5K, and I'd need to walk around obstacles, etc, so I figured I would both survive and also not get too caught up in time.
The folks that organize this race are super laid back, so I try to go into it with that attitude. There were conflicting messages about timing, etc - I just went with it. They are also very reasonable - they ended up doing two starts so no one got screwed by their conflicting messages. Good people.
Start of the race: indoor restrooms and a swingset for the Z = WINNING. Packet pick-up was quick and easy once I figured out where to go. Race briefing held next to the generator without a megaphone = inaudible. All I got was go right where the 10 milers go left. Cross my fingers!
And we were off. Ran just a little bit on the road, over the bridge, and then into the woods. I started quite near the back and by some miracle, I started just at the appropriate place - very little passing or getting passed. Once we were in the woods, I was behind two women who were clearly going to chat the whole time. They were right about the same speed as me, but their chatting was interrupting my silence, and they were choosing to walk in some spots where I still wanted to run, so I made a pass as soon as I could. That was actually a mistake, since I could hear their chatting even louder from in front of them. It was frustrating me so badly that I finally pulled over to the side and waited for them to pass me and let them get over a hundred yards ahead of me before I continued on so I wouldn't have to listen to them. (I figured out after I saw the results that this along with one other thing probably cost me a PR, but whatever, it was worth it.) Then I was running along in beautiful woods and lovely silence. I glanced at my watch and realized I had been running for 10 minutes, but I felt no need for a break. I lightfooted over some roots and some icky ground and felt goooooood. Very good. I did have a trip and a gentle twist of my right ankle on a tree root somewhere before I passed the chatters, but it wasn't an issue.
Then I heard the thump of someone falling in front of me and I came back on one of the chatters on the ground. I slowed, but she was already being helped and insisting that she was fine, so I passed hoping to get far enough ahead to not have to listen to her again.
Eventually in this race you come out onto a dirt/gravel road and run maybe a mile on it. Everyone was well spread out at this point. All the turns and trails were well marked, and even though I spent a lot of time running alone I never worried that I was lost.
At the 2 mile aid station, I turned right for the 5K when the 10 milers went left. I didn't feel the need for water and so ran through the aid station - at this point I hadn't stopped for any walk breaks other than 5-10 steps here and there to get around mud spots. There weren't too many mud spots this year. Eventually I turned left off the road and back into the woods. This was the only turn that was poorly marked - the sign was about 20 feet past the turn, and I was assuming that I'd be turning AT the sign. One of the volunteers was yelling at me to turn left and I was thinking, "I know, but I'm not there yet" when it turns out I had already passed it. Anyways, that was quickly fixed and I was back in the woods.
The second woody section was harder. I don't pick up my feet as well towards the end and I was struggling more with my footing. My quads were starting to feel dead. At some point I looked at my watch and I had been running more than 30 minutes and I was SO PLEASED that my endurance was so good on zero run specific training. Shortly after that I tripped and twisted my left ankle HARD. I ran a few more steps and every heel strike on the left killed me, so I took my first and only real walk break to try to shake it off. This was factor 2 in my lack of PR, but nothing I would/could have done differently.
I started running again after a minute or two, then got passed by a 20 miler (wow!) on her first loop. She chatted a bit and then I could see the finish line. P and Z took my picture as I ran by and then it was over.
Here follows the disappointment: there was supposed to be BBQ at the end, and beer. None of that was ready. We hung out about 45 minutes and it STILL wasn't ready and I was starting to get shaky due to hunger, so we left. That really needs to be better done for next time. I remember when I finished a few years ago everyone was already eating - what happened???
Anyways, yesterday I checked the results and 38:48 - missed a PR by 34 seconds. But, BUT I WON MY AGE GROUP!!!! Ok, now, granted, there were only 4 women in the 30-39 age group. BUT I WON IT! And by 4 minutes, too! I'm totally stunned and I don't care how many qualifiers I attach or how few people were there, this is really cool for me!
I should begin by saying: I have NOT been running. I mean not at all. Not since the Santa Stampede 5K back in early December. So the trail run also appealed to me because I knew it would naturally be slower than a normal 5K, and I'd need to walk around obstacles, etc, so I figured I would both survive and also not get too caught up in time.
The folks that organize this race are super laid back, so I try to go into it with that attitude. There were conflicting messages about timing, etc - I just went with it. They are also very reasonable - they ended up doing two starts so no one got screwed by their conflicting messages. Good people.
Start of the race: indoor restrooms and a swingset for the Z = WINNING. Packet pick-up was quick and easy once I figured out where to go. Race briefing held next to the generator without a megaphone = inaudible. All I got was go right where the 10 milers go left. Cross my fingers!
And we were off. Ran just a little bit on the road, over the bridge, and then into the woods. I started quite near the back and by some miracle, I started just at the appropriate place - very little passing or getting passed. Once we were in the woods, I was behind two women who were clearly going to chat the whole time. They were right about the same speed as me, but their chatting was interrupting my silence, and they were choosing to walk in some spots where I still wanted to run, so I made a pass as soon as I could. That was actually a mistake, since I could hear their chatting even louder from in front of them. It was frustrating me so badly that I finally pulled over to the side and waited for them to pass me and let them get over a hundred yards ahead of me before I continued on so I wouldn't have to listen to them. (I figured out after I saw the results that this along with one other thing probably cost me a PR, but whatever, it was worth it.) Then I was running along in beautiful woods and lovely silence. I glanced at my watch and realized I had been running for 10 minutes, but I felt no need for a break. I lightfooted over some roots and some icky ground and felt goooooood. Very good. I did have a trip and a gentle twist of my right ankle on a tree root somewhere before I passed the chatters, but it wasn't an issue.
Then I heard the thump of someone falling in front of me and I came back on one of the chatters on the ground. I slowed, but she was already being helped and insisting that she was fine, so I passed hoping to get far enough ahead to not have to listen to her again.
Eventually in this race you come out onto a dirt/gravel road and run maybe a mile on it. Everyone was well spread out at this point. All the turns and trails were well marked, and even though I spent a lot of time running alone I never worried that I was lost.
At the 2 mile aid station, I turned right for the 5K when the 10 milers went left. I didn't feel the need for water and so ran through the aid station - at this point I hadn't stopped for any walk breaks other than 5-10 steps here and there to get around mud spots. There weren't too many mud spots this year. Eventually I turned left off the road and back into the woods. This was the only turn that was poorly marked - the sign was about 20 feet past the turn, and I was assuming that I'd be turning AT the sign. One of the volunteers was yelling at me to turn left and I was thinking, "I know, but I'm not there yet" when it turns out I had already passed it. Anyways, that was quickly fixed and I was back in the woods.
The second woody section was harder. I don't pick up my feet as well towards the end and I was struggling more with my footing. My quads were starting to feel dead. At some point I looked at my watch and I had been running more than 30 minutes and I was SO PLEASED that my endurance was so good on zero run specific training. Shortly after that I tripped and twisted my left ankle HARD. I ran a few more steps and every heel strike on the left killed me, so I took my first and only real walk break to try to shake it off. This was factor 2 in my lack of PR, but nothing I would/could have done differently.
I started running again after a minute or two, then got passed by a 20 miler (wow!) on her first loop. She chatted a bit and then I could see the finish line. P and Z took my picture as I ran by and then it was over.
Here follows the disappointment: there was supposed to be BBQ at the end, and beer. None of that was ready. We hung out about 45 minutes and it STILL wasn't ready and I was starting to get shaky due to hunger, so we left. That really needs to be better done for next time. I remember when I finished a few years ago everyone was already eating - what happened???
Anyways, yesterday I checked the results and 38:48 - missed a PR by 34 seconds. But, BUT I WON MY AGE GROUP!!!! Ok, now, granted, there were only 4 women in the 30-39 age group. BUT I WON IT! And by 4 minutes, too! I'm totally stunned and I don't care how many qualifiers I attach or how few people were there, this is really cool for me!
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot: Race Report
I did run the Turkey Trot this year, despite being woefully under-prepared for it.
Actually I ran the Kid K AND the Turkey Trot, so extra pie for me!
We headed up around 7:30, were able to easily pick up the packets, and then tool around for a while.
Kids K had better corralling than last year. Zoe did really well!! She ran the whole thing with only one short walk break. It was... muggy. Which meant I was hot.
The good news was that shortly after that finish it started gently raining and cooled me down nicely. The bad news was that the whole adult race was in and out of the rain and my glasses drove me NUTS. Really really need to remember to wear contacts on rainy days.
It was as it always is - Austin is hilly. Really hilly. I never ever remember how evil those hills are. I very very quickly decided to walk up and run the rest, and it worked well for me. By mile 3 though, I was hurting. And for some reason in there I had decided that it was a 10k so I suffered some mental anguish for a while before I realized it was only 5 miles and then I was all excited because I was "almost" done.
Final time: 1:05:18.9 at a pace of 13:04 per mile.
I got cold quickly after finishing, so stopped by Starbucks on the way back to the hotel for a nice warm chai. As always the best way to start off Thanksgiving! (Oh, also need to remember to take Ibuprofen after Turkey Trot. I always forget and my legs always HATE me later because I follow the race with hours sitting in a car.)
P.S. P90X3 Day 3: Agility X. My ass still hurts, and now my shoulder blades hurt. Seriously. The getting up this morning was very very difficult.
Actually I ran the Kid K AND the Turkey Trot, so extra pie for me!
We headed up around 7:30, were able to easily pick up the packets, and then tool around for a while.
Kids K had better corralling than last year. Zoe did really well!! She ran the whole thing with only one short walk break. It was... muggy. Which meant I was hot.
The good news was that shortly after that finish it started gently raining and cooled me down nicely. The bad news was that the whole adult race was in and out of the rain and my glasses drove me NUTS. Really really need to remember to wear contacts on rainy days.
