Well everyone else is writing about the good and the bad of 2011, so I might as well join in. I've had a lot of ups in 2011, and a few downs to keep me grounded (I guess).
I hit a few big goals in races and running this year. I started the year at a very windy A2A 1/2 marathon. I had high expectations of hitting my 2:05 mark for that race as it was known for it's downhill course, unfortunately race day produced 25+mph winds from the South - guess which way the race ran. So I took my wounded pride and moved onto the OKC 1/2 marathon - on a horrible weather day (raining, 45*, and cold) I had the race of my life, running 2:04:14 with fuel left in the tank. After 3 attempts to break 2:05 I finally did it.
I spent the summer months ramping up my miles per week for my upcoming training for my 2012 marathon. While doing this I ended up with a stress fracture in my foot - which I did not actually acknowledge till it was too late to salvage the marathon. I am really disappointed that it worked out this way, I'm sad that I will not be running my first 26.2 in Hawaii in January, but my time will come.
In September while I was taking a break from the big miles of the summer, I attempted a few 5Ks in hopes of breaking my 2 year old PR record. My first attempt was a super warm morning that ended in a crash and burn. Two weeks later, with a sour taste still in my mouth, I went out and ran a 5K for fun, leaving the Garmin at home. Result, broke my PR by 4 sec without even knowing it.
In August I stepped out of my comfort zone a bit and applied for a running team at the local running store. I was hoping to find some new running friends and expand my social abilities since I'm lacking in that department. In October I was asked to join Red Coyote Racing team, and I have had a blast since then. Even though I've only been able to compete in two races (neither in racing form) I've meet several awesome people and have already been given some great opportunities through the group.
Outside of running I took my first trip to Colorado and found my first 14er (Uncomphagre Peak) to hike. I have also acknowledge some career goals that need some adapting, and I've taken the first steps to making those changes in my life.
I did not succeed in my goal to lose a few extra pounds from my frame, I actually ended the year going backwards and am in a pretty sour place regarding my weight and health at this moment. This was brought on by a lack of running due to my stress fracture and a lack of self control in the food department.
Speaking of stress fractures however, that is my first broken/ fractured bone I've ever had. If I was 12 that would be a big deal.
So what will 2012 hold? What will my goals be for the upcoming year, I guess you will have to stay tuned for a 2012 Hopes and Goals post tomorrow!
Saturday, December 31
Tuesday, December 20
Plans for 2012
Well after 6 weeks of no running thanks to stress fracture, I am now on a incredibly limited running schedule - we are taking 1/2 mile per run for a week and only allowed to add a 1/2 mile at a time each week...for 6 weeks. That means when I head to Hawaii for what should have been my marathon, I will be able to run 3 miles. So instead of walking 23.2 miles or 10.1 miles, I'm doing the 10K with my friend so we can walk/ run together and enjoy the wonderful beauty of the Maui island. I'm very bummed, but there is a reason and I will get back on the wagon and will tackle the marathon later!
So now that my first 4 weeks of the year are laid out for me, what to do after that? I wanted to at least work myself back into running so I am targeting the Dallas Rock 'n Roll 1/2 marathon at the end of March as my "comeback" race. I probably still won't be running fast, or be able to run the complete race without walking, but I will see what happens while I train. I am going to do a gradual beginners program that focuses on Xtraining, running 30-45 minutes 2 days a week and one long run on the weekend. This will keep my mileage below 20mpw like prescribed by doc, but get me back into running shape.
After that, my goal had always been to work on my 5K and 10K speed, so I will continue that. It's much easier to keep mileage down below 25mpw doing shorter races. I hope to pick up several races this summer (to make up for the lack this winter) in my Red Coyote Racing jersey! My goal is to break into the 25:00 range on the 5K and the 53:00 range for the 10K, we will see what I can do.
Past that there are so many options. There is a marathon or two I have my eye on for the end of the year, or maybe I will just stick to the shorter races and pick up a 1/2 marathon at the end of the year and target a full marathon next May (looking at the Colorado Marathon!).
Only time will tell, but having a plan is the first step to success. So I will shuffle on, I will continue pedaling and spinning my legs on the elliptical, and I will be back!
So now that my first 4 weeks of the year are laid out for me, what to do after that? I wanted to at least work myself back into running so I am targeting the Dallas Rock 'n Roll 1/2 marathon at the end of March as my "comeback" race. I probably still won't be running fast, or be able to run the complete race without walking, but I will see what happens while I train. I am going to do a gradual beginners program that focuses on Xtraining, running 30-45 minutes 2 days a week and one long run on the weekend. This will keep my mileage below 20mpw like prescribed by doc, but get me back into running shape.
After that, my goal had always been to work on my 5K and 10K speed, so I will continue that. It's much easier to keep mileage down below 25mpw doing shorter races. I hope to pick up several races this summer (to make up for the lack this winter) in my Red Coyote Racing jersey! My goal is to break into the 25:00 range on the 5K and the 53:00 range for the 10K, we will see what I can do.
Past that there are so many options. There is a marathon or two I have my eye on for the end of the year, or maybe I will just stick to the shorter races and pick up a 1/2 marathon at the end of the year and target a full marathon next May (looking at the Colorado Marathon!).
Only time will tell, but having a plan is the first step to success. So I will shuffle on, I will continue pedaling and spinning my legs on the elliptical, and I will be back!
Saturday, November 19
Changing of Priorities
I've always said that I would only run 1 marathon. And that I was going to make sure that I could run that marathon under 4:30 so I wasn't out there for 6 hours on my feet. Up until 3 weeks ago I was on track for that goal. I have my 1/2 time down to 2:04 and I was having a great training cycle for my marathon in January (Maui!). Then there was a stress fracture. In my foot. No running for 4-6 weeks. Right in the middle of my training plan. This all equaled no running my marathon (especially in 4:30 or less). If I'm lucky I will be cleared to run on December 13, a mere 6 weeks before the marathon. Not even enough time to put together a good 1/2 marathon.
