Returning to the Run

Today was a beautiful fall day for western PA. Temperatures in the 60's, light breeze, sunshine, and no rain. All day as I slaved away at work, having a terrible day, I felt wound tight and ready to have a fit. I made a big mistake. I cut my hand. I couldn't get a simple project right. And my boss was overdue on getting my annual review (and therefore raise) done. I finally nagged him into doing the review and he gave me a score much lower than I thought I deserved.

I got into my car feeling defeated by life. I'm working at a job that demands more of my time and attention than my children and gives almost nothing back. The relationship that was supposed to last the rest of my life is over and I've come to the realization that dating in this stage of my life is going to be a lot less fun than when I was in my early 20's. I miss my dog and my fish and my 'stuff'. And I feel flabby and out of shape. As I drove and fretted I glanced at the temperature readout on my dash. It said 68*F. I couldn't believe it so I pulled out my phone and checked the weather app (at a red light people!) and it agreed with my Jeep. I decided that a run might be just what I needed.

Now I was feeling scared. It's been weeks since I ran for real. The Boston Harvest was my last race and probably my last real run. I did 1.5 miles on the treadmill one night but then work got in the way again. Would I be able to run? Would it actually help or just make me feel like a failure in yet another way? What if it really sucked and turned me off to my therapy of choice in this time of need?

I got home and no one was here. My mom had taken Gem to the grocery store and her husband was out and about. I took it as a sign that the run was meant to happen and threw on my INKnBURN denim shorts and steampunk shirt along with my humping bunny socks and Altra Torins. My Garmin thankfully still had a charge after weeks of neglect so I hopped in my Jeep and headed to Northmoreland Park.

 

I have never run at this particular park. My mom told me there was a 1 mile paved loop. It turned out it's actually pavers, as in brick and stone laid into a long winding path around a lake. I wasn't too thrilled about the surface but I was there and ready to go. I jumped out of my car and was struck by the fall foliage reflected on the glassy surface of the water, the sunshine beaming down on the families playing in the grass, and the lure of the other runners out on the path. I started my watch and tried to stay slow but not necessarily easy.

 

 

 

As I rounded the first bend I encountered a small bridge. The view from the bridge looked out over the lake to a boathouse. Geese were grazing on the bank and people were fishing. Walkers, runners, cyclists, and dogs were all out enjoying the day. The air whooshed in and out of my lungs and the tempo of rubber on pavement seemed in time to the nature around me. For the first time in a month I began to relax.

 

 



 

The next bend brought me into a small stand of woods. A family sat on a bench, a squirrel skittered through the leaves, and the shadows of the boughs brought a chill. I still felt good and it seemed like my legs and lungs were loosening up. I began to remember why I do this crazy sport in the first place.

 

I continued around the boat house and back to where I started. In the second loop I really began to feel the return of the rhythm that comes when you find the zone. Music played softly in my ears but I was barely listening. All the thoughts that have been angrily buzzing around my brain began to sting a little less. I found a little piece of myself that has been missing.

 

On the third loop my chest began to burn. I knew that I was pushing myself based on the paces I would see when I cared enough to look at my Garmin. For the most part I ran by feel and the tempo was steady. Mile 1: 9:57, mile 2: 10:10, and mile 3: 10:06. I reached my car at 3.2 miles in 32:05 and I was quite pleased with that.

 

 

 

The temptation to continue was strong but I know I need to be smart about coming back. I'm hoping to build back up over November and be able to run some strong races in December to finish out the year. And now I remember why I need to run. Every little detail of my life is still the same. Nothing has changed or will change the path I'm on but somehow it just looks a little brighter with a few extra miles on my legs.

Race To The Moon

Saturday night Shane and I ran the Race to Moon in Apollo, PA. Get it Apollo? Moon race? Hahahaha. Yeah, I must be too young. Shane had to explain it to me.

The race didn't have an exact start time, just listed it as 'dark'. So we drove out after dinner since sunset was listed as 8:30-ish. We arrived a little after 7PM and parked and then went to check in. Only we weren't on the list. Turns out Shane registered us so early (and by paper form instead of online) that the race director forgot about us. Thankfully he found our forms tucked away somewhere in his car and we were able to get our bibs and goody bags.