It was as it always is - Austin is hilly. Really hilly. I never ever remember how evil those hills are. I very very quickly decided to walk up and run the rest, and it worked well for me. By mile 3 though, I was hurting. And for some reason in there I had decided that it was a 10k so I suffered some mental anguish for a while before I realized it was only 5 miles and then I was all excited because I was "almost" done.
Final time: 1:05:18.9 at a pace of 13:04 per mile.
I got cold quickly after finishing, so stopped by Starbucks on the way back to the hotel for a nice warm chai. As always the best way to start off Thanksgiving! (Oh, also need to remember to take Ibuprofen after Turkey Trot. I always forget and my legs always HATE me later because I follow the race with hours sitting in a car.)
P.S. P90X3 Day 3: Agility X. My ass still hurts, and now my shoulder blades hurt. Seriously. The getting up this morning was very very difficult.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
RUN ONE Race Report
I was SUPER excited when I heard there was a one mile race coming to Houston!
I mean, I wanted to work on speed, perfect. It is hot as blazes out side and I can't run far without walking, so one mile = perfect. It had great swag (tech SINGLET, medal, beer) = PERFECT! I was totally in from the beginning and I even convinced Preston and Grasshopper to run it with me.
I didn't count on it being the Sunday after we got home Thursday from vacation so I hadn't run in 2 weeks, but you can't win them all.
We left our house at 5:45 to swing by Grasshopper's at 6:15. Parking was easy and we were resting on a park bench by 6:35 for a 7:15 start. There was a (lack of) toilet paper issue in the portacans, but otherwise the waiting was pleasant.
We lined up at the start and checked the weather. 72 degrees with 85% humidity. Hot but tolerable. And off we went.
Preston and I were running next to each other in the beginning and I told him that my goal for the race was to get to just under vomit-level and then hold it, and that is EXACTLY what I did. He dropped me around a quarter mile in, but I kept sight of him for the whole race.
I loved the quarter mile markers, by the way. Very helpful for pacing.
First quarter I think I went hard. Second quarter I was trying to hold it. Third quarter I started really struggling and at one point thought, ok, slow down a bit or you're going to have to walk or vomit, so I did. Fourth quarter I knew I was home and I pushed as hard as I could, but I had basically no kick, which for me is good because I left it ALL out on the course.
Once I was done I grabbed my medal and started walking it off. I truly did feel like vomiting for at least 15 more minutes. I headed back a little ways so that I could yell for Grasshopper when she came in.
Final time: 9:14.4. I will admit - I was really really hoping for sub-9. BUT I am pleased that I went hard and left it all out there. You can't really be disappointed when you give it all you have. This is a good benchmark for where I am as the weather starts turning and I start focusing on speed. My splits were, shockingly, 4:35.6 and 4:38.7. I really thought that the second half would have been much slower than my first, so again I'm super pleased with that. It is fairly even pacing and it shows that I didn't slow as much as I thought I did when I started to struggle. Also I was 37th overall (of the non-elite wave) out of 104, so that was cool!
I was pretty miffed at Preston's "natural talent" read: long legs. He ran an 8:33 on absolutely zero training, the punk.
And Grasshopper was thrilled by a sub-13 time and no walking, so everyone came away pleased!
Nice banana, cup of breakfast mash from My Fit Foods, water, and we were off home by 8. Another excellent benefit of such a short race! This one's definitely going to go on my annual list!
I mean, I wanted to work on speed, perfect. It is hot as blazes out side and I can't run far without walking, so one mile = perfect. It had great swag (tech SINGLET, medal, beer) = PERFECT! I was totally in from the beginning and I even convinced Preston and Grasshopper to run it with me.
I didn't count on it being the Sunday after we got home Thursday from vacation so I hadn't run in 2 weeks, but you can't win them all.
We left our house at 5:45 to swing by Grasshopper's at 6:15. Parking was easy and we were resting on a park bench by 6:35 for a 7:15 start. There was a (lack of) toilet paper issue in the portacans, but otherwise the waiting was pleasant.
We lined up at the start and checked the weather. 72 degrees with 85% humidity. Hot but tolerable. And off we went.
Preston and I were running next to each other in the beginning and I told him that my goal for the race was to get to just under vomit-level and then hold it, and that is EXACTLY what I did. He dropped me around a quarter mile in, but I kept sight of him for the whole race.
I loved the quarter mile markers, by the way. Very helpful for pacing.
First quarter I think I went hard. Second quarter I was trying to hold it. Third quarter I started really struggling and at one point thought, ok, slow down a bit or you're going to have to walk or vomit, so I did. Fourth quarter I knew I was home and I pushed as hard as I could, but I had basically no kick, which for me is good because I left it ALL out on the course.
Once I was done I grabbed my medal and started walking it off. I truly did feel like vomiting for at least 15 more minutes. I headed back a little ways so that I could yell for Grasshopper when she came in.
Final time: 9:14.4. I will admit - I was really really hoping for sub-9. BUT I am pleased that I went hard and left it all out there. You can't really be disappointed when you give it all you have. This is a good benchmark for where I am as the weather starts turning and I start focusing on speed. My splits were, shockingly, 4:35.6 and 4:38.7. I really thought that the second half would have been much slower than my first, so again I'm super pleased with that. It is fairly even pacing and it shows that I didn't slow as much as I thought I did when I started to struggle. Also I was 37th overall (of the non-elite wave) out of 104, so that was cool!
I was pretty miffed at Preston's "natural talent" read: long legs. He ran an 8:33 on absolutely zero training, the punk.
And Grasshopper was thrilled by a sub-13 time and no walking, so everyone came away pleased!
Nice banana, cup of breakfast mash from My Fit Foods, water, and we were off home by 8. Another excellent benefit of such a short race! This one's definitely going to go on my annual list!
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Tri Aggieland Relay Race Report
My sister-in-law is an Aggie and she pointed out this race to me. The timing coincided with when my husband got a new bike and the idea for a relay was born. SIL and I went back and forth for months about who would swim and who would run, she finally decided to take the swim about a month ago. She also got one of her friends to let us spend the night at their home in College Station, saving us a long morning drive or hotel money, yay!
We paid extra for race day packet pick-up and arrived right at 6 when that was supposed to open. There was already quite a line and it was moving at a snail's pace to the extent that we were becoming worried that we'd miss the mandatory 6:45 relay team meeting. We almost did because they changed the announced location at the last minute (to somewhere way louder, no idea why) and no volunteers seemed to know where we should be. The whole thing only took a few minutes though and essentially was to tell us to stay out of the way and who would wear what body markings.
The swim took place in A&M's natatorium, which is NIIIIIICE. It was pretty neat because we were able to go into the spectator seats to watch the invitational racers swim. Then SIL headed down for the swim. They did a snake course through 8 lanes for 400 m, starting one swimmer every 10 seconds.
I will say this: they asked for your anticipated swim time when you signed up, but honestly, this is a very beginner friendly tri, and I don't think it is reasonable to ask that question of most beginners who probably have no clue. And that was very apparent with the differing speeds in the water. The good news is that passing seemed to go well.
My SIL struggled with the swim. It was her first tri experience and talking to her afterwards, she had a classic tri panic attack. She is a good swimmer, and has been a lifeguard for YEARS. I am proud of her because she demonstrated excellent judgment by choosing to switch first to breaststroke to keep her head out of the water and finally to swimming on her back to stay safe. She was upset at how slow she went and that it happened at all, but she demonstrated and modeled excellent judgment! I told her never to feel bad about that - I honestly panic a little at every triathlon I do during the swim start - there is something that is just very different about it than regular swimming. Next time (and I hope there IS a next time) she'll know to expect it and be able to handle it better.
It took her about 15 minutes but she made it through and then she was out to transition to hand off the chip to Preston!
I didn't get to see him start because I stayed to see her finish and then texted the family to look out for her. Then I headed by the lovely indoor restroom and then outside, where I hung out with everyone while waiting for Preston to bike. I kept track of him on Find My iPhone, so when I guesstimated he had about 10 minutes left, I headed into transition.
I felt kind of goofy standing around transition while everyone came and went around me, but it was what it was. I finally saw him and he came slogging towards me and when he was close I knelt down and transferred the chip from his ankle to mine and I was off!
I must say it was nice to start the run on a tri NOT feeling the bike bricks in my legs! But it was HOT hot. It was pretty evident even from the beginning that it was going to be a survival style run. It was a two loop course. I really liked that because on the second loop I had a really good feel for good landmarks to run to/walk to because that was how I was doing it - run to that tree, walk to that corner, etc. They had a bridge you had to run under and there were kids down there who would shoot you with water cannons to cool you down - LOVED IT! With all the heat and the walking, I ended up being quite pleased with the 32:52 run that I turned in.
Finally came into the finish and collected my medal AND my water bottle AND my finisher's shirt. GREAT SWAG!! Nice finish party too with beer and snow cones. We ended up being the 7th relay team out of 8, but hey, we had a great time!
All in all, great race other than the heat and the swim start! Would totally do it again! And good first (tri) relay experience. I'll do that again too!
We paid extra for race day packet pick-up and arrived right at 6 when that was supposed to open. There was already quite a line and it was moving at a snail's pace to the extent that we were becoming worried that we'd miss the mandatory 6:45 relay team meeting. We almost did because they changed the announced location at the last minute (to somewhere way louder, no idea why) and no volunteers seemed to know where we should be. The whole thing only took a few minutes though and essentially was to tell us to stay out of the way and who would wear what body markings.
The swim took place in A&M's natatorium, which is NIIIIIICE. It was pretty neat because we were able to go into the spectator seats to watch the invitational racers swim. Then SIL headed down for the swim. They did a snake course through 8 lanes for 400 m, starting one swimmer every 10 seconds.