So what can I do. I've been fighting with this for almost a month now. I've been trying to keep my spirits up while riding to eternity on the stationary bike in the gym. I've been pumping iron trying to work on my lack of muscle. I've been looking longingly at the treadmill and have been coveting the wonderful weather outside. During all these hours, I've been thinking about this goal...only under 4:30. Why? Why go to Hawaii to run a marathon that I'm going to be so focused that I won't want to stop and take a picture or slow down and admire the ocean. Who said I had to run this marathon? Maybe I've just been looking at this all wrong. Maybe this is just someone's way of telling me that I need to slow down and smell the hibiscus. I started thinking in those terms. I can walk as much as I want, as long as it doesn't hurt I could walk all day. So why don't I do like so many others and walk/run the marathon. Why don't I readjust my goal to "finish and enjoy Hawaii" and just experience the distance of the marathon instead of sulking and doing a lack luster job of running a 1/2 marathon.
And so, baring any bad news in December, my new goal for my first (and not only) marathon is to finish. To finish strong. To enjoy Maui. And I will be happy that I can walk/ run in a beautiful place while it is snowing back home, and be happier that my legs won't be near as sore the next day. How much I'll run and how fast is yet to be determined and probably won't be until the week before, but until then my new hope is just that I am healthy enough to be a participant.
So what can I do. I've been fighting with this for almost a month now. I've been trying to keep my spirits up while riding to eternity on the stationary bike in the gym. I've been pumping iron trying to work on my lack of muscle. I've been looking longingly at the treadmill and have been coveting the wonderful weather outside. During all these hours, I've been thinking about this goal...only under 4:30. Why? Why go to Hawaii to run a marathon that I'm going to be so focused that I won't want to stop and take a picture or slow down and admire the ocean. Who said I had to run this marathon? Maybe I've just been looking at this all wrong. Maybe this is just someone's way of telling me that I need to slow down and smell the hibiscus. I started thinking in those terms. I can walk as much as I want, as long as it doesn't hurt I could walk all day. So why don't I do like so many others and walk/run the marathon. Why don't I readjust my goal to "finish and enjoy Hawaii" and just experience the distance of the marathon instead of sulking and doing a lack luster job of running a 1/2 marathon.
And so, baring any bad news in December, my new goal for my first (and not only) marathon is to finish. To finish strong. To enjoy Maui. And I will be happy that I can walk/ run in a beautiful place while it is snowing back home, and be happier that my legs won't be near as sore the next day. How much I'll run and how fast is yet to be determined and probably won't be until the week before, but until then my new hope is just that I am healthy enough to be a participant.
Saturday, September 17
A new 5K PR!! (finally)
I was getting to the point where I was going to have to add an asterisk to my 5K PR time. My last PR came in July of 2009 and since that time I hadn't come within a minute of the time. I was beginning to think that it was a fluke that I could run that fast. After a failed attempt to break the PR on a Labor day run this year I decided that I had a serious mental block in the 5K and it might take an act of God and a dedicated run training schedule to get me to it.
I did this race (Oklahoma Race to Defeat Diabetes 5K) on a whim. It was a groupon so I thought why not. I didn't do any type of speed training for the race, and actually I had taken it fairly easy since Brookhaven and hadn't run much at all. I didn't have high expectations and to keep myself from being caught up in the numbers I decided to take my own advice and leave Garmin at home. I wanted to just run by feel and let the mental game be put to rest. If I could run a fast race my head had to be the one that let me, not watching a clock.
I decided to start with 8 min pack. Started out really really fast but everyone pulled back quickly and evened out. I found a nice even hard pace I felt I could keep and went on. I didn't hear the split at 1K, but I was feeling good so just kept going. I didn't know what I was running but didn't really care to much. The course meandered through campus so you never really found much sense in how far you had run. At the 2K mark I was running 10:35 which is right on pace for PR, but I know better then to bank on that - it was still early. Since the race ran mostly on sidewalks and they were narrow I got slowed down at bit at this point, not to bad and was probably good for my legs. Once we opened back up at the water stop everything spread out nicely. I had slowed down a bit at the 3K check point but I knew if I kept and even pace I would be good. Didn't hear 4K split. The course didn't run like I wanted it at the end so there was a small mental game with it being longer then I thought. When I got to the finish shoot and saw the clock for the first time I realized that I was in seconds of a PR. I turned on the burners and sprinted to the finish - surprisingly a lot left in the legs! I crossed gun time in 26:30 - depending on what chip time is I either PR'd by a few seconds or just missed it. Either way I am extremely happy with the outcome.
I've been reading about the idea of running by feel over the last few weeks and I really want to take this mentality into my marathon training so I don't get caught up in the time battle. Because I've had so many mental issues in the 5K I felt that maybe if I used the run by feel idea that maybe I would run with my feeling instead of by the watch. The mental game of my 5K is huge and today I showed that I could trust what my body told me I could do and push through from a great race!
I did this race (Oklahoma Race to Defeat Diabetes 5K) on a whim. It was a groupon so I thought why not. I didn't do any type of speed training for the race, and actually I had taken it fairly easy since Brookhaven and hadn't run much at all. I didn't have high expectations and to keep myself from being caught up in the numbers I decided to take my own advice and leave Garmin at home. I wanted to just run by feel and let the mental game be put to rest. If I could run a fast race my head had to be the one that let me, not watching a clock.
I decided to start with 8 min pack. Started out really really fast but everyone pulled back quickly and evened out. I found a nice even hard pace I felt I could keep and went on. I didn't hear the split at 1K, but I was feeling good so just kept going. I didn't know what I was running but didn't really care to much. The course meandered through campus so you never really found much sense in how far you had run. At the 2K mark I was running 10:35 which is right on pace for PR, but I know better then to bank on that - it was still early. Since the race ran mostly on sidewalks and they were narrow I got slowed down at bit at this point, not to bad and was probably good for my legs. Once we opened back up at the water stop everything spread out nicely. I had slowed down a bit at the 3K check point but I knew if I kept and even pace I would be good. Didn't hear 4K split. The course didn't run like I wanted it at the end so there was a small mental game with it being longer then I thought. When I got to the finish shoot and saw the clock for the first time I realized that I was in seconds of a PR. I turned on the burners and sprinted to the finish - surprisingly a lot left in the legs! I crossed gun time in 26:30 - depending on what chip time is I either PR'd by a few seconds or just missed it. Either way I am extremely happy with the outcome.