I think the shirts were okay and the glow-in-the-dark mug is pretty darn awesome. We were also given glow necklaces to wear during the race for visibility. Shane and I both wore Black Diamond Spot headlamps since there was barely any moon.

Since we had arrived so early we hung out by the Kiski River and then did a little warm up jog along the course. In the fading light there were already hundreds of lumineries lighting the rail trail path for the entire race. I had been hoping for a 3 mile warm up but I was afraid we'd miss the start so we settled for one. Turns out we had plenty of time and it was pretty much a wasted warm up mile.

Shane gives me this look often.

 

We got to meet up with some of the Latrobe Area Pacer Society (LAPS) members that we 'know' online but hadn't actually met yet. A couple people also recognized our shirts and introduced themselves so it was a really nice evening regardless of the wait to start.

 

LAPS group. Excuse my paler than the moon stomach

 

Finally we lined up around 9PM. The race director said he wanted to wait for it to get just a little bit darker but everyone was ready to go so we just stood at the line and chatted. There was a 5k and a 5 mile race both running together so I had no idea who my competition was. I figured I would run comfortably to the 5k turn around and then see who was still ahead of me. Of course, easy never happens for me on race day.

 

The gun went off and people were flying by me left and right. I looked at my Garmin and saw 6:59 pace so I pulled back despite the sprint happening all around me. By a half mile people were settling in and I was able to start passing back most of the runners who had taken off so furiously at the start. I was hoping for an 8:30 pace but my body didn't want to settle in there. I was either close to 8:00 or close to 9:00 and I couldn't get in the middle. First mile: 8:17

 

In the second mile I finally began to feel the pace and zone out. As I approached the 5k turn around I was right behind another woman but she made the turn. I shouted good luck and then looked ahead to see who I could catch. About 100 feet ahead were a man and woman so I focused on reeling them in. Mile 2: 8:33

 

As I approached the 5 mile turn around I counted people while looking for Shane. I counted 7 men and then Shane. I only saw the same woman ahead of me that I had been trying to catch so far. I couldn't believe I was in second! I told Shane he was in 8th and we missed our high five. Then I set my sights on the man between me and the first woman. I caught him right as mile 3 beeped in at 8:33.

 

I asked if I could hang on him for a bit and he said he didn't mind but he was fading. I could see the glow of the light stick on the woman ahead of me and estimated her to be 45 - 60 seconds ahead of me. I began to put the hammer down but I knew I wouldn't catch her unless she faded. Mile 4: 8:19

 

Somewhere in the final mile I lost the man I had been running with. I began to pass the 5k walkers and back-of-the-packers. One guy was running hard and then walking and then repeating. As I passed I yelled "Let's go, only a half mile!" He hung with me for a bit but dropped off again quickly. I continued to push. My legs had no more to give and I knew my pace was slipping despite the effort. My ragged breathing and aching chest were really starting to hurt but I couldn't let the women behind me catch up. Finally the finish line was in sight and my Garmin beeped in 5 miles. I hit stop and handed over my bib tag. Mile 5: 8:26

 

I found Shane and he told me he had finished 8th in 39:56. My official time was 42:13. I was 11th overall and second woman!

 

Getting my award.

 

In the end, I'm really happy with my performance and my results. Even though I was suffering I maintained a pretty even pace. I didn't let the early sprint get the better of me and ruin my race. And I gave every last bit of energy I had to chase down the woman ahead of me. She ended up beating me by 1:01 which means I really didn't let her gain anymore ground after I set my sights on her. I'm also pretty sure this is a 5 mile PR for me and now I feel really confident about my night running capabilities at Burning River in less than 2 weeks!

 

Shane and his medal

 

trophy

 

 

Back To Back Halves

Part 1: Fox Township
This weekend I was feeling frisky. Well, actually I was feeling fed up, anxious, and antsy thanks to a bout of shin pain that cut my weekly mileage short. Shane and I were already signed up for the Fox Township Bicentennial Half Marathon on Saturday so I just hoped I would survive without too much pain.

We woke up at 2:30 am on Saturday morning (no, that's not a typo) and left at 3:30 am to make the 3 hour drive to Elk County, passing such wonderful towns as Weedville and Lickingville. We made it just after 6:30 and picked up our packets and shirts. Our goody bags contained 3 Gatorades and 3 Gu flavors. Can't beat that for a $20 race!