I will say this: they asked for your anticipated swim time when you signed up, but honestly, this is a very beginner friendly tri, and I don't think it is reasonable to ask that question of most beginners who probably have no clue. And that was very apparent with the differing speeds in the water. The good news is that passing seemed to go well.
My SIL struggled with the swim. It was her first tri experience and talking to her afterwards, she had a classic tri panic attack. She is a good swimmer, and has been a lifeguard for YEARS. I am proud of her because she demonstrated excellent judgment by choosing to switch first to breaststroke to keep her head out of the water and finally to swimming on her back to stay safe. She was upset at how slow she went and that it happened at all, but she demonstrated and modeled excellent judgment! I told her never to feel bad about that - I honestly panic a little at every triathlon I do during the swim start - there is something that is just very different about it than regular swimming. Next time (and I hope there IS a next time) she'll know to expect it and be able to handle it better.
It took her about 15 minutes but she made it through and then she was out to transition to hand off the chip to Preston!
I didn't get to see him start because I stayed to see her finish and then texted the family to look out for her. Then I headed by the lovely indoor restroom and then outside, where I hung out with everyone while waiting for Preston to bike. I kept track of him on Find My iPhone, so when I guesstimated he had about 10 minutes left, I headed into transition.
I felt kind of goofy standing around transition while everyone came and went around me, but it was what it was. I finally saw him and he came slogging towards me and when he was close I knelt down and transferred the chip from his ankle to mine and I was off!
I must say it was nice to start the run on a tri NOT feeling the bike bricks in my legs! But it was HOT hot. It was pretty evident even from the beginning that it was going to be a survival style run. It was a two loop course. I really liked that because on the second loop I had a really good feel for good landmarks to run to/walk to because that was how I was doing it - run to that tree, walk to that corner, etc. They had a bridge you had to run under and there were kids down there who would shoot you with water cannons to cool you down - LOVED IT! With all the heat and the walking, I ended up being quite pleased with the 32:52 run that I turned in.
Finally came into the finish and collected my medal AND my water bottle AND my finisher's shirt. GREAT SWAG!! Nice finish party too with beer and snow cones. We ended up being the 7th relay team out of 8, but hey, we had a great time!
All in all, great race other than the heat and the swim start! Would totally do it again! And good first (tri) relay experience. I'll do that again too!
Monday, June 15, 2015
What New Devilry Is This?
It is possible, just possible, that I might maybe be running in the Ragnar Hill Country Trail Relay in October. I say possible because I do not yet have a confirmation and I have not yet given anyone any money.
How did this crazy thing occur, you ask?
Weeeeellll.... I saw one of my old HS friends post on Facebook that she was in training for this. So I clicked on the link and was all insta-jealous. I've posted on here before about how I'd love to do the TIR, and I still really really want to! For her to have a team and be DOING a similar relay, wow! So I posted something to that effect on Facebook and her response was "So join our team." I waited over night. I thought on it. And the next morning, "Can I?"
She got me in touch with the team captain and I think I'm in, although like I said, not holding my breath yet.
This would be an unexpected addition to my schedule, but soooooo very exciting! Crossing my fingers!
How did this crazy thing occur, you ask?
Weeeeellll.... I saw one of my old HS friends post on Facebook that she was in training for this. So I clicked on the link and was all insta-jealous. I've posted on here before about how I'd love to do the TIR, and I still really really want to! For her to have a team and be DOING a similar relay, wow! So I posted something to that effect on Facebook and her response was "So join our team." I waited over night. I thought on it. And the next morning, "Can I?"
She got me in touch with the team captain and I think I'm in, although like I said, not holding my breath yet.
This would be an unexpected addition to my schedule, but soooooo very exciting! Crossing my fingers!
Friday, June 5, 2015
Target Acquired for "Getting Faster"
This just popped up on my running radar this week on National Run Day. Someone posted in the HARRA Facebook a discount code for the Run One in Houston.
I'm so in!
My goodness I wish we had had this a few years back when I was fast! I bet that I could have gone sub-8 in a one mile race back in 2008 when I set my 5K PR. Arg, that would have been so awesome!!
Well it isn't 2008, but I've been aching to add back in a little speed. I'm forgoing the long stuff for the foreseeable future. I could see myself getting back up to 10K for the winter, and the 8 mile Turkey Trot for Thanksgiving, but that is ALL. I will not succumb to the temptation to go longer. I will NOT!!! The last time I was going for speed, getting to about 6 miles was helpful, so that'll be the goal this time too.
So this morning I went out and did a one mile "time trial", just to see where I am. 9:50. But I negative split it! I have 3 months to improve. I definitely want to go sub-9. I think I can do it if I really focus on this and don't get hurt. And I think it'll be good for me.
Let the training begin!
I'm so in!
My goodness I wish we had had this a few years back when I was fast! I bet that I could have gone sub-8 in a one mile race back in 2008 when I set my 5K PR. Arg, that would have been so awesome!!
Well it isn't 2008, but I've been aching to add back in a little speed. I'm forgoing the long stuff for the foreseeable future. I could see myself getting back up to 10K for the winter, and the 8 mile Turkey Trot for Thanksgiving, but that is ALL. I will not succumb to the temptation to go longer. I will NOT!!! The last time I was going for speed, getting to about 6 miles was helpful, so that'll be the goal this time too.
So this morning I went out and did a one mile "time trial", just to see where I am. 9:50. But I negative split it! I have 3 months to improve. I definitely want to go sub-9. I think I can do it if I really focus on this and don't get hurt. And I think it'll be good for me.
Let the training begin!
Monday, June 1, 2015
Tejas Triathlon Race Report
Yesterday I did my second triathlon in May.
This is a funny one because I was feeling pretty pleased with myself until I looked at my splits this morning!
Let's talk it out.
Left the house at 4:50, transition was closing at 6:45 but the race was about an hour away. Did a brilliant thing and stopped at a gas station about 5 miles from the race so I could take care of some business without a line and with a real toilet and more calm, given my wardrobe issues at the CB&I. I should always do this.
Got to the parking lot, and the race packet said it was a .5 mile walk but it must have been at least a mile because it took forEVER to get there.
Got to transition, walked in and almost immediately realized I had forgotten my running shoes in the car. Sent P back for them but it was going to be a near thing for him to get back before transition closed.
While I waited I set up my transition area, which was complicated because the chick next to me had like 10 people gathered around her talking, so I couldn't get through to my spot, then she had her bike racked in the wrong direction, but I wasn't 100% sure whether it was her or the chick on the other side - just knew someone was wrong, so had to find a ref, blah blah. Anyways, got my spot all set up other than shoes, then headed for the bathroom (again). Luckily there was a real one, and I was willing to stand in the line. Did my business and managed to re-suit myself, then went to grab the camp chairs and pick a nice spot for P. He made it back with LITERALLY 3 minutes to spare, and I got my shoes onto my towel and got out of transition.
I haven't yet mentioned the mud. It was soooooo wet and muddy. Houston has had flooding rains over the past week, and this tri was in a hard hit area. I was actually checking the website on the morning of to confirm it was still happening, the rains were so severe in that area.
So once again my wave was second to last, so after transition closed, I ate a granola bar, applied sunscreen, got my swim cap on, and generally hung out a bit. Watched several waves start and begin to finish, then headed over to line up.
The water temperature was nice. I was excited about the swim course because it was a long out, then a right turn. Bouys would be on the right, which is to my advantage. I lined up right beside the bouys, but about 4 ladies back (which was essentially the back row other than the ladies who decided to stand on the shore til the gun went off). It was a freaking madhouse this time. Lots of bodies all in the way. Lots of contact. I felt like it took forEVER for me to get some clear water. I felt pretty good though, like I was holding my own. I began passing ladies in the previous wave, and when I got near the turn it didn't look like I was too far behind the leaders of my wave. That was weird because that was also when I got passed by the fasties of the following wave. But I didn't freak out on that because that was the wave that included relay teams, and the people passing me were men. I realize now that some of this was misleading because my wave included my age group, plus the 35-39 age group, and apparently they were the ones that I was pacing, now that I look at the very disappointing results. I have GOT to figure out what is going so wrong on the swims that I am so much slower in open water than in the pool.
Swim: 16:45 for 2:48/100y
Transition, omg transition. I was actually surprised when I saw this number because I was veeeerry disappointed with this transition. Ran to area, was happy about all the bikes still there, stood on towel. Put on run belt, arm sweatband gets stuck going on because of all the wetness, lost seconds here. Put on sunglasses. Put on helmet, sunglasses fogged. Take off sunglasses, wipe with towel, put back on. Try to dry feet/clean some of the insane amount of grass/mud off them. Put on socks, put on shoes (I switched to Yankz, good move!). Sunglasses have filled with water dripping off face, take off, say out loud, "Slowest transition EVER!", clean with towel, put back on again, grab bike, head out. On the way realize that sunglasses are over helmet straps, take off again, put on correctly.
T1: 1:38 (Seriously, shockingly fast given all that!)
Head to bike mount line, 5 women spread all over road in front, have to wait a bit, but get some clear and get mounted. Had mud all up in shoes so took a while to get feet positioned comfortably on the pedal grips.
Got going and was really pleased, maintaining a nice 17-18mph speed. It was an out and back course and when we hit the first few hills I was excited about coming back because I'd get to go down them. When I hit the turnaround, duuuuuude. So disappointing. I realized that I had had BOTH a tailwind AND a downhill false flat for most of the way out. Speed dropped to a struggling 14mph. Blarg. Eventually I hit one of the turns and was able to pick it back up again. And I must say I LOVE the 12 mile bikes. Somehow that seems soooo much shorter than a 15! By the time I was back in transition I was feeling very good about the bike despite my low point on course.