I've been reading about the idea of running by feel over the last few weeks and I really want to take this mentality into my marathon training so I don't get caught up in the time battle. Because I've had so many mental issues in the 5K I felt that maybe if I used the run by feel idea that maybe I would run with my feeling instead of by the watch. The mental game of my 5K is huge and today I showed that I could trust what my body told me I could do and push through from a great race!
Sunday, September 11
Running bib book
So it isn't finished yet, but I made a scrapbook to put some of my running bibs in from 5k and 10k type races. Going to put a coil across the top with some ribbon mixed in, then add some pictures I have from different races and some bibs. Best part is it's expandable! I suck at the creative stuff like this so I had had enough by the time I finished yesterday but another year and I can add more!
Front Cover - then goes through all the pages. Still some work to be done.
Front Cover - then goes through all the pages. Still some work to be done.
Saturday, August 20
Why I run and race
I recently took a trip to Ouray, CO. I found a place on this earth perfect for me where people love to be outdoors and hike and enjoy life and get outside at all hours no matter what. While I didn't run any while in Colorado (even thought I tried to get my friends to stay an extra day so I could run a 1/2 marathon) I did summit my first ever 14er on my first ever true hike. It was amazing and I felt so accomplished to achieve something that is probably close to as rare as running marathons, if not more.
On our way home while we were driving through the mountains - I started reflecting on my achievement of the mountain and how it relates to my running and racing. I came to the realization that the reason I love to run and race so much is because it is the one thing in my life I feel I have complete control over. No one and nothing but myself can affect my running completely. Sure weather, lack of sleep, other conditions can affect a run - but ultimately it is just me and the road. If I finish a race, if I PR, if I push myself harder is only controlled by my own mind. I love the control I give myself while running and how rewarding it is to succeed.
Much is the same for hiking. While I went in a group of 3 people, only I could ultimately control if I made it to the top. There was one section where you had to climb up a rock slide - not a big deal I don't mind crawling up rocks; but then on the way down you have to come down this slide of rocks - much scarier! One of the hikers in my group put up the white flag and said she wasn't going. I had the choice to say "yea I agree I'm scared and this is crazy" but instead I said "I'm doing this, i've come this far and I'm not failing now!" The reward was a marvelous view from the top of Uncompahgre Peak in the San Juan mountains.
Everytime I succeed at something I put my mind to I'm rewarded. Most of the time it is with a medal and crossing the finish line, but this time it was with a marvelous view - and a deeper understanding of who I am.
On our way home while we were driving through the mountains - I started reflecting on my achievement of the mountain and how it relates to my running and racing. I came to the realization that the reason I love to run and race so much is because it is the one thing in my life I feel I have complete control over. No one and nothing but myself can affect my running completely. Sure weather, lack of sleep, other conditions can affect a run - but ultimately it is just me and the road. If I finish a race, if I PR, if I push myself harder is only controlled by my own mind. I love the control I give myself while running and how rewarding it is to succeed.
Much is the same for hiking. While I went in a group of 3 people, only I could ultimately control if I made it to the top. There was one section where you had to climb up a rock slide - not a big deal I don't mind crawling up rocks; but then on the way down you have to come down this slide of rocks - much scarier! One of the hikers in my group put up the white flag and said she wasn't going. I had the choice to say "yea I agree I'm scared and this is crazy" but instead I said "I'm doing this, i've come this far and I'm not failing now!" The reward was a marvelous view from the top of Uncompahgre Peak in the San Juan mountains.
Sunday, May 1
OKC Memorial 1/2 Marathon - a cold rainy experience
Today was the OKC Memorial Marathon and 1/2 Marathon. And after a gorgeous day in Oklahoma yesterday, today was cold and rainy. It was just a little cold for a perfect day to run, especially since most of us were probably expecting 80+ degree temps for the race. I would like to give a shout to my supporting cast...my trash bag for keeping my Garmin dry pre-race, my long sleeve throw away shirt for keeping warm in the cold north wind through mile 4, and to my Zoot compression socks for keeping my feet "feeling" dry when they were actually soaked. Without you guys it would have been miserable - oh and to the plastic baggy around my ipod so it didn't drown.
Okay, now onto the serious stuff - this race was perfect. I finally put everything together, and while the weather wasn't perfect it was ideal for running and helped me out. I made sure to line up closer to the 10 min pace marker then the 9 so I would be forced to keep it slow at the beginning. This cost me about 90 seconds of the race, but I think I would have paid for those seconds in the end. I also put my mantra words to the test today - especially "I AM strong" and "finish strong". When my legs got tired I was able to mentally push through for the first time. I think the extreme conditions also helped with this as I was much more worried about hypothermia and frost bite in my right hand then how tired my legs were getting.
Pre-Race: an early 4:30am wake up call with some stretching and a monster english muffin with peanut butter and honey. As we loaded into the car with our special cheerleader Houdini, the first drops of rain started to fall. The temps were holding steady at 57 degrees but they were predicting dropping temps through the morning. By the time we got downtown for drop off it was 55 and the rain was steady, so was the lightning. Shortly after, the race was delayed by 30 minutes. I found shelter in a local church that opens up for a pancake breakfast and free restrooms. I waited out in warmth for about 30 minutes then headed out in the rain to acclimate and find my corral.
Race: after a moving 168 seconds of silence for the fallen in the Oklahoma City Murray Building Bombing the race finally started. The streets of downtown OKC are narrow for the 22,000 runners and we were detoured in several turns to avoid construction (both road and building). I hit my first split at 10:30, well below my 9:30 goal pace, but along the lines with my progressive run philosophy. Just when we were gaining some room we were funneled down again for the biggest hill (and series of hills) of the race. Second split was at 9:59. These were the only two splits that were below 9:30 - go me!!!