Around 7:30 we were all herded onto school buses and taken to the start line (point to point course). Rumor has it that some people misunderstood and showed up at 8 for buses that were already gone!

 

During the 20-ish minute drive to the starting line Shane and I noticed that we were doing an awful lot of up and down. There is no elevation chart on the site and I don't feel like trying to find USGS data so you'll have to take my Garmin's word for it. However, the hills at the end felt much bigger than they look here!

 

 

We were dropped off in Big Springs on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and shortly after we lined up at a spray painted line and a guy yelled 'Go'! My shins were already giving me grief from step one and I was starting to worry that I'd made the wrong decision in running the half. I tried to hold my pace down as people took off ahead of me. There were overweight men, old ladies, and young kids just leaving me in their dust and I wanted to cry.

 

The first couple miles I wanted to just quit but I was in the middle of the mountains and forest and I hated to miss another day of training with Burning River approaching so rapidly. My shin pain started to fade, however, which brightened my outlook considerably as I approached the turn around (we started on a side road, turned left onto the main road for a couple miles, and then turned around and ran up the main road for the rest of the race).

 

Miles 1-4: 9:49, 10:27, 11:17, 10:19

 

 

Around mile 5 I started to feel good and began to pick up the pace. I caught a couple stragglers and set my sights on the next few women in front of me. I would reel them in and then run next to them for awhile until I felt ready to go after the next one.

 

Miles 5-7: 9:41, 8:55, 8:29

 

Around mile 8 the woman I was running near suddenly stopped and told the man she was running with that she felt like she couldn't breathe. The heat was pretty oppressive by that point and she was wearing all black. I instantly lost all competitive spirit and stopped to walk with her and offered her my handheld. Thankfully it seemed to revive her and as we approached the mile 8 water stop she started to run again. We ended up running most of the next 4 miles together and she even took a picture of me while we were walking up a hill.

 

 

Miles 8-12: 10:59, 8:59, 12:41, 10:35

 

As we neared the finish line we left the countryside and began to run along residential lots. The houses all had a lot of acreage but the trees had been cleared meaning there was very little shade. The last 5k was tough with lots of rolling hills and temperatures nearing 90*F or more. Some nice folks set up beer stops in the last couple miles. I gladly drained my cup at both stops.

 

 

As I reached mile 12 I realized I wasn't doing too badly despite the heat and decided to see if I could get 2:10. I was trying to pace it just right and as I approached the last turn a woman told me I was less than half a mile from the finish. I must have lost GPS signal in the trees because I had figured I had about half or three quarters left. I kicked into gear and cruised into the finish, catching one more woman before I crossed the line. Official time: 2:11:32

 

Mile 13: 8:47

 

 

 

I ended up 54th overall and 2nd in my age group. We also won two door prizes, a bunch of Gatorade and a hat. Overall, I'm thrilled with my performance. The last time I ran a half this hilly I was almost 20 minutes slower and it about killed me. This time I could have kept going and kind of wanted to. Which lead me to Sunday.....

 

Part 2: Peace, Love, Run

I knew I wanted to do a long run Sunday and I preferred to do it with people rather than by myself. I've really had enough of running by myself at this point. So I set my alarm for 5:30am knowing there were two group runs or a half marathon within an hour drive. I surprised myself when my alarm went off and I rolled right out of bed.

 

I chickened out of the group runs knowing that I might not be able to keep up on dead legs and I didn't want to be lost in Pittsburgh. I decided to go for the Peace Love Run Half Marathon (advertised as 13.22 miles?) thinking I could run some trails or another loop of the lake after I finished. My aunt and uncle were both volunteering at the race so that added incentive too. I hustled out the door with only coffee in my hand and inwardly groaned when I noticed it was already 70*F at 6am.

 

I made it to North Park with little time to spare and ended up parking a little over a quarter mile from the registration table. I jogged in and registered quickly and then checked my race bag and shirt since I was out of time. Thankfully my aunt was working the bag check so that saved me time! I then lined up for the port-a-johns and made it out just as the mass migration to the starting line began.

 

I lined up farther back than I normally would and missed the fact that there were no starting mats, despite chip timing and a large number of entrants, so my Garmin splits are probably way off. As I started I wanted to see how close I could get to yesterday's time. I could feel the heat picking up by the minute and I worried how bad it would get on a course with much less shade than yesterday's half.