Bike: 43:13 for 16.7mph
Transition was no big deal. Helmet off, grabbed a quick swig of water. Struggled to place bike on rack because of how the other ladies had racked theirs, but managed it with a little finagling.
T2: 1:06
Ran out, was pleased to find almost immediate Gatorade. There were a lot of people around, so even though my normal strategy is to walk to calm my heart rate and breathing before running, I kind of felt like I needed to run. So I ran past Preston and people, and stopped to walk where it was calmer. I had grabbed my phone, so started RunKeeper, stowed it in race belt, and adjusted hair. Then began running with a 4:1 goal, that ended up being closer to a 3.5:1.5, which I was really pretty pleased with. I'm aware that I need to work on some speed. I also think maybe getting the old garmin out would help because I feel like some of my issues are mental out on the run. It just feels like it kind of goes on forever! With a garmin on I can use the numbers to encourage myself.
Run: 35:59 for 12:00min/mi.
Total: 1:38.42
Post race: I was very very very disappointed with the post race food. They had run out of pizza completely. They had raisen and plain bagels. There were cookies which were quite good. I also got watermelon (nice), grapes (sour), and literally the most disgusting banana that I have ever eaten in my entire life. It was like the starch hadn't turned to sugar. I actually had to spit it out, it was so sick and wrong.
Then there was the looooong walk back to the car, followed by the quest for food (Taco C and Starbucks, yum!).
Ok, so the long view. I had better T1, Bike, and T2. My run was about the same, meh. My swim, blarg, so disappointing. All in all, I was really happy with my time, which is funny. Based on the differences in distances from the CB&I, I was hoping for a sub-1:40, which I totally accomplished! I just didn't get the time back where I expected it, which has me shaking my head.
Take-aways: Still need speed. SPEEEEEED! Garmin for the run, RunKeeper isn't good enough because I can't see it easily.
This is a funny one because I was feeling pretty pleased with myself until I looked at my splits this morning!
Let's talk it out.
Left the house at 4:50, transition was closing at 6:45 but the race was about an hour away. Did a brilliant thing and stopped at a gas station about 5 miles from the race so I could take care of some business without a line and with a real toilet and more calm, given my wardrobe issues at the CB&I. I should always do this.
Got to the parking lot, and the race packet said it was a .5 mile walk but it must have been at least a mile because it took forEVER to get there.
Got to transition, walked in and almost immediately realized I had forgotten my running shoes in the car. Sent P back for them but it was going to be a near thing for him to get back before transition closed.
While I waited I set up my transition area, which was complicated because the chick next to me had like 10 people gathered around her talking, so I couldn't get through to my spot, then she had her bike racked in the wrong direction, but I wasn't 100% sure whether it was her or the chick on the other side - just knew someone was wrong, so had to find a ref, blah blah. Anyways, got my spot all set up other than shoes, then headed for the bathroom (again). Luckily there was a real one, and I was willing to stand in the line. Did my business and managed to re-suit myself, then went to grab the camp chairs and pick a nice spot for P. He made it back with LITERALLY 3 minutes to spare, and I got my shoes onto my towel and got out of transition.
I haven't yet mentioned the mud. It was soooooo wet and muddy. Houston has had flooding rains over the past week, and this tri was in a hard hit area. I was actually checking the website on the morning of to confirm it was still happening, the rains were so severe in that area.
So once again my wave was second to last, so after transition closed, I ate a granola bar, applied sunscreen, got my swim cap on, and generally hung out a bit. Watched several waves start and begin to finish, then headed over to line up.
The water temperature was nice. I was excited about the swim course because it was a long out, then a right turn. Bouys would be on the right, which is to my advantage. I lined up right beside the bouys, but about 4 ladies back (which was essentially the back row other than the ladies who decided to stand on the shore til the gun went off). It was a freaking madhouse this time. Lots of bodies all in the way. Lots of contact. I felt like it took forEVER for me to get some clear water. I felt pretty good though, like I was holding my own. I began passing ladies in the previous wave, and when I got near the turn it didn't look like I was too far behind the leaders of my wave. That was weird because that was also when I got passed by the fasties of the following wave. But I didn't freak out on that because that was the wave that included relay teams, and the people passing me were men. I realize now that some of this was misleading because my wave included my age group, plus the 35-39 age group, and apparently they were the ones that I was pacing, now that I look at the very disappointing results. I have GOT to figure out what is going so wrong on the swims that I am so much slower in open water than in the pool.
Swim: 16:45 for 2:48/100y
Transition, omg transition. I was actually surprised when I saw this number because I was veeeerry disappointed with this transition. Ran to area, was happy about all the bikes still there, stood on towel. Put on run belt, arm sweatband gets stuck going on because of all the wetness, lost seconds here. Put on sunglasses. Put on helmet, sunglasses fogged. Take off sunglasses, wipe with towel, put back on. Try to dry feet/clean some of the insane amount of grass/mud off them. Put on socks, put on shoes (I switched to Yankz, good move!). Sunglasses have filled with water dripping off face, take off, say out loud, "Slowest transition EVER!", clean with towel, put back on again, grab bike, head out. On the way realize that sunglasses are over helmet straps, take off again, put on correctly.
T1: 1:38 (Seriously, shockingly fast given all that!)
Head to bike mount line, 5 women spread all over road in front, have to wait a bit, but get some clear and get mounted. Had mud all up in shoes so took a while to get feet positioned comfortably on the pedal grips.
Got going and was really pleased, maintaining a nice 17-18mph speed. It was an out and back course and when we hit the first few hills I was excited about coming back because I'd get to go down them. When I hit the turnaround, duuuuuude. So disappointing. I realized that I had had BOTH a tailwind AND a downhill false flat for most of the way out. Speed dropped to a struggling 14mph. Blarg. Eventually I hit one of the turns and was able to pick it back up again. And I must say I LOVE the 12 mile bikes. Somehow that seems soooo much shorter than a 15! By the time I was back in transition I was feeling very good about the bike despite my low point on course.
Bike: 43:13 for 16.7mph
Transition was no big deal. Helmet off, grabbed a quick swig of water. Struggled to place bike on rack because of how the other ladies had racked theirs, but managed it with a little finagling.
T2: 1:06
Ran out, was pleased to find almost immediate Gatorade. There were a lot of people around, so even though my normal strategy is to walk to calm my heart rate and breathing before running, I kind of felt like I needed to run. So I ran past Preston and people, and stopped to walk where it was calmer. I had grabbed my phone, so started RunKeeper, stowed it in race belt, and adjusted hair. Then began running with a 4:1 goal, that ended up being closer to a 3.5:1.5, which I was really pretty pleased with. I'm aware that I need to work on some speed. I also think maybe getting the old garmin out would help because I feel like some of my issues are mental out on the run. It just feels like it kind of goes on forever! With a garmin on I can use the numbers to encourage myself.
Run: 35:59 for 12:00min/mi.
Total: 1:38.42
Post race: I was very very very disappointed with the post race food. They had run out of pizza completely. They had raisen and plain bagels. There were cookies which were quite good. I also got watermelon (nice), grapes (sour), and literally the most disgusting banana that I have ever eaten in my entire life. It was like the starch hadn't turned to sugar. I actually had to spit it out, it was so sick and wrong.
Then there was the looooong walk back to the car, followed by the quest for food (Taco C and Starbucks, yum!).
Ok, so the long view. I had better T1, Bike, and T2. My run was about the same, meh. My swim, blarg, so disappointing. All in all, I was really happy with my time, which is funny. Based on the differences in distances from the CB&I, I was hoping for a sub-1:40, which I totally accomplished! I just didn't get the time back where I expected it, which has me shaking my head.
Take-aways: Still need speed. SPEEEEEED! Garmin for the run, RunKeeper isn't good enough because I can't see it easily.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
Last week rundown
As I was waxing poetic and nostalgic last week I was wandering away from the meat of the plan. The day after tomorrow is April, y'all. We've got 3 weeks (THREE WEEKS!!!!!! EEEEPP!!) til the MS150 and one month til my first post-baby tri.
So last week I did:
Monday: 3.2 mile run with a little walking. But the distance was covered.
Tuesday: 1400 yard swim, no prob.
Wednesday: 2.25 mile run, focusing on running longer intervals and faster.
Thursday: 1400 yard swim, did I mention I love swimming? Oh, and also I woke up early so I did yoga that morning.
Friday: P90X3 MMX. I know, I was supposed to run. But I just didn't want to, and I thought it might be nice to mix it up a little. This definitely taxes my aerobic system and my legs and ass, so I figured it'd work.
Saturday: 26.6 mile HILLY freaking ride. Yes, I planned to do the 40-something route. No, I didn't do it. I just didn't want to. And I had a busy weekend and it would have killed most of the day. And did I mention, HILLS? (Btw Head for the Hills is an absolutely lovely MS150 prep ride. Highly recommend! The bluebonnets were out, it was a gorgeous day, the hills are great training, and the local fireman make a good burger for lunch after. Really nicely run.) The good news is I never walked, and I love my new brakes. The bad news is I'm still fighting my big ring shifter and I need that sucker for big hills. There were 3 hills where I ended up in the easiest possible gearing combo, going about 4mph. But I didn't walk. I win.
This week the plan is very similar, except I think I'm going to drop the Thursday swim in favor of MMX and then add back in the Friday run (but I'll switch that to Yoga if I'm feeling especially run down). I would prefer to swim twice BUT it looks like rain on Thursday, plus I'm going to have a kid-free night and swimming makes me get home later, which I don't want to do because I want to go see a movie or something. So you know I'm still sane - not sacrificing fun in favor of exercise. At least on Thursday. ;-)
So last week I did:
Monday: 3.2 mile run with a little walking. But the distance was covered.