Once we got past mile two we really were able to open up on the road and start passing the slower runners and those that went out too fast. I was working at this point to get my Garmin back on the pace screen, I was running blind at that point and just using the mile split clocks to check my splits. I also thought that my mile splits on the watch were turned off because I wasn't seeing them. Come to find out later the beginning of the race had us off the miles by almost .3 miles because of the detours (later we made up half of that). We ran through some crummy roads in this area were water was starting to puddle so wet shoes became and issue - as were prissy girls that didn't want wet shoes. I suffered a heel to the ankle from one girl that side hopped over a puddle right into me (I passed her later!). I had really settled into a good pace by mile four and also dropped both my trash bag and long sleeve shirt.
Splits: Miles 3-5 - 9:26, 9:24, 9:09
As you can see from mile 5 I was also finding some speed. We were moving into the development section of the race where I had been logging miles over the last 5 months. I settled into a comfort zone and applauded myself for dedicating my hours on Fridays to running these hills. I took a Carb-boom around mile 5 and focused in. I was able to pass several people through the hills and was feeling great. I passed the 10K point at 59:41 and was feeling good. Right after 10K I had my first friend stop. It was great to see them. After that I turned onto one of the final big hills of the race (neighborhood named it "Gorilla Hill") and also headed towards the end of the cold north wind running.
Splits: Miles 6-8 - 9:11, 9:08, 9:10
I turned onto the longest straightaway of the trip which is boring (excepts for the best water stop and the Buffalo crossing at my office). Thankfully I had my cheer group about 1/3 of the way down the 2 mile stretch to re-energize. Took another gel at 10 because I could feel my legs starting to tire. Since this is the area I normal tank on I really took to mantras and positive thinking. I wouldn't let myself get sucked into the tiredness and just kept looking around at the people I was running with and how strong we all still looked. As we turned into the final development (where you feel so close but still have 3 miles to go winding around) I really dug deep. I looked down however to see I was running steady in the 8:50s...worked to slow a little so I would have a little left for the end. I walked the water stops and dug deep the rest of the time. By this time the wind and rain picked up again and the temps plummeted. I couldn't feel my right hand and focused on that instead of my legs. I never saw the mile 12 marker, but I just knew that I was under a mile. My legs started shutting down and I let myself slow for a few minutes to recover. I knew if I pushed to the final aid stations I could down some Powerade and muscle through the final 1/2 mile.
Splits: Miles 9-12 - 9:19, 9:18, 9:26, 9:08
Finally we made it to the final turn and I knew the last 1/2 mile was here. I found my second wind and just pushed as hard as I could. When I finally saw the finish chute and eventually the finish line myself and the entire group around me just picked up the pace and started sprinting. I was amazed how much I had in my legs to give to the 1/4 mile or so sprint. As I came to the finish line I could see 2:08 on the clock and knew I started 4 minutes in and thought I'm going to beat 2:05!!!! As I hit my Garmin I looked and saw 2:04:15 and knew it had all finally paid off!
Splits: Miles 13-finish - 9:19, 7:54
Overall the race was 13.25, somewhat due to detours and somewhat to massive weaving I did to get around slower people. I was more excited about my mylar blanket then I was my medal and headed for food and cookies. Thankfully my cheer squad brought my sweatshirt to cover my now un-working right hand (which makes it really hard to stop at the porta-potty). Finally got to the truck and sat in 90 degree heated bliss the entire ride home. I'm still beaming from my accomplishment, and I'm amazed how easy it felt. After today I am leaving the mindset of 1/2 marathons for awhile to focus on mileage build and my upcoming marathon attempt in January 2012. I leave feeling accomplished and knowing when I come back next year I will be able to pick up and go for a sub 2!!!
Okay, now onto the serious stuff - this race was perfect. I finally put everything together, and while the weather wasn't perfect it was ideal for running and helped me out. I made sure to line up closer to the 10 min pace marker then the 9 so I would be forced to keep it slow at the beginning. This cost me about 90 seconds of the race, but I think I would have paid for those seconds in the end. I also put my mantra words to the test today - especially "I AM strong" and "finish strong". When my legs got tired I was able to mentally push through for the first time. I think the extreme conditions also helped with this as I was much more worried about hypothermia and frost bite in my right hand then how tired my legs were getting.
Pre-Race: an early 4:30am wake up call with some stretching and a monster english muffin with peanut butter and honey. As we loaded into the car with our special cheerleader Houdini, the first drops of rain started to fall. The temps were holding steady at 57 degrees but they were predicting dropping temps through the morning. By the time we got downtown for drop off it was 55 and the rain was steady, so was the lightning. Shortly after, the race was delayed by 30 minutes. I found shelter in a local church that opens up for a pancake breakfast and free restrooms. I waited out in warmth for about 30 minutes then headed out in the rain to acclimate and find my corral.
Race: after a moving 168 seconds of silence for the fallen in the Oklahoma City Murray Building Bombing the race finally started. The streets of downtown OKC are narrow for the 22,000 runners and we were detoured in several turns to avoid construction (both road and building). I hit my first split at 10:30, well below my 9:30 goal pace, but along the lines with my progressive run philosophy. Just when we were gaining some room we were funneled down again for the biggest hill (and series of hills) of the race. Second split was at 9:59. These were the only two splits that were below 9:30 - go me!!!
Once we got past mile two we really were able to open up on the road and start passing the slower runners and those that went out too fast. I was working at this point to get my Garmin back on the pace screen, I was running blind at that point and just using the mile split clocks to check my splits. I also thought that my mile splits on the watch were turned off because I wasn't seeing them. Come to find out later the beginning of the race had us off the miles by almost .3 miles because of the detours (later we made up half of that). We ran through some crummy roads in this area were water was starting to puddle so wet shoes became and issue - as were prissy girls that didn't want wet shoes. I suffered a heel to the ankle from one girl that side hopped over a puddle right into me (I passed her later!). I had really settled into a good pace by mile four and also dropped both my trash bag and long sleeve shirt.
Splits: Miles 3-5 - 9:26, 9:24, 9:09
As you can see from mile 5 I was also finding some speed. We were moving into the development section of the race where I had been logging miles over the last 5 months. I settled into a comfort zone and applauded myself for dedicating my hours on Fridays to running these hills. I took a Carb-boom around mile 5 and focused in. I was able to pass several people through the hills and was feeling great. I passed the 10K point at 59:41 and was feeling good. Right after 10K I had my first friend stop. It was great to see them. After that I turned onto one of the final big hills of the race (neighborhood named it "Gorilla Hill") and also headed towards the end of the cold north wind running.