 

Miles 1-4: 9:38, 10:13, 9:44, 10:03

 

It didn't take me long to decide to back off the pace and just enjoy the run. I was running beside another woman and we were chatting about the heat and our recent races when I heard footsteps behind us. A cheery woman asked if we minded if she joined us and we assured her we didn't. She told me this was her first race (not first half, first RACE) and she'd started running in January. She had also lost an awesome amount of weight in that time. I instantly liked her so we stuck together.

 

Miles 5-8: 10:28, 10:11, 11:44, 11:40

 

Around mile 7 it was pretty obvious my new friend was hurting. She began to take more walk breaks and linger longer at water stops. She kept encouraging me to leave her but I really didn't care about time. I was more excited to see her first finish. It brought back so many memories of my first half marathon and I remembered clearly all the pain and doubt of those final miles. I encouraged her and tried to be patient without letting her go slower than necessary (I hope I wasn't too pushy).

 

Miles 9-12: 12:54, 12:02, 14:19, 13:15

 

Once we were less than a mile from the end I started to push her a little harder. I told her everyone on the course was hurting (I was hurting) and the best way to end the torture was to get to the finish line. I pushed the pace on our running sections and tried to walk a little faster when she needed a break. Even though it was obvious she was really suffering she took it like a champ and ran the last quarter mile non-stop.

 

Mile 13: 11:53

Last .22 (0.34 by Garmin): 9:45 pace

 

I crossed the line in 2:31:38 and she finished 2 seconds behind me. We collected medals and ice cold water bottles and then I gave her a high five. She really earned her medal and I had a blast helping (I hope) her do it!

 

 

My official finish results are 157/181 overall and 26/35 age group. It may be my slowest half time yet but I wouldn't trade it for anything! It was way more fun than any other half I've run so far.

 

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday

Well, I actually have a word for what I found in my mailbox today....

 

Something along the lines of YEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

 

I also have a word for what I almost ran over on my first run in my new 'The One' shoes too...

 

 

But it's not really appropriate for here.

Alpha Fitness 5k

After the Laurel Highlands Ultra relay yesterday (where I ran 24.5 miles of brutal, technical trail) my plan was to rest, nap, hydrate, eat, and pretty much do nothing today. I had gotten home somewhere around 1am and by the time I showered and crawled into bed it was nearly 2. I woke up to Shane getting ready for a local 5k at around 6:30 and rolled right back over. About an hour later my phone wouldn't stop ringing and I finally gave in and answered.

Shane begged me to come down to the Alpha Fitness Highway to Healthy 5k. There were only 20-some people there and he thought I could win. I told him he was nuts since I already had major mileage on my legs from the All Stars Week mileage game. I was just ready to go back to bed when the little voice in the back of my mind said, "Three more miles could only help your miles game team. You don't have to race."

So I threw on some clothes and my trusty Altra Torins. I didn't have time to do anything with my hair so I added a hat as well. No phone, keys, water, or anything besides my cup of coffee. I walked out the door and jogged down to the path. I found Shane and we got me registered. I drank my coffee and fretted about the burning scrapes on my leg from yesterday's relay tumble and the aches I've already accumulated this week.

The race started a few minutes late and I lined up right up front. So much for not racing huh? I know from past experience that sometimes just showing up is enough to win in a small race. So I went for it. The horn sounded and I took off with the front pack. There were two men and a woman just in front of me. The men were pulling away but the woman was running my pace. I pulled up shoulder to shoulder with her and just hoped to hang on.

Mile 1: 7:50

As we approached the turn around I could feel the fatigue of all the heavy mileage settling in. It didn't seem to matter how hard I pushed or how fast I turned over my legs. There was just no power left in my toe off and my pace began to slip. I high-fived my husband, who was leading, and then turned back toward the start. I saw the third woman was about a minute behind me and that gave me enough of a rush to keep moving despite slowly losing the lead woman.

Mile 2: 8:30

In the third mile I would have walked if our friend, Jennifer, hadn't been in third place and gaining on me. I kept glancing over my shoulder and she would be a little closer every time. The jolt of adrenaline would improve my pace for a moment and then my body would begin to shut down again. I told myself I just had to hang on for second place. I would never forgive myself if I let Jennifer catch me now.