Tuesday: 1400 yard swim, no prob.
Wednesday: 2.25 mile run, focusing on running longer intervals and faster.
Thursday: 1400 yard swim, did I mention I love swimming? Oh, and also I woke up early so I did yoga that morning.
Friday: P90X3 MMX. I know, I was supposed to run. But I just didn't want to, and I thought it might be nice to mix it up a little. This definitely taxes my aerobic system and my legs and ass, so I figured it'd work.
Saturday: 26.6 mile HILLY freaking ride. Yes, I planned to do the 40-something route. No, I didn't do it. I just didn't want to. And I had a busy weekend and it would have killed most of the day. And did I mention, HILLS? (Btw Head for the Hills is an absolutely lovely MS150 prep ride. Highly recommend! The bluebonnets were out, it was a gorgeous day, the hills are great training, and the local fireman make a good burger for lunch after. Really nicely run.) The good news is I never walked, and I love my new brakes. The bad news is I'm still fighting my big ring shifter and I need that sucker for big hills. There were 3 hills where I ended up in the easiest possible gearing combo, going about 4mph. But I didn't walk. I win.
This week the plan is very similar, except I think I'm going to drop the Thursday swim in favor of MMX and then add back in the Friday run (but I'll switch that to Yoga if I'm feeling especially run down). I would prefer to swim twice BUT it looks like rain on Thursday, plus I'm going to have a kid-free night and swimming makes me get home later, which I don't want to do because I want to go see a movie or something. So you know I'm still sane - not sacrificing fun in favor of exercise. At least on Thursday. ;-)
Monday, March 23, 2015
On with the plan!
Ran 3.2 miles this morning at closer to a 12 minute pace. Ran 5/walked 90 seconds. Took 40 minutes total.
Before I fell asleep last night I was envisioning myself stepping out of the house and sort of loping into a smooth strong run. I could feel power in my core. I had excellent posture. I was strong.
I don't know if that is what helped, or if it was the most perfect 55 degree temperature, or the accidentally waking up 15 minutes before my alarm which ensured I had plenty of time, but I felt good this morning. Really good. I probably didn't need half of those walk breaks, but I took them anyways because the goal was the distance this morning, not the speed.
Really excited to have the "longer" run done on a Monday so I can not worry about it for the rest of the week!
Before I fell asleep last night I was envisioning myself stepping out of the house and sort of loping into a smooth strong run. I could feel power in my core. I had excellent posture. I was strong.
I don't know if that is what helped, or if it was the most perfect 55 degree temperature, or the accidentally waking up 15 minutes before my alarm which ensured I had plenty of time, but I felt good this morning. Really good. I probably didn't need half of those walk breaks, but I took them anyways because the goal was the distance this morning, not the speed.
Really excited to have the "longer" run done on a Monday so I can not worry about it for the rest of the week!
Friday, March 20, 2015
Tri Training
In the fear of the MS150, it has kind of been lost in my mind that in a fit of insanity, I signed up for a triathlon at the beginning of May.
Up until I went for that first swim, I was most worried about the swim leg, just due to general rustiness. But I swam again yesterday, and really, the swim is going to be no problem at all. I swam 500 straight, twice, the first time in 11 minutes and the second time in 10 minutes. That is basically race pace for me when I'm fully trained. I must reiterate how absolutely stunning it is to find myself in good swim shape after such a long lay off, but there it is, I'm going to try not to look the gift horse in the mouth.
So that leaves me with 2 concerns. The first is the bike. I am not at all worried about the distance. Not. At. All. However, I need to be a bit faster. Now I think I can be. What I remember of the course is quite flat, and I am hoping that if I use my philosophy that won me my 5K PR all those years ago - if I use up 75 miles of biking energy in 15 miles, surely I'll be faster than when I'm riding to go far. But I will not be clipping in this year, for the first time in a tri, so that is also a factor, since I know clipping makes me faster. What I would really love is to find a short course somewhere where I could actually try to ride a short fast ride and gauge where I am. Perhaps if the R2R ride gets cancelled tomorrow, I can make that happen on Sunday.
The second concern is the run. Once again I'm not worried about the distance. After all these years, it is amazing to say, 5K doesn't phase me. It is hard to be scared any longer of a distance when I know the worst that happens is I walk it. But I don't want to walk it, and I'm not well trained on the run right now. This morning I think I averaged 14 min/mi? Running and walking. Sooo... I have what, 6 weeks? And we know that a lot of that, in terms of weekends, will remain tied up in MS150 training. However I will have a tune up 5K on April 16, BUT I need to not blow my legs for MS150 since it is only 2 days before, so I'll be running that conservatively. What if I did two runs per week for the next few weeks, one in which I don't go 5K but I try to go faster, and the other in which I do go 5K and I try to minimize walking? Part of the problem is I'm not getting my ass out of bed fast enough in the mornings. I need probably 40 minutes to be comfortable with 5K... I'll work on that. I'm not trying to go crazy here - but if I could get a 30ish minute 5K time for the tri, that would make me really happy.
So, ok, the tentative plan for the next 3 weeks (before conference and MS get thrown into the mix):
M: Run 5K
T: Swim
W: Run for speed
R: Swim
F: Run easy
S: Bike FAR
S: Off or Yoga
I can always do a morning bike on the trainer on swim days, too, since I'm swimming in the afternoon, but I don't want to lock that in - I still am wanting to be mentally flexible and am trying to be careful not to ask too much of myself.
Up until I went for that first swim, I was most worried about the swim leg, just due to general rustiness. But I swam again yesterday, and really, the swim is going to be no problem at all. I swam 500 straight, twice, the first time in 11 minutes and the second time in 10 minutes. That is basically race pace for me when I'm fully trained. I must reiterate how absolutely stunning it is to find myself in good swim shape after such a long lay off, but there it is, I'm going to try not to look the gift horse in the mouth.
So that leaves me with 2 concerns. The first is the bike. I am not at all worried about the distance. Not. At. All. However, I need to be a bit faster. Now I think I can be. What I remember of the course is quite flat, and I am hoping that if I use my philosophy that won me my 5K PR all those years ago - if I use up 75 miles of biking energy in 15 miles, surely I'll be faster than when I'm riding to go far. But I will not be clipping in this year, for the first time in a tri, so that is also a factor, since I know clipping makes me faster. What I would really love is to find a short course somewhere where I could actually try to ride a short fast ride and gauge where I am. Perhaps if the R2R ride gets cancelled tomorrow, I can make that happen on Sunday.
The second concern is the run. Once again I'm not worried about the distance. After all these years, it is amazing to say, 5K doesn't phase me. It is hard to be scared any longer of a distance when I know the worst that happens is I walk it. But I don't want to walk it, and I'm not well trained on the run right now. This morning I think I averaged 14 min/mi? Running and walking. Sooo... I have what, 6 weeks? And we know that a lot of that, in terms of weekends, will remain tied up in MS150 training. However I will have a tune up 5K on April 16, BUT I need to not blow my legs for MS150 since it is only 2 days before, so I'll be running that conservatively. What if I did two runs per week for the next few weeks, one in which I don't go 5K but I try to go faster, and the other in which I do go 5K and I try to minimize walking? Part of the problem is I'm not getting my ass out of bed fast enough in the mornings. I need probably 40 minutes to be comfortable with 5K... I'll work on that. I'm not trying to go crazy here - but if I could get a 30ish minute 5K time for the tri, that would make me really happy.
So, ok, the tentative plan for the next 3 weeks (before conference and MS get thrown into the mix):
M: Run 5K
T: Swim
W: Run for speed
R: Swim
F: Run easy
S: Bike FAR
S: Off or Yoga
I can always do a morning bike on the trainer on swim days, too, since I'm swimming in the afternoon, but I don't want to lock that in - I still am wanting to be mentally flexible and am trying to be careful not to ask too much of myself.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Rhythm and Blues 5K Race Report
On Friday I got this email from a friend of mine from work with a last chance to sign up for R&B races. She had asked me several times if I was going to do this race and I was tempted, but not sure because of MS150 training. It was on a Sunday, so ideal to not interfere with a ride, but I wasn't sure how my legs were going to take the riding, so I never signed up.
But as I've mentioned, my legs seem to be adapting very well with minimal soreness the next day. That has been the most amazing thing when I compare cycling to running - running has 48 hours of soreness for me. Cycling is only same day then done. So when I got the email from my friend, I was all what the hell, I'll do it.
She was also nice enough to pick up the packet for me! And I was able to park at her place which was about 1.5 miles from the start/finish.
The race was well organized. The tech shirt is very cool with the Houston skyline around the bottom. There were 3 bands along the 5K course, which were great! And there was a medal at the end.
The course was Allen Parkway. Not my favorite, but good hill practice. My time wasn't stellar... I'm guessing around 32 minutes (the official times aren't up yet), but that isn't a surprise given that I rode 38 miles the day before! In fact, truly the surprise was that I ran as much as I did. I made the first mile with no walk breaks, the second mile with 2, and the third mile as needed.
With the exception of the water right at the finish line (THANK YOU for that!), the refreshments at the end were a bit frustrating. Just two tiny tents and you needed to turn in a ticket for your one time through the line. So already at the end of the 5K there was a big long line. And then a grumpy lady yelling that you can only have one of each type of thing. Not my favorite. For the price we paid (and I'm assuming the 10k and Half paid even more), I'd prefer that they just get ENOUGH food for everyone, instead of artificially limiting the food.
Then I wandered back to my car and home to EAT ALL THE THINGS for the second day in a row. That was actually my major overarching feeling Sunday afternoon - hungry and tired.
All in all, a very successful training weekend! And my body seems to be adapting very well. I couldn't be more pleased.