Splits: Miles 6-8 - 9:11, 9:08, 9:10
I turned onto the longest straightaway of the trip which is boring (excepts for the best water stop and the Buffalo crossing at my office). Thankfully I had my cheer group about 1/3 of the way down the 2 mile stretch to re-energize. Took another gel at 10 because I could feel my legs starting to tire. Since this is the area I normal tank on I really took to mantras and positive thinking. I wouldn't let myself get sucked into the tiredness and just kept looking around at the people I was running with and how strong we all still looked. As we turned into the final development (where you feel so close but still have 3 miles to go winding around) I really dug deep. I looked down however to see I was running steady in the 8:50s...worked to slow a little so I would have a little left for the end. I walked the water stops and dug deep the rest of the time. By this time the wind and rain picked up again and the temps plummeted. I couldn't feel my right hand and focused on that instead of my legs. I never saw the mile 12 marker, but I just knew that I was under a mile. My legs started shutting down and I let myself slow for a few minutes to recover. I knew if I pushed to the final aid stations I could down some Powerade and muscle through the final 1/2 mile.
Splits: Miles 9-12 - 9:19, 9:18, 9:26, 9:08
Finally we made it to the final turn and I knew the last 1/2 mile was here. I found my second wind and just pushed as hard as I could. When I finally saw the finish chute and eventually the finish line myself and the entire group around me just picked up the pace and started sprinting. I was amazed how much I had in my legs to give to the 1/4 mile or so sprint. As I came to the finish line I could see 2:08 on the clock and knew I started 4 minutes in and thought I'm going to beat 2:05!!!! As I hit my Garmin I looked and saw 2:04:15 and knew it had all finally paid off!
Splits: Miles 13-finish - 9:19, 7:54
Overall the race was 13.25, somewhat due to detours and somewhat to massive weaving I did to get around slower people. I was more excited about my mylar blanket then I was my medal and headed for food and cookies. Thankfully my cheer squad brought my sweatshirt to cover my now un-working right hand (which makes it really hard to stop at the porta-potty). Finally got to the truck and sat in 90 degree heated bliss the entire ride home. I'm still beaming from my accomplishment, and I'm amazed how easy it felt. After today I am leaving the mindset of 1/2 marathons for awhile to focus on mileage build and my upcoming marathon attempt in January 2012. I leave feeling accomplished and knowing when I come back next year I will be able to pick up and go for a sub 2!!!
Monday, March 21
A2A - 13.1 Miles in memory of David Tate
As a "spur" of the moment decision (I say spur because I decided a month ago) I decided to do another 1/2 marathon during the spring. My original plan was just to focus on mile build up and do one 1/2 marathon in May, but I was restless and really heard great things about this semi-local race so I decided to go for it. Even though the conditions weren't the best for the race, the race itself was super nice, the course was great, local support was wonderful, and there was a heavenly cinnamon roll (which I had been drooling over since mile 7) at the finish.
A few days before the race, my friends father passed away of cancer, so I only thought it fitting to run this race in memory of him since it was a race to benefit a cancer center. I can definitely say it was inspirational to draw on that throughout the race when I really started feeling beat up.
Pre-Race: I signed up to ride a bus down to the race through the local running group. We were scheduled to be picked up at 5:15 from a local running store. We were the second stop after the main stop 30 minutes north. At 5:15 we get a call they are running late, at 5:45 we get a call that they still hadn't left the city. At 6:00 they call and say they are finally on their way. The twelve of us at the second pick up start figuring if we will make it to the race on time and start worrying. Bus finally gets to us for pick up and we are on our way. We make it to the start line with 20 minutes to spare so we all throw on our race stuff, hit the porta potties and line up.
Start: It was a fairly small race - only 500 doing the half so the start line wasn't too crowded. They didn't have pace markers lined up so I errored on the side of caution and lined up about 3/4 of the way back. For the first quarter mile I had to pick through people but it wasn't too bad. The first mile was a major downhill. I held back some but allowed myself to run about 10 sec faster then pass since I knew the rest of the race would be a challenge with the predicted wind. First split was 9:26.
Miles 2-5: I got into a groove at this point. There was a slight down hill but it felt more like a flat course at this point. Somewhere around mile 3 we turn straight south and into the wind. At this point it was only around 16mph so it was strong but achievable. I kept track of my pace and made sure I stayed about 9:30, and when possible closer to 9:40. This worked well and I didn't have any problems. I passed a horse farm around 3.5 that was gorgeous and had horses running wild that came and greeted us. Made me smile for a while. Splits were 9:25, 9:37, 9:38, 9:30.
Miles 6-8: Water stops were hitting every mile around the half mile mark (they had amazing support for water, never went thirsty!) so I took my first gel around 5.5 miles and downed some water. At this point the race course starts and rolling hill section - ummmm wait no one said anything about rolling hills - it was all downhill till 9!!!! uggg, suck it up and started rolling. Winds weren't too bad still so I held my pace steady and ran. I could start to feel my legs some at this point, but my breathing was still steady and my compression socks were keeping my calves strong. Splits were 9:33, 9:31, 9:37
Mile 9: This was the uphill. And it was steep. Not that long, but it was steep - and of course the wind decided at that point to start gusting up to 30mph. So I was trying to hold it together as best I could without faltering. I slowed my pace just a bit to adjust and tried to draft when possible, but everyone was slowing down too much for me so I just kept passing people. I felt more tired after this mile, but I still felt like I could go on. Split 9:40
Mile 10-13: Now we had rolling hills, with an upward incline, plus massive wind. This was decision time - I either kept pushing using extra energy to battle the wind, or I called it a day with 9 miles at goal pace and take the rest home at an easier pace. Since this wasn't my goal race, and the weather just wasn't there that I would officially pull back and just ride out the storm. Took another gel at 10.5 and kept running. I mixed walking during the water stops, and some walking at the top of hills in the worst of the wind just to keep legs fresh. Splits were 10:02, 10:28, 10:27, 10:02 (it really pained me to see those times flash on the garmin, but I knew it was for the best).