Mile 3: 8:50

I saw the finish line ahead and I took one more glance over my shoulder. Jennifer was only 20 or so seconds back now so I pushed as best as I could. That ended up being 8:30 pace for the last .13 miles but it was just enough. Jennifer finished 8 seconds behind me.

Final time: 26:21

5th overall, 2nd woman, 1st in the 20-29 age group. I also won a gift card for a manicure and pedicure in the chinese auction. They only give awards for the 1st overalls and the first in each age group so I got a smaller trophy for my age group win. Shane won overall and got a huge trophy!

Just goes to show it's all about who shows up!

Our friends

(Shane and Emory in the back. Me, Jennifer, Lukas, Melanie, and Carina in the front.)

Got trophy?

Swag

Hotter Than Hades

My plans for the Cleveland Marathon were vague at best. My friend and teammate, Lara, had invited me to room with her if I signed up. I never turn down a cheap marathon so I registered that very day with the blessing from my coach so long as I ran it as a training run.

The weeks leading up to the marathon were hectic. My job usually slows down during the summer but this year there's been no breaks. On top of that the weather has been swinging wildly, from snow and overnight freezes to baking 90* days with high humidity. Between work and the weird weather I didn't run much at all before the marathon. If I was smart I probably would have stayed home but I doubt there's much question at this point on my subjective intelligence where running is concerned.

On Saturday, I drove out to Cleveland and arrived at the expo right around 2:30PM. I knew Lara was arriving around the same time so I texted her. The reply came quickly and it happened that she was outside the expo with some other friends of ours, Bob and Jenny. I found them and we all chatted a bit before Lara and I headed back to our hotel room.

Saturday night was relaxing. Lara and I chatted, went to dinner at the Denny's next door, and then read quietly until lights out. I slept well after about an hour of tossing and turning and woke up ready to run. I had some small hope that I might accidentally PR because of the training effect of North Coast 24 Hour and my week of complete rest. The forecast called for 74* and slightly overcast so I wasn't too worried about the weather either.

I dressed in my INKnBURN denim shorts, my Altra singlet, and Altra Zero Drop Torins. I threw on an old long sleeve race shirt as a throw-away. We walked out to my Jeep and found that the temperature was already warm. By the time we drove into town, found breakfast, and parked I was no longer in need of long sleeve. I left it in my car and we walked to the starting line.

The Cleveland Marathon starts at the stadium which is great because there are a million INDOOR bathrooms which all have running water and no lines. There's also plenty of seating and places to plop down and rest, stretch, and wait. I wandered out to the starting line about 15 minutes before start time and lined up with the 10:07 per mile pace group. There was a father with a young son, probably about 9-10 years old, right next to me running the half. It raised my spirits a bit to see them chatting casually about pace and fueling. I wish more kids were into running!

Right before the starting horn there were some fireworks. I don't know who thought that was a good idea after the Boston bombings. A lot of runners jumped and a few let out shrieks. Once we realized it was just fireworks everyone calmed down in time for the national anthem but I'm sure it really messed up the concentration of some of the runners. The least they could have done was warn us!

The horn sounded and we were off. I popped in my headphones immediately. I just didn't feel like socializing. The first mile or two I was forced to walk or slow down often as I ran into walls of people who must have lined up too close to the front. I didn't mind too much as I wanted to go out slow and speed up later. I did end up adding about a quarter mile in this first section from swerving around people, however.

After 5-6 miles I realized I just wasn't hitting my paces and began to give up on a PR. I figured I could probably get in the 4:40's anyway so I kept pushing forward. And then the clouds parted and the sun shone down and the pavement began to take on the shimmering effects of a mirage....

By the half I was overly hot, had almost completely emptied my handheld water bottle, and just didn't care about time anymore despite being on track for a 4:40 or better. I walked a water stop to refill my handheld and drink a few cups of Powerade and cool water. I took a couple Shot Bloks (margarita flavor, YUM!) and wondered how Lara was making out somewhere way ahead of me.

At mile 15 or so I ran into a moving party celebrating Jim Tucker's 100th marathon. I decided travelling with them trumped continuing on my own so I jumped in and introduced myself. I met George and Robin who own Front Runner in Columbus, OH and a slew of other runners who were 'crewing' Jim by carrying signs, balloons, and gels. We kept running until around mile 16 and then we slowed to a fast walk. I didn't mind as I was enjoying the stories and lessons to be learned from such an experienced group.