But as I've mentioned, my legs seem to be adapting very well with minimal soreness the next day. That has been the most amazing thing when I compare cycling to running - running has 48 hours of soreness for me. Cycling is only same day then done. So when I got the email from my friend, I was all what the hell, I'll do it.
She was also nice enough to pick up the packet for me! And I was able to park at her place which was about 1.5 miles from the start/finish.
The race was well organized. The tech shirt is very cool with the Houston skyline around the bottom. There were 3 bands along the 5K course, which were great! And there was a medal at the end.
The course was Allen Parkway. Not my favorite, but good hill practice. My time wasn't stellar... I'm guessing around 32 minutes (the official times aren't up yet), but that isn't a surprise given that I rode 38 miles the day before! In fact, truly the surprise was that I ran as much as I did. I made the first mile with no walk breaks, the second mile with 2, and the third mile as needed.
With the exception of the water right at the finish line (THANK YOU for that!), the refreshments at the end were a bit frustrating. Just two tiny tents and you needed to turn in a ticket for your one time through the line. So already at the end of the 5K there was a big long line. And then a grumpy lady yelling that you can only have one of each type of thing. Not my favorite. For the price we paid (and I'm assuming the 10k and Half paid even more), I'd prefer that they just get ENOUGH food for everyone, instead of artificially limiting the food.
Then I wandered back to my car and home to EAT ALL THE THINGS for the second day in a row. That was actually my major overarching feeling Sunday afternoon - hungry and tired.
All in all, a very successful training weekend! And my body seems to be adapting very well. I couldn't be more pleased.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Race Planning and the MS150
The truth of the matter, of course, is I have signed up for the MS150 in hopes of curing myself from my bike spazziness. In an attempt to properly prepare myself, I'm going to ride with Ready 2 Roll to train and prepare me for group riding. Because even though I've ridden in triathlons, that is very solo, and I'm very aware that this will be very different.
As a part of that, I'm riding Pedal the Prairie and Head for the Hills. Not sure what distances yet.
I've also gotten my crazy out and gone ahead and signed up for the CB&I Triathlon. I figure the MS150 is just good training for that, right? And I have every intention of starting a regular swim program once I get the gym membership at the new job, so I'll be easily ready for that part of it, which really just leaves the run. And I can run (ok, maybe walk) 5K practically in my sleep, especially if my aerobic engine is prepped with all this other stuff. So yeah. Triathlon 2 weeks after MS150. Eep!
Probably will do the little 5K in conjunction with my annual work conference in April as a tune-up.
Am planning on the Turkey Trot, obviously.
I just realized if I do a run in January, I'll be on track to do one per month through May... hmmm.... don't want to overcommit to a race a month and set myself up for failure, but don't want to rule it out so early in the year either... maybe I'll look for a little January quickie...
As a part of that, I'm riding Pedal the Prairie and Head for the Hills. Not sure what distances yet.
I've also gotten my crazy out and gone ahead and signed up for the CB&I Triathlon. I figure the MS150 is just good training for that, right? And I have every intention of starting a regular swim program once I get the gym membership at the new job, so I'll be easily ready for that part of it, which really just leaves the run. And I can run (ok, maybe walk) 5K practically in my sleep, especially if my aerobic engine is prepped with all this other stuff. So yeah. Triathlon 2 weeks after MS150. Eep!
Probably will do the little 5K in conjunction with my annual work conference in April as a tune-up.
Am planning on the Turkey Trot, obviously.
I just realized if I do a run in January, I'll be on track to do one per month through May... hmmm.... don't want to overcommit to a race a month and set myself up for failure, but don't want to rule it out so early in the year either... maybe I'll look for a little January quickie...
So far so good!
I ended up not doing Yoga/Core II on Sunday. I DDR'd instead. That is good. The plan is not important right now. Only the every day of it.
I did Yoga and Core II on Monday morning and it felt gooooooood to do some stretching. As for Core II, here are the benchmark numbers:
Crunches: 25
Leg Curls: 12
Superman: 15
Side crunches: 15
Elbow bridge: 12
Legs up: 15
Crunches: 25
Core II was always my favorite!
Tuesday I had the day off work, and I went down to the beach and went for a nice run on the Seawall. It was an absolutely gorgeous day (sunny, 50's) and I was so happy with it and the run and just everything!
Also got my Dolce back from the shop on Tuesday and took her for a very short spin to my parents for dinner with the new non-clip pedals. Tentatively very pleased. Definitely am more comfortable when I'm not clipped in.
So this morning I rode her on the trainer for half an hour. Definitely am more aware on the trainer that I was, in fact, using my calves for the appropriate opposition movement. No clipping in is definitely more quad heavy and an adjustment. But that is ok. That is what this is all about!
Weight on Monday was 148.2. Headed in the right direction.
I did Yoga and Core II on Monday morning and it felt gooooooood to do some stretching. As for Core II, here are the benchmark numbers:
Crunches: 25
Leg Curls: 12
Superman: 15
Side crunches: 15
Elbow bridge: 12
Legs up: 15
Crunches: 25
Core II was always my favorite!
Tuesday I had the day off work, and I went down to the beach and went for a nice run on the Seawall. It was an absolutely gorgeous day (sunny, 50's) and I was so happy with it and the run and just everything!
Also got my Dolce back from the shop on Tuesday and took her for a very short spin to my parents for dinner with the new non-clip pedals. Tentatively very pleased. Definitely am more comfortable when I'm not clipped in.
So this morning I rode her on the trainer for half an hour. Definitely am more aware on the trainer that I was, in fact, using my calves for the appropriate opposition movement. No clipping in is definitely more quad heavy and an adjustment. But that is ok. That is what this is all about!
Weight on Monday was 148.2. Headed in the right direction.
Monday, March 17, 2014
I ran! And made a crazy goal.
Twice to be precise.
I ran last Tuesday afternoon. I left work early, I hadn't exercised, and I just... wanted to. So I grabbed my handy C25K app and set it on week 5 day 1 - that's warm-up, 5 min run, 3 min walk, rinse, repeat 3 times.
It went well! And I was so happy. I was hoping that with all of the P90X3 and Booty Barre and Boot Camp, etc, that I wouldn't need to start from Day 1. And I didn't!
Then my Friday Booty Barre class got cancelled. I was all dressed out and ready to go, so I ran again. On Tuesday I felt like I didn't need the full 3 minute walk break. And I've been experimenting with RunKeeper, and noticed that it gives you an update every 5 minutes. So I decided to use that to my advantage and run 4/walk 1, queuing off the app. I managed a full 5K in 7 repetitions. And though I was getting quite tired, I really felt like I could have kept up that pattern for a while longer.
So I was very pleased with that run as well!
I have 2 5Ks scheduled in April. One as a part of my annual conference for work, and one that was originally scheduled back in January that got moved. It is good to know that I will survive! I'm going to try to get in at least 2 runs a week between now and then, so that maybe I can do more than survive.
I think my goals, longer term... this year is Thanksgiving in Dallas. So I will be at 8 miles by November. In a really cool perfect world, I'd really really like to be at 10 miles by October so I can run 10 for Texas. But I will not push for that if I have issues. I do not want to go over 10 miles this year. I want to stay at 8-10 and focus on complete running and maybe a bit of speed over shorter distances. Because....
I want to run the Texas Independence Relay next year.
Eeep! I said it.
The longest legs of the relay are just under 7 miles, so my goal is to get solid again in the short distances, then as it approaches, run some doubles so I can get the legs used to being tired.
I've actuallycoerced convinced, I think, 4 people already in joining my craziness. Any other interested crazies awesome runners?
I ran last Tuesday afternoon. I left work early, I hadn't exercised, and I just... wanted to. So I grabbed my handy C25K app and set it on week 5 day 1 - that's warm-up, 5 min run, 3 min walk, rinse, repeat 3 times.
It went well! And I was so happy. I was hoping that with all of the P90X3 and Booty Barre and Boot Camp, etc, that I wouldn't need to start from Day 1. And I didn't!
Then my Friday Booty Barre class got cancelled. I was all dressed out and ready to go, so I ran again. On Tuesday I felt like I didn't need the full 3 minute walk break. And I've been experimenting with RunKeeper, and noticed that it gives you an update every 5 minutes. So I decided to use that to my advantage and run 4/walk 1, queuing off the app. I managed a full 5K in 7 repetitions. And though I was getting quite tired, I really felt like I could have kept up that pattern for a while longer.
So I was very pleased with that run as well!
I have 2 5Ks scheduled in April. One as a part of my annual conference for work, and one that was originally scheduled back in January that got moved. It is good to know that I will survive! I'm going to try to get in at least 2 runs a week between now and then, so that maybe I can do more than survive.
I think my goals, longer term... this year is Thanksgiving in Dallas. So I will be at 8 miles by November. In a really cool perfect world, I'd really really like to be at 10 miles by October so I can run 10 for Texas. But I will not push for that if I have issues. I do not want to go over 10 miles this year. I want to stay at 8-10 and focus on complete running and maybe a bit of speed over shorter distances. Because....
I want to run the Texas Independence Relay next year.
Eeep! I said it.
The longest legs of the relay are just under 7 miles, so my goal is to get solid again in the short distances, then as it approaches, run some doubles so I can get the legs used to being tired.
I've actually
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Hetherington Fun Run 5ishK Race Report
I ran this race with Grasshopper, who already wrote her report. There's a pic of her looking super perky and me looking suuuuuuuuper tired, too, for your viewing "pleasure".
This was an interesting experience for me. Only my second, my SECOND(!!!) run in 2013, I knew I wasn't in for any land-speed records. I was just hoping to get through unscathed and with no unkind words from my knee. (Success!)