Finish: Finally some relief. We turn and run with our sides and backs to the wind. I was able to pick up the pace some and started feeling better. My legs still had a lot of energy in them so I knew I had some extra miles in there I hadn't spent. The final 1/4 mile of the race was a lap around the high school track. I can do this. I took off running and finished with a 8:20 pace. Some of my friends from college were cheering me at the finish line so that was really cool. I finished in 2:08:06 which is actually a 30 second PR, so not too bad for throwing in the towel at mile 10. Crossed the line and felt great. Got my cinnamon roll and all was good again.
Post race: My hip is a little sore but the rest of me is just a typical sore. I think 2 days of rest (with a massage) will be plenty and I can get back on my training for my goal race. I really hope the weather cooperates for the May race so I can push it and get my goal (or better). I'm glad I did the race and will definitely be doing it again!
A few days before the race, my friends father passed away of cancer, so I only thought it fitting to run this race in memory of him since it was a race to benefit a cancer center. I can definitely say it was inspirational to draw on that throughout the race when I really started feeling beat up.
Pre-Race: I signed up to ride a bus down to the race through the local running group. We were scheduled to be picked up at 5:15 from a local running store. We were the second stop after the main stop 30 minutes north. At 5:15 we get a call they are running late, at 5:45 we get a call that they still hadn't left the city. At 6:00 they call and say they are finally on their way. The twelve of us at the second pick up start figuring if we will make it to the race on time and start worrying. Bus finally gets to us for pick up and we are on our way. We make it to the start line with 20 minutes to spare so we all throw on our race stuff, hit the porta potties and line up.
Start: It was a fairly small race - only 500 doing the half so the start line wasn't too crowded. They didn't have pace markers lined up so I errored on the side of caution and lined up about 3/4 of the way back. For the first quarter mile I had to pick through people but it wasn't too bad. The first mile was a major downhill. I held back some but allowed myself to run about 10 sec faster then pass since I knew the rest of the race would be a challenge with the predicted wind. First split was 9:26.
Miles 2-5: I got into a groove at this point. There was a slight down hill but it felt more like a flat course at this point. Somewhere around mile 3 we turn straight south and into the wind. At this point it was only around 16mph so it was strong but achievable. I kept track of my pace and made sure I stayed about 9:30, and when possible closer to 9:40. This worked well and I didn't have any problems. I passed a horse farm around 3.5 that was gorgeous and had horses running wild that came and greeted us. Made me smile for a while. Splits were 9:25, 9:37, 9:38, 9:30.
Miles 6-8: Water stops were hitting every mile around the half mile mark (they had amazing support for water, never went thirsty!) so I took my first gel around 5.5 miles and downed some water. At this point the race course starts and rolling hill section - ummmm wait no one said anything about rolling hills - it was all downhill till 9!!!! uggg, suck it up and started rolling. Winds weren't too bad still so I held my pace steady and ran. I could start to feel my legs some at this point, but my breathing was still steady and my compression socks were keeping my calves strong. Splits were 9:33, 9:31, 9:37
Mile 9: This was the uphill. And it was steep. Not that long, but it was steep - and of course the wind decided at that point to start gusting up to 30mph. So I was trying to hold it together as best I could without faltering. I slowed my pace just a bit to adjust and tried to draft when possible, but everyone was slowing down too much for me so I just kept passing people. I felt more tired after this mile, but I still felt like I could go on. Split 9:40
Mile 10-13: Now we had rolling hills, with an upward incline, plus massive wind. This was decision time - I either kept pushing using extra energy to battle the wind, or I called it a day with 9 miles at goal pace and take the rest home at an easier pace. Since this wasn't my goal race, and the weather just wasn't there that I would officially pull back and just ride out the storm. Took another gel at 10.5 and kept running. I mixed walking during the water stops, and some walking at the top of hills in the worst of the wind just to keep legs fresh. Splits were 10:02, 10:28, 10:27, 10:02 (it really pained me to see those times flash on the garmin, but I knew it was for the best).
Finish: Finally some relief. We turn and run with our sides and backs to the wind. I was able to pick up the pace some and started feeling better. My legs still had a lot of energy in them so I knew I had some extra miles in there I hadn't spent. The final 1/4 mile of the race was a lap around the high school track. I can do this. I took off running and finished with a 8:20 pace. Some of my friends from college were cheering me at the finish line so that was really cool. I finished in 2:08:06 which is actually a 30 second PR, so not too bad for throwing in the towel at mile 10. Crossed the line and felt great. Got my cinnamon roll and all was good again.
Post race: My hip is a little sore but the rest of me is just a typical sore. I think 2 days of rest (with a massage) will be plenty and I can get back on my training for my goal race. I really hope the weather cooperates for the May race so I can push it and get my goal (or better). I'm glad I did the race and will definitely be doing it again!
Monday, January 24
High End Tempo Runs
I'm back again - breaking down some more tempo runs. Took a break last week with the mid-zone because I had an unfortunate incident with a treadmill that left the run less then desirable, so I will hit that one on the second go around. This was week 3 of my 6 week base build 1. By far this was the best week so far that I've had. I felt very strong and had great runs - hopefully this will continue and I didn't either have a fluke or used up valuable reserves thinking I was running well.
My tempo run for week 3 was High-End run. This run is most like doing speed work - and the closest I will come to doing speed work for awhile. One of my goals/ needs was to get off the track and start building speed on the road - prepping for race situations. By doing High-End tempo runs consisting of mile repeats, my goal was to gain the speed on the road that I some how can't muster during a race. My original goal was to run the mile repeats at 9:10 pace - I didn't want to go out too fast...but just naturally my body took me to about a 9:00 min pace, so I stuck with it. While they were slightly difficult, it was still fairly easy, which is encouraging. As I build on this first week I would like to go from 3x1 mile repeats to 4x1 mile repeats and then jump up to some 2 mile repeats and really start pushing my endurance at an aerobic rate. Sticking with this plan through the summer, I would like to be at the point where I could possibly run 3x2 mile repeats at around a 9-9:10 pace.