As we walked I watched ambulances fly up and down the course loading heat exhausted runners into their doors and rushing off to the med tent or hospital. A woman joined us around mile 20 and she walked with us for quite some time. Around mile 24 she suddenly wobbled and looked quite ill. I quickly offered her my remaining water but it wasn't enough. Jim's amazing crew escorted her to a bus shelter on the side of the road and then ran ahead to the water stop to get help and water/Powerade. They then stayed with her until help arrived before running to catch up to Jim again. What an amazing group Jim's crew is!

As we neared the finish I didn't want to end up in Jim's pictures. It didn't seem right to have him look back at his 100th marathon finish photos and wonder who the random chick in jean shorts was so I sprinted ahead. I finished in 5:49:48, a personal worst, and about 30 seconds ahead of Jim. I got to hear the announcer cheer Jim in and tell the crowd about his accomplishment. Then I rushed forward to hug Jim and all of his crew. I enjoyed meeting them all so much and they really saved what could have been an awful day for me. I never thought I would have so much fun running my slowest marathon ever.

After I crossed the line I found Lara at the bag check and then we began the long walk back to our parking garage. We happened upon the woman who had dropped from Jim's group at mile 24 and I found out she had finished after taking some time to recover on the side of the road! We hugged and she thanked me for helping her when she needed it. I felt really good about her finish because I had been distraught at the thought of her being forced to drop at 24 miles. I'm so glad she pushed through and finished without any lasting effects.

As for Lara and I, we went back to the hotel where I quickly packed and left for home. I was saddened that we couldn't spend more time together but I had finished so late that it would already be dinner time before I could get home and I had to work first thing Monday morning. We hugged goodbye and I made an uneventful trip home.

Minus some sunburn and a sore left hip I had no ill effects from my 7th marathon. As disappointing as my time was, I still had a great day and made a lot of new friends. I am also grateful that I didn't end up in the med tent. The news reported that over 200 people were treated for heat related illness on site and over 20 more were taken to the hospital. Conditions being what they were I'm just glad I finished upright and healthy.

And sorry for the lack of pictures but I really can't justify buying my race photos for a personal worst time where I walked most of the last half and looked like a broiled lobster to boot! ;)

Run Like Bigfoot is Chasing You!

This weekend Shane and I ran the Bigfoot Half Marathon in Kittaning, PA. It's a small race and very low key. The price is good thanks to cotton race shirts and no finisher medals. I had a small hope that I might be able to take an age group award at such a small event.

Race morning I woke up about 10 minutes before we needed to leave. I decided to roll over and go back to sleep but Shane dragged me out of bed. I threw on some clothes, took breakfast into the car with me, and somehow managed to get us to the YMCA in one piece and with a little time to spare. We checked in and I hit the rest rooms and then we lined up to start. The 5k and the half marathon started together but there was roughly 125 runners total so it really didn't matter.

Here's a pic from last weekend's Just A Short Run 30k

I lined up about 1/3 of the way back from the starting line to allow the faster 5k runners some space. I probably should have moved up a little because I was dodging people from the gun until the first mile marker. I had planned to hold back and make this just another long run but I started to feel competitive as I looked up the trail and saw very few ponytails. I also could see another runner that I beat by just a bit last week and I couldn't help wanting to beat him again.

I ran with another woman for the first 4-5 miles. We were putting out a good pace, right around 9:10-9:20 per mile. I couldn't help worrying that she would surge and I would lose her though. So I made the first move, left her, and caught my rabbit. I passed him just before the turn around and then gapped him by maybe 1-2 minutes. Counting women on the way to the turn around I was in 11th place but I could tell the 10th place woman was fading quickly. Top 10 sounded like a good way to start my day.

This is Shane's bib, shirt, and medal but I'm too lazy to take my own pic.

As I approached mile 8 I started to feel the effects of all the miles and racing I've been doing. My will and my legs were fading but I was slowly closing the gap on the 10th woman. Just as I caught her the woman I'd been running with at the beginning blew by us. She had to be doing sub-9 minute miles. I passed the now-11th woman and increased my pace again but I couldn't catch the new number 10.