The race is run every year in conjunction with a professional conference, so I had run it before, and knew to expect that it would be 5kish, that it wouldn't be brilliantly marked, and that I'd see all kinds out there. True, better than in the past, and true.
I also wasn't sure about running with Grasshopper. She runs a LOT more than me right now. She is training for her first 10K! It turned out to be a day of lessons for me.
We started out too fast. I was hauling ass next to Grasshopper thinking, "Shiiiiiiiit, I'm not gonna be able to hang!" But as soon as we crossed the bridge she took her first walk break. And I realized that she's an adrenaline junkie with a too fast start. So I told her so. I talked to her about the importance of slowing down to be able to run longer intervals. The best example that I still have is from the first time I trained to run 10Ks and ended up with my 5K PR. Basically, I took all of the energy that I would normally put into a 10K and decided to blow it in half the time, resulting in a 5K PR. Going out too fast does the opposite of that. Heh.
I quickly noticed that the walk break was a little long. Like... settling into the joy of walking long. Uh oh! Danger! I talked her into running again.
The next time she walked, I formulated a plan. I would use my tried and true landmark method. We'll walk to that tree, and then start running until we get to the light pole past it. And do you know, in the midst of goading her on, I forgot my own struggle?
Grasshopper has quite the mouth on her. I talked about running. I talked about random stuff. I giggled at the things she was calling me because I knew she didn't mean it. Because sometimes it hurts to learn. And sometimes it hurts to run. And as scared as I was about going out there and disappointing her, I realized she felt the same way about me.
And what do you know? We got over that bridge on the way back and she left me in her freaking dust. Turns out I had several somethings to learn! I said this on Facebook, and I had really never thought of it this way before, but what is the point of running if it isn't to learn? I've learned so much: about how to run, how to pace, how to push, how to trick my mind and empower my body, how to overcome, and how to be proud. I never know what I'm going to learn when I set out, but I'm always glad I do.
It is time to start running again.
This was an interesting experience for me. Only my second, my SECOND(!!!) run in 2013, I knew I wasn't in for any land-speed records. I was just hoping to get through unscathed and with no unkind words from my knee. (Success!)
The race is run every year in conjunction with a professional conference, so I had run it before, and knew to expect that it would be 5kish, that it wouldn't be brilliantly marked, and that I'd see all kinds out there. True, better than in the past, and true.
I also wasn't sure about running with Grasshopper. She runs a LOT more than me right now. She is training for her first 10K! It turned out to be a day of lessons for me.
We started out too fast. I was hauling ass next to Grasshopper thinking, "Shiiiiiiiit, I'm not gonna be able to hang!" But as soon as we crossed the bridge she took her first walk break. And I realized that she's an adrenaline junkie with a too fast start. So I told her so. I talked to her about the importance of slowing down to be able to run longer intervals. The best example that I still have is from the first time I trained to run 10Ks and ended up with my 5K PR. Basically, I took all of the energy that I would normally put into a 10K and decided to blow it in half the time, resulting in a 5K PR. Going out too fast does the opposite of that. Heh.
I quickly noticed that the walk break was a little long. Like... settling into the joy of walking long. Uh oh! Danger! I talked her into running again.
The next time she walked, I formulated a plan. I would use my tried and true landmark method. We'll walk to that tree, and then start running until we get to the light pole past it. And do you know, in the midst of goading her on, I forgot my own struggle?
Grasshopper has quite the mouth on her. I talked about running. I talked about random stuff. I giggled at the things she was calling me because I knew she didn't mean it. Because sometimes it hurts to learn. And sometimes it hurts to run. And as scared as I was about going out there and disappointing her, I realized she felt the same way about me.
And what do you know? We got over that bridge on the way back and she left me in her freaking dust. Turns out I had several somethings to learn! I said this on Facebook, and I had really never thought of it this way before, but what is the point of running if it isn't to learn? I've learned so much: about how to run, how to pace, how to push, how to trick my mind and empower my body, how to overcome, and how to be proud. I never know what I'm going to learn when I set out, but I'm always glad I do.
It is time to start running again.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
End of the World Half Race Report and My First DNF
This was the first of my back-to-back Halfs that I targeted as my A races for the winter season.
I was excited, but nervous. I knew I had the Half in me, but 2 in two days!?? So the goal for this one was to go out and leave reserve in the tank for the next day. Basic plan was 9/1s for the first loop, then 4/1s after that. But I knew I'd be running with Billy, so I wanted to stay flexible.
There was a little fiasco getting to the start. My GPS app wasn't working properly. I drove around for like 30 minutes and had a complete freak out. Had to call P who did "Find My iPhone" to locate me and lead me there. And this was on Waze, not on me, damnit.
Got there, funny location - this apartment complex that was never finished and all rotting - truly looked like the end of the world, picked-up packet (awesome, AWESOME swag: duffel bags, hat, tech-T, the works!), found Billy who was brilliantly standing in a totally visible location.
Was cold, cold, cold. Ditched my sweatshirt about 5 minutes before the start, but such a small, cool race that it was still there when we finished. :-)
So this was a trail race. I know it was KIND OF on the website, but I was expecting it to be like the Texas Marathon, on sidewalk trails, not TRAILS. So dude. Wow. Wasn't really trained for trails.
Started running with Billy. And talking. Spilled my guts to him about EVERYTHING that has been going on. And I do mean everything. But he is totally awesome and a trooper and had all my problems solved by mile 11. :-)
He is also definitely still faster than me, but was using me to prevent himself from going out too fast so he'd be fresh on day 2. Ha!
So everything was going great, nice scenery, good company, but around 11 my right knee started hurting basically where it did the last time I was injured. On the outside. We started walking way more than running, and I got way more upset than I normally would when the course was almost a mile long, because I knew I needed to get off that knee asap if I was going to have any hope of running the next day.
Well, we finally finished, and THE MEDALS!!!
I immediately pounded ibuprofen and headed home to rest, eat, and try to get myself in order for the next day.
The short story is that my knee didn't hurt to walk, so the next day, I showed up and tried, but the very first running step I took I knew I was screwed. I told Billy I'd try for a mile. Then he talked me into 2. And then it seemed like it made sense to just try to make it through the first loop. We were almost entirely walking and it took us almost 2 hours, but I did make it. I wrestled so much with the idea of DNF'ing. I've never done that before. I felt the shame of starting something and not finishing it. But at the same time, I knew I was hurt and if I didn't stop I was risking a long layoff from running that might not be completely necessary if I just listened to my body NOW and stopped torturing it. And so, when we came to the end of that first loop, I DNF'd. And it SUCKED. Powerfully. But there was also this strange undercurrent of pride that I had because, for once, I tried to listen to my body and do the right thing.
So there it is. I didn't make my 12 races in 2012 goal by about half a race. But I went down fighting, and think, hope, I grew from the experience. And I am proud of that.
I was excited, but nervous. I knew I had the Half in me, but 2 in two days!?? So the goal for this one was to go out and leave reserve in the tank for the next day. Basic plan was 9/1s for the first loop, then 4/1s after that. But I knew I'd be running with Billy, so I wanted to stay flexible.
There was a little fiasco getting to the start. My GPS app wasn't working properly. I drove around for like 30 minutes and had a complete freak out. Had to call P who did "Find My iPhone" to locate me and lead me there. And this was on Waze, not on me, damnit.
Got there, funny location - this apartment complex that was never finished and all rotting - truly looked like the end of the world, picked-up packet (awesome, AWESOME swag: duffel bags, hat, tech-T, the works!), found Billy who was brilliantly standing in a totally visible location.
Was cold, cold, cold. Ditched my sweatshirt about 5 minutes before the start, but such a small, cool race that it was still there when we finished. :-)
So this was a trail race. I know it was KIND OF on the website, but I was expecting it to be like the Texas Marathon, on sidewalk trails, not TRAILS. So dude. Wow. Wasn't really trained for trails.
Started running with Billy. And talking. Spilled my guts to him about EVERYTHING that has been going on. And I do mean everything. But he is totally awesome and a trooper and had all my problems solved by mile 11. :-)
He is also definitely still faster than me, but was using me to prevent himself from going out too fast so he'd be fresh on day 2. Ha!
So everything was going great, nice scenery, good company, but around 11 my right knee started hurting basically where it did the last time I was injured. On the outside. We started walking way more than running, and I got way more upset than I normally would when the course was almost a mile long, because I knew I needed to get off that knee asap if I was going to have any hope of running the next day.
Well, we finally finished, and THE MEDALS!!!
I immediately pounded ibuprofen and headed home to rest, eat, and try to get myself in order for the next day.
The short story is that my knee didn't hurt to walk, so the next day, I showed up and tried, but the very first running step I took I knew I was screwed. I told Billy I'd try for a mile. Then he talked me into 2. And then it seemed like it made sense to just try to make it through the first loop. We were almost entirely walking and it took us almost 2 hours, but I did make it. I wrestled so much with the idea of DNF'ing. I've never done that before. I felt the shame of starting something and not finishing it. But at the same time, I knew I was hurt and if I didn't stop I was risking a long layoff from running that might not be completely necessary if I just listened to my body NOW and stopped torturing it. And so, when we came to the end of that first loop, I DNF'd. And it SUCKED. Powerfully. But there was also this strange undercurrent of pride that I had because, for once, I tried to listen to my body and do the right thing.
So there it is. I didn't make my 12 races in 2012 goal by about half a race. But I went down fighting, and think, hope, I grew from the experience. And I am proud of that.
Monday, February 4, 2013
I Ran This Morning!
This is the part where I apologize for still not posting the End of the World Half race report, in which I tell you that I got injured, hence why I'm all excited about a little run this morning.
This is also the part where I have decided to come (at least a little) clean about what is going on in my world. Mostly because it is my reality and it is impacting obviously my life, but also my exercise.