The back end of this week was supposed to be a long slow run. Because I would be pressing hard mid week, I figured my body would be exhausted and would need the slow miles. Planned 12 miles at 10:25 pace. I headed out with the group and hit some high splits for the first two miles - around 9:35. I wasn't feeling any fatigue at this point but knew if I kept up the pace I would. I decided since I felt so good that I would just run by feel instead of forcing myself to slow down - I figured around 5 miles I would crash and sludge back at a 10:45 pace to even out. Well got to mile 5 and didn't feel any pain, it was like I had done 1 mile, and I was still holding an even 9:45 pace or so. Wow! Decided at that point, against my better interest to go for 12 and headed out for the extra mile on the out and back route. Got back to the water stop at 7 and still felt like gold. Headed back in and never really felt fatigue. Mile 11 my legs were getting a little sluggish after the hill, but I threw in some striders in mile 12 and came in at a 9:52 avg pace. Wow! that was supposed to be the pace the week before on my 10 miler and I couldn't hold that for anything. So I don't know if I blew it all, or if my legs are getting stronger from strength training and the extra running I'm doing.
I feel very encouraged after 3 weeks of the program and looking for great things in the next 3 to come!
My tempo run for week 3 was High-End run. This run is most like doing speed work - and the closest I will come to doing speed work for awhile. One of my goals/ needs was to get off the track and start building speed on the road - prepping for race situations. By doing High-End tempo runs consisting of mile repeats, my goal was to gain the speed on the road that I some how can't muster during a race. My original goal was to run the mile repeats at 9:10 pace - I didn't want to go out too fast...but just naturally my body took me to about a 9:00 min pace, so I stuck with it. While they were slightly difficult, it was still fairly easy, which is encouraging. As I build on this first week I would like to go from 3x1 mile repeats to 4x1 mile repeats and then jump up to some 2 mile repeats and really start pushing my endurance at an aerobic rate. Sticking with this plan through the summer, I would like to be at the point where I could possibly run 3x2 mile repeats at around a 9-9:10 pace.
The back end of this week was supposed to be a long slow run. Because I would be pressing hard mid week, I figured my body would be exhausted and would need the slow miles. Planned 12 miles at 10:25 pace. I headed out with the group and hit some high splits for the first two miles - around 9:35. I wasn't feeling any fatigue at this point but knew if I kept up the pace I would. I decided since I felt so good that I would just run by feel instead of forcing myself to slow down - I figured around 5 miles I would crash and sludge back at a 10:45 pace to even out. Well got to mile 5 and didn't feel any pain, it was like I had done 1 mile, and I was still holding an even 9:45 pace or so. Wow! Decided at that point, against my better interest to go for 12 and headed out for the extra mile on the out and back route. Got back to the water stop at 7 and still felt like gold. Headed back in and never really felt fatigue. Mile 11 my legs were getting a little sluggish after the hill, but I threw in some striders in mile 12 and came in at a 9:52 avg pace. Wow! that was supposed to be the pace the week before on my 10 miler and I couldn't hold that for anything. So I don't know if I blew it all, or if my legs are getting stronger from strength training and the extra running I'm doing.
I feel very encouraged after 3 weeks of the program and looking for great things in the next 3 to come!
Thursday, January 6
Low-end Tempo Run
Yesterday was my first tempo run in a 3 week cycle. In an effort to increase my endurance and stamina I am going off "track" and hitting the road for some real race training. Instead of intervals at the track I am focusing on tempo runs and road endurance. This was inspired by an article in Running Times the Full Spectrum of Lactate Threshold Training. The basic idea of the program is that doing three different styles of LT training will help to boost overall performance. I decided to do a 3 week cycle incorporating each cycle and keep repeating to building up my LT endurance.
So yesterday was week 1 - Low-end Tempo Run. This is a slower pace - closer to a marathon goal pace. This seemed so easy to me. I've never run races of this distance so I felt like I was crawling. This is the pace that I normally do my long runs, not a 45 minute tempo run. Yep - that is exactly what I thought. Well apparently all the breaks and slow downs I take in my long runs makes me soft because the 45 minutes was tough. I do need to blame the weather and my low calorie intake a bit for this, but by the end of the 45 minutes my legs were struggling. I was holding my pace about 10 seconds per mile faster then intended (9:50), but it was still a slower pace as I'm concerned for a tempo.
Over the weeks my goal will be to add to the distance of the pace. Even when I'm into my 1/2 training I want to keep this on my schedule to keep me going at a steady hard pace with no breaks. Every week I will add approximately 10 minutes to the previous week total. probably when I get to 65 minutes I will hold for a week and decrease pace some, not sure on that.
I'm interested to see how this will affect my ultimate training goal of the marathon next Winter, as I will need to be able to hold this pace for a good 4 hours, not the 2 hours I am use to on weekends. Only time will tell how effect this will be.
To round out my week I will pair this tempo run with a progressive long run. My goal is to train my body to run negative splits better on race day. My horrible habit of going out to fast has got to go. This week will be an 8 miler with pace ranging from 10:30 for the first two miles to 9:30 by the end. The slower tempo run mid week should keep my legs fresh enough to hit this easily.
So yesterday was week 1 - Low-end Tempo Run. This is a slower pace - closer to a marathon goal pace. This seemed so easy to me. I've never run races of this distance so I felt like I was crawling. This is the pace that I normally do my long runs, not a 45 minute tempo run. Yep - that is exactly what I thought. Well apparently all the breaks and slow downs I take in my long runs makes me soft because the 45 minutes was tough. I do need to blame the weather and my low calorie intake a bit for this, but by the end of the 45 minutes my legs were struggling. I was holding my pace about 10 seconds per mile faster then intended (9:50), but it was still a slower pace as I'm concerned for a tempo.
Over the weeks my goal will be to add to the distance of the pace. Even when I'm into my 1/2 training I want to keep this on my schedule to keep me going at a steady hard pace with no breaks. Every week I will add approximately 10 minutes to the previous week total. probably when I get to 65 minutes I will hold for a week and decrease pace some, not sure on that.