I started to drag again as I approached the 10 mile mark and the woman increased her lead. At this point my rabbit popped up right behind my shoulder and scared the heck out of me! I hadn't expected him to catch me but I was ready for some company. We stuck together through the last 4-ish miles and put the hammer down, laying down a 9:05 pace for the rest of the way.

I kept trying to catch the woman ahead of me but she kept her pace steady and maintained her lead through the finish. I managed to surge at the end and beat my rabbit by 7 seconds which was somewhat satisfying although I wouldn't have held that pace without him so it kind of evens out. 

Shane got a pic of me crossing the line

My official time was 2:02:14. So freaking close to sub-2! If only I hadn't slowed down from 8-10! I was 31/44 overall and 3/8 in my age group so I achieved my dream of getting a medal. Shane was 13th overall and 2nd in his age group so it was a good day for both of us. I celebrated by doing 7.5 more miles after lunch to make it 20.6 for the day and then doing 15 more today. I'd say a 62 mile week is a good way to celebrate my first AG award in a half marathon! ;)

Just a Short Run

Ever since Shamrock Marathon I've been trying to figure out what went wrong and find my mojo again. I think I've come to the conclusion that it was just a bad day on a course that didn't suit my strengths and there was really nothing I could have done to change it. Thankfully redemption was only two weeks away.

I wasn't planning on doing Just A Short Run but my friend, John, told me he wanted to run with me. Since we had such a blast at Spring Thaw I decided to go ahead. It helped that my coach assigned me 20-25 miles for this weekend and I didn't want to run it alone.

And since I don't have pics from JASR yet, I'll include the halfway decent ones from Shamrock that MarathonFoto FINALLY got uploaded....

Altra Floater

 

Just A Short Run is held every spring and has several distances: 5k, 8 mile, half marathon, and 30k. I chose to do the 30k since it would allow me to get the closest to my prescribed long run for the week. John and several of our other friends were also in it for the long haul so at least I wouldn't be lonely.

 

The race started at 8:30am and I *just* squeezed onto the last shuttle bus from the parking lot to the boathouse in the knick of time. I grabbed my bib, stuffed my swag bag into my drop bag, and headed over to the starting line. I left my drop bag in a planter and lined up with John, his wife, our friend Mike, and 400 or so other runners for the 30k.

 

While Shamrock was still fun

 

We started right on time and John and I ran together from the start. I quickly realized we were going faster than our planned 10 minutes/mile pace but it felt good and I just didn't care to slow down. The race starts with a mostly uphill 5k+ loop which we completed in 35:16 (this doesn't seem right to me but I think it's gun time, not chip time). After that we went out for three 5 mile loops around the lake.

 

John and I chatted and joked as usual. I felt pretty good and John said he felt surprisingly good considering he'd taken a pretty good tumble on his mountain bike last weekend. So we continued with our faster-than-planned pacing. First 5 mile loop in 49:45.

 

Done!

 

Our second 5 mile loop I could feel the residual fatigue from Shamrock and trying to amp my training back up. I decided to finish off this loop with John and then drop back. It worked out just fine with my second loop clocking in at 47:49.

 

The final loop I dropped down my pace and walked for about 5-6 minutes right off the bat. I took an extra GU, drank some extra water, picked up a Gatorade at the aid station, and got my iPod going. I lost a lot of time walking for so long but my legs felt practically normal again when I started running again. I walked most of the uphills on this loop but still made pretty good time. Final loop completed in 55:39 for a total time of 3:07:46.

 

I wore my new Altra tank for JASR

 

I crossed the finish line with plenty of gas left in the tank and felt ready to go out for my solo miles. I grabbed my medal and some Gatorade, caught up with John and our other friends, and then headed out to make it 20+ miles for the day.

 

JASR swag

 

I ran about 1/4 of the way around the lake from the boathouse to the traffic signal and then up the hill to the pool where my car was parked. From there I did two laps around the pool which were about 3/4 of a mile each. I didn't push the pace at all. I stayed comfortable (aside from the fact that I had a giant medal crammed in my sports bra). and ended up with 22 miles in 3:49. I could have continued on to 25 no problem. In the end I was just bored and I wanted to go home and spend time with the kids so I figured 22 was good enough.

 

 

Happy Easter from Team Brunazzi!