So, P and I aren't living together right now. We are trading weeks, one of us keeps Z in our house, the other lives in AD house. And then we switch. We are often still sharing weekends, to try to give some level of normalcy to Z. I will not go into the nitty gritty of why all of this is happening. Nor will I postulate on the future. This is the now that I am living.
So, how has that impacted my exercise? Well, I can't run in the morning when I'm at home any more, because there is no sleeping adult to leave with Z. And I'm still not sure about running at AD's house. I mean, I need to. I will. I just need to get out of my head about learning new routes in a new neighborhood, that's all. Wasn't a problem, really, because I was giving my knee a month off, but it is time to start running again, so all of this will need to get worked out.
What I have been doing is riding my bike on the trainer on the weeks that I have Z, and doing core work. I am very pleased with that. And on the weeks that I'm at AD house I've been doing P90X, all hard core like. I am also very pleased with that!
And last night P stayed over so he could watch the Super Bowl on the nice TV with DVR, so there was a sleeping adult to leave in the house, so I ran! I only went 3 miles, but I was so very pleased that I have not lost all my stamina or wind. I did 3 sets of 9/1s. And it was... perfect. I love running and missed it so much!
So there it is. Out there. For those of you who know me in real life, I'm still not advertising this, ok? But I need this blog. And what I found is that I can't censor that aspect of my life from here and still be able to really write. I know I could go private, but I don't want to. I started this blog a long time ago to document my running journey, and this freaking bumpy road that I am currently on is a part of that. I own that. It is where I am now. And hopefully, I'll be running on it.
This is also the part where I have decided to come (at least a little) clean about what is going on in my world. Mostly because it is my reality and it is impacting obviously my life, but also my exercise.
So, P and I aren't living together right now. We are trading weeks, one of us keeps Z in our house, the other lives in AD house. And then we switch. We are often still sharing weekends, to try to give some level of normalcy to Z. I will not go into the nitty gritty of why all of this is happening. Nor will I postulate on the future. This is the now that I am living.
So, how has that impacted my exercise? Well, I can't run in the morning when I'm at home any more, because there is no sleeping adult to leave with Z. And I'm still not sure about running at AD's house. I mean, I need to. I will. I just need to get out of my head about learning new routes in a new neighborhood, that's all. Wasn't a problem, really, because I was giving my knee a month off, but it is time to start running again, so all of this will need to get worked out.
What I have been doing is riding my bike on the trainer on the weeks that I have Z, and doing core work. I am very pleased with that. And on the weeks that I'm at AD house I've been doing P90X, all hard core like. I am also very pleased with that!
And last night P stayed over so he could watch the Super Bowl on the nice TV with DVR, so there was a sleeping adult to leave in the house, so I ran! I only went 3 miles, but I was so very pleased that I have not lost all my stamina or wind. I did 3 sets of 9/1s. And it was... perfect. I love running and missed it so much!
So there it is. Out there. For those of you who know me in real life, I'm still not advertising this, ok? But I need this blog. And what I found is that I can't censor that aspect of my life from here and still be able to really write. I know I could go private, but I don't want to. I started this blog a long time ago to document my running journey, and this freaking bumpy road that I am currently on is a part of that. I own that. It is where I am now. And hopefully, I'll be running on it.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
La Porte By the Bay Half Marathon Race Report
I signed up for this race as a long supported training run, really. And it was to be my longest run since February 14, 2010. Wow!
So I really had no idea what to expect. Scratch that. I was hard core nervous! My longest run this training cycle was the 10 for Texas back in early October, eek! And I just ran the 8 mile Turkey Trot, but that was a little rough, in all honesty. So my confidence was a little low. I was trying to console myself with the idea that I knew I could do 8, I could probably do 10, and after that if I had to walk home, I could. But even that sounded pretty rough!
But then something kind of wonderful happened. I was telling a friend about my nerves, and was warned about the cheese that was about to get laid on me, but was then advised to go into my belly with the butterflies, become one, mentally, then fly away with them. And I did, and it WORKED. I felt so... connected with the world in that moment. Then they started playing the national anthem and the lady next to me was signing it for her companion and it was beautiful, I was captivated, it looked like a dance with her hands. And then we were running and it was quiet except the pounding of a thousand feet with a single purpose. And I was reminded about *why* I do this. Why it is special. Why it is wonderful.
The plan was to start out at 9/1's plus water stops, and switch to 4/1's when I needed to. In the beginning, I was trying to tuck in behind people who I felt were going a little slow so that I didn't go out too fast, as I can on long runs. But I'd look down at my watch and be pushing 9's! I don't know if it was my spiritual moment or what, but that is crazy fast for me right now for distance running. But I couldn't seem to slow it down, even when I was really trying, so I decided to go with it and hope the walk breaks kept me out of trouble. And honestly, I was completely floored by how well it was going.
After about 4 miles, we took a turn and the bridge positively LOOMED in front of us. I didn't want to blow out on it, so no being a hero and running up the whole thing for me. I was just going to stick with my plan and 9/1. That resulted in only one walk break on the upside, and one near the bottom on the downside. We hit the mile 5 marker on the upside, and that's where the race leaders passed me at their 10 mile marker, almost home, wow!
I love downhill running, and got a good chant going:
Lift through core, relax, swing free,
Minimize contact with the ground, don't brake, gravity.
There were times where I was so in the zone that my eyes were just barely open.
After we got down the other side of the bridge we did this out and back, and this was the view from the turnaround. Look how tiny the bridge looks!! I just came from there and I'm going back there, wowzers!
Oh, and I distinctly remember that when I flipped over 8 miles, I had done it FASTER than the Turkey Trot last week! In a longer race!
At 90 minutes in, I switched to 4/1's. I didn't need to yet, but I did it pre-emptively, hoping to stave off the crash I knew was coming.
Oh, I should mention that I had a gel at 2 and 6, and gatorade at every other stop, and water to pour all over me because it was over 70 degrees. On DECEMBER 2nd!!!!! Insane!
Anyways, I was on 4/1's, made it up the bridge again, and then I was going so well on the way down I decided to skip the walk break! Unheard of!
That turned me over 10 miles, and from there it started to get a little rough. Just kept focusing on moving forward. At just over 11 miles, a 9 year old and her Dad blazed past me, him encouraging her all the way, her looking really pretty great. Inspiring. At 12 miles, I was running in lock step with a man who was on the opposite side of the road and just behind me. I was in the zone, eyes almost closed, just motoring through it. He really pushed me until my next walk break, just hovering behind me like a metronome.
Shortly after that, we turned onto the home stretch and one of the leaders came by and told us we were almost there, the finish was at the flashing lights. Everyone at that point kind of started talking to each other and supporting each other, really pretty cool.
And I crossed the line in 2:26:21. Only 12 minutes off my PR and my 3rd best half mary time ever. Considering that I wasn't sure I could finish: SOLD!!!!
Also got 2, count them 2, medals at the finish line. One for the race, and one for completing the Texas Bridge Series, which I'd highly recommend to anyone. Great hill training, great swag, cleanest porta-pots EVER, well run, good stuff!
And finally feeling confident heading into my A raceS: The End of the World Half and the Day After the End of the World Half. :-)
So I really had no idea what to expect. Scratch that. I was hard core nervous! My longest run this training cycle was the 10 for Texas back in early October, eek! And I just ran the 8 mile Turkey Trot, but that was a little rough, in all honesty. So my confidence was a little low. I was trying to console myself with the idea that I knew I could do 8, I could probably do 10, and after that if I had to walk home, I could. But even that sounded pretty rough!
 |
| View near the start. |
The plan was to start out at 9/1's plus water stops, and switch to 4/1's when I needed to. In the beginning, I was trying to tuck in behind people who I felt were going a little slow so that I didn't go out too fast, as I can on long runs. But I'd look down at my watch and be pushing 9's! I don't know if it was my spiritual moment or what, but that is crazy fast for me right now for distance running. But I couldn't seem to slow it down, even when I was really trying, so I decided to go with it and hope the walk breaks kept me out of trouble. And honestly, I was completely floored by how well it was going.
 |
| Looming. |
After about 4 miles, we took a turn and the bridge positively LOOMED in front of us. I didn't want to blow out on it, so no being a hero and running up the whole thing for me. I was just going to stick with my plan and 9/1. That resulted in only one walk break on the upside, and one near the bottom on the downside. We hit the mile 5 marker on the upside, and that's where the race leaders passed me at their 10 mile marker, almost home, wow!
 |
| Long way up. |
Lift through core, relax, swing free,
Minimize contact with the ground, don't brake, gravity.
There were times where I was so in the zone that my eyes were just barely open.
After we got down the other side of the bridge we did this out and back, and this was the view from the turnaround. Look how tiny the bridge looks!! I just came from there and I'm going back there, wowzers!
 |
| I was just there! |
At 90 minutes in, I switched to 4/1's. I didn't need to yet, but I did it pre-emptively, hoping to stave off the crash I knew was coming.
 |
| Heading back up the other side. |
Anyways, I was on 4/1's, made it up the bridge again, and then I was going so well on the way down I decided to skip the walk break! Unheard of!
 |
| View near the top. |
Shortly after that, we turned onto the home stretch and one of the leaders came by and told us we were almost there, the finish was at the flashing lights. Everyone at that point kind of started talking to each other and supporting each other, really pretty cool.
And I crossed the line in 2:26:21. Only 12 minutes off my PR and my 3rd best half mary time ever. Considering that I wasn't sure I could finish: SOLD!!!!
Also got 2, count them 2, medals at the finish line. One for the race, and one for completing the Texas Bridge Series, which I'd highly recommend to anyone. Great hill training, great swag, cleanest porta-pots EVER, well run, good stuff!
 |
| 2 medals, baby! |
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