I'm interested to see how this will affect my ultimate training goal of the marathon next Winter, as I will need to be able to hold this pace for a good 4 hours, not the 2 hours I am use to on weekends. Only time will tell how effect this will be.
To round out my week I will pair this tempo run with a progressive long run. My goal is to train my body to run negative splits better on race day. My horrible habit of going out to fast has got to go. This week will be an 8 miler with pace ranging from 10:30 for the first two miles to 9:30 by the end. The slower tempo run mid week should keep my legs fresh enough to hit this easily.
Monday, January 3
A new year, A new plan
2011 is here and it is time for those pesky New Years Resolutions. I'm just as bad as everyone in making promises I can't keep so this year instead of swaying from my normal everyday patterns I'm going to adapt what I currently do to make myself better. I'll spare you the details on personal life resolutions and stick to the running and health focused ones.
1. I'm tired of bonking in a race. Getting to mile 6 at my goal pace and feeling great then getting to mile 8 and falling apart. After my last 1/2 marathon I sat back and criticed my training schedules in the past and where I tend to fall apart in a race. I'm beginning to notice a trend that it is not the speed that I need to work on in my training. When I run a shorter race at the equal goal pace to my half training plan I have no problems. It is the endurance and stamina that I seem to have issues with. I have the speed in my body to run a 2:05, I proved that at my last 10K, what I need is the ability to not wear down at mile 8. I can run around the track for 800m just fine, but when I transfer that speed to the road I just can't sustain it. This year I am going to focus on base building and training plans that allow me to build my endurance. Each week will be a tempo run at various speeds and distances (Low end is a slower pace for longer duration, mid zone is a 1/2 goal pace for mid range distance, and high end is more like a long track workout with 10K pace for mile repeats) as well as a run on a hilly area in the city or the treadmill. My long runs each week will vary between a shorter progressive run to a long slow run. Hopefully all these together will give me a good base to build my endurance for the length of the race. Not sure what my race training plan will be yet, but it will follow in the same form with no track!
2. I plan on running a marathon a year from now. My goal with the above is to give myself a great base to build off when training time comes. I don't want to compete in the marathon, but at the same time I don't want to be miserable and finish in a painful amount of time. I would like to be able to cross before 4:30 - but that will require me to be strong going into training and not building my mileage during training.
3. A few years ago I made the effort to lose a lot of weight. I love about 35 pounds over a 4 month period. I have been successful in staying at the same weight since that time (mid 140s) but I'm ready to make another push and get into the 130s and stay there. I've gotten close but have never been able to break through. This year I am going to get back to the healthy eating life, not the eat healthy some of the week and break down on the weekends. Everything I put in my mouth is a conscious decision - striving to eat more veggies, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins; making sure I stay away from unhealthy and calorie lading desserts and meals that don't benefit me in the long run. There will be no food restrictions - no can't eat chocolate, can't drink coke, can't have fries - but if I eat them I want to be completely aware of what I'm doing and how it affects me.
4. Finally I want to hold true to these resolutions the whole year. I guess this is why I'm writing them out like this - so I can go back once a month and read what I am striving to do, when I start to forget and go back to my old ways I can catch myself and regroup. Next December when I have the desire to throw it all away and pig out between Christmas and New Years I will have a new perspective to think about and will go for the veggie sticks instead of the chicken wings.
So there it is, there is my goals not just for this year but to make as a part of my life so that I can focus on something different next year and not on repeating the ideas of the year before. I'm sure I will be back to reflect on how things are going (and hopefully with some great race reports).
1. I'm tired of bonking in a race. Getting to mile 6 at my goal pace and feeling great then getting to mile 8 and falling apart. After my last 1/2 marathon I sat back and criticed my training schedules in the past and where I tend to fall apart in a race. I'm beginning to notice a trend that it is not the speed that I need to work on in my training. When I run a shorter race at the equal goal pace to my half training plan I have no problems. It is the endurance and stamina that I seem to have issues with. I have the speed in my body to run a 2:05, I proved that at my last 10K, what I need is the ability to not wear down at mile 8. I can run around the track for 800m just fine, but when I transfer that speed to the road I just can't sustain it. This year I am going to focus on base building and training plans that allow me to build my endurance. Each week will be a tempo run at various speeds and distances (Low end is a slower pace for longer duration, mid zone is a 1/2 goal pace for mid range distance, and high end is more like a long track workout with 10K pace for mile repeats) as well as a run on a hilly area in the city or the treadmill. My long runs each week will vary between a shorter progressive run to a long slow run. Hopefully all these together will give me a good base to build my endurance for the length of the race. Not sure what my race training plan will be yet, but it will follow in the same form with no track!
2. I plan on running a marathon a year from now. My goal with the above is to give myself a great base to build off when training time comes. I don't want to compete in the marathon, but at the same time I don't want to be miserable and finish in a painful amount of time. I would like to be able to cross before 4:30 - but that will require me to be strong going into training and not building my mileage during training.
3. A few years ago I made the effort to lose a lot of weight. I love about 35 pounds over a 4 month period. I have been successful in staying at the same weight since that time (mid 140s) but I'm ready to make another push and get into the 130s and stay there. I've gotten close but have never been able to break through. This year I am going to get back to the healthy eating life, not the eat healthy some of the week and break down on the weekends. Everything I put in my mouth is a conscious decision - striving to eat more veggies, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins; making sure I stay away from unhealthy and calorie lading desserts and meals that don't benefit me in the long run. There will be no food restrictions - no can't eat chocolate, can't drink coke, can't have fries - but if I eat them I want to be completely aware of what I'm doing and how it affects me.
4. Finally I want to hold true to these resolutions the whole year. I guess this is why I'm writing them out like this - so I can go back once a month and read what I am striving to do, when I start to forget and go back to my old ways I can catch myself and regroup. Next December when I have the desire to throw it all away and pig out between Christmas and New Years I will have a new perspective to think about and will go for the veggie sticks instead of the chicken wings.
So there it is, there is my goals not just for this year but to make as a part of my life so that I can focus on something different next year and not on repeating the ideas of the year before. I'm sure I will be back to reflect on how things are going (and hopefully with some great race reports).
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