This morning I met some people from the running club at 7am for a run. More specifically, I was running with my buddy Joanne. We did six miles. I wore the Saucony Omnis for the first time and they felt good. I will say that I was somewhat aware of my inner ankles (the problem area) after the run, but it didn't hurt and it feels much better than after I did the 7 mile run two weeks ago.
I forgot to ice after the run, because I was cold and just wanted to get into a hot shower and then I had somewhere I needed to go. Whoops. I'll do better next time.
This afternoon, David and I went to walk around at an art fair and I wore the orthotics for two hours. They're very comfortable, but by the end of the two hours my feet were feeling tired. The tiredness resolved itself after I removed the orthotics from my shoes. I definitely see why the doctor told me to build up to wearing them. It takes some getting used to.
Yesterday I registered for the ING Miami Half Marathon, which takes place on 1/30/11. I haven't ever been to Miami, and David has never been to Florida, so I'm pretty excited about it. It will be good to escape the Michigan winter for a few days! I have a couple of friends who sound interested in running the race, as well, so it will be a good time!
Showing posts with label race. Show all posts
Showing posts with label race. Show all posts
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
I feel quitty, oh so quitty!
On Saturday, I did something I've never done before as a runner. I quit a race without finishing.
I was running the Milford Labor Day 30K with my running buddy Joanne. We were doing Galloway-style intervals (run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute) and it was working pretty well. But my feet started hurting, as they do, and then once we got to around 14 miles I just lost it. I cried, I yelled, I totally lost my shit. It was ridiculous. Joanne tried valiantly to get me back to sanity, but it wasn't to be.
I ended up calling David and asking him to come pick me up. He headed in my direction, but I ran into my brother and his wife before David arrived and they drove me back to the start/finish area. In the end, I completed 15.3 miles out of 18.6. Joanne went on to a great finish, despite my abandonment of her after I freaked out.
I will not run either marathon this fall if my feet are going to hurt like this. I have an appointment with a podiatrist tomorrow so we'll see what happens.
I was running the Milford Labor Day 30K with my running buddy Joanne. We were doing Galloway-style intervals (run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute) and it was working pretty well. But my feet started hurting, as they do, and then once we got to around 14 miles I just lost it. I cried, I yelled, I totally lost my shit. It was ridiculous. Joanne tried valiantly to get me back to sanity, but it wasn't to be.
I ended up calling David and asking him to come pick me up. He headed in my direction, but I ran into my brother and his wife before David arrived and they drove me back to the start/finish area. In the end, I completed 15.3 miles out of 18.6. Joanne went on to a great finish, despite my abandonment of her after I freaked out.
I will not run either marathon this fall if my feet are going to hurt like this. I have an appointment with a podiatrist tomorrow so we'll see what happens.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Crim 10 Mile Race Report
Today I ran the Crim 10 Mile Race in Flint, MI. This is a big race, with 10,000 runners and walkers.
Flint is about an hour from where I live, so David and I decided to stay at a hotel last night so we wouldn't have to get up obnoxiously early. Last night was excellent. We checked into the hotel around 5:30 or so, then walked a mile to the expo to pick up my packet. There were Special Olympics races taking place downtown, which was very cool. Then we went out for dinner (flatbread pizza - yum!) and then headed back to the hotel to relax.
I slept like crap, as I so often do the night before a race. I woke up approximately one million times. When it was finally time to get up for real, I ate my traditional pre-race oatmeal and then David and I headed over to the local YMCA where we were meeting up in the parking lot with the YPOM running club. Our new club singlets arrived yesterday, just in time for the 40 or so club members who were running the Crim to look mighty stylin' on the race course. YPOM is a force to be reckoned with! :)
I was really nervous about this race. It's notoriously hilly, though some club members told me the Solstice Run 10 miler that I ran earlier this year was hillier. After completing the Crim today, I respectfully disagree. I found the Crim to have more challenging hills and my performance was certainly a lot slower than the Solstice.
I don't remember a lot of specifics about what happened during the race. It was full sun today - not a cloud in the sky - and felt quite hot on the course, so I appreciated all the spectators who set up misting hoses and sprinklers in front of their homes. It was nice to get some relief, because the course didn't have a whole lot of shady areas. There were a lot of cute dogs on the sidelines, but I managed to refrain from stopping to pet any of them. I was sorely tempted, though! Love those dogs!
The Crim has been in existence for a long time. Runners who have done it for 30 years or more get a special shirt. During the race I came across a man who was running his 33rd Crim. That's so impressive and I hope I can have that much running longevity. It's a well-organized race and they have water stops at every mile because historically it's ridiculously humid, though it wasn't too humid this year.
I had a fairly bad attitude during my run so I admit that I kind of gave up in the last few miles when I realized that I wasn't going to hit my time goal. I'm so disappointed in myself. All I keep thinking about is those damn marathons and how I don't enjoy marathon training. Still haven't made any final decisions. I want to get back to enjoying running more and feeling less like it's an endless slog of misery.
Next week is the 30K so I will get through that and then reassess my racing future!
Flint is about an hour from where I live, so David and I decided to stay at a hotel last night so we wouldn't have to get up obnoxiously early. Last night was excellent. We checked into the hotel around 5:30 or so, then walked a mile to the expo to pick up my packet. There were Special Olympics races taking place downtown, which was very cool. Then we went out for dinner (flatbread pizza - yum!) and then headed back to the hotel to relax.
I slept like crap, as I so often do the night before a race. I woke up approximately one million times. When it was finally time to get up for real, I ate my traditional pre-race oatmeal and then David and I headed over to the local YMCA where we were meeting up in the parking lot with the YPOM running club. Our new club singlets arrived yesterday, just in time for the 40 or so club members who were running the Crim to look mighty stylin' on the race course. YPOM is a force to be reckoned with! :)
I was really nervous about this race. It's notoriously hilly, though some club members told me the Solstice Run 10 miler that I ran earlier this year was hillier. After completing the Crim today, I respectfully disagree. I found the Crim to have more challenging hills and my performance was certainly a lot slower than the Solstice.
I don't remember a lot of specifics about what happened during the race. It was full sun today - not a cloud in the sky - and felt quite hot on the course, so I appreciated all the spectators who set up misting hoses and sprinklers in front of their homes. It was nice to get some relief, because the course didn't have a whole lot of shady areas. There were a lot of cute dogs on the sidelines, but I managed to refrain from stopping to pet any of them. I was sorely tempted, though! Love those dogs!
The Crim has been in existence for a long time. Runners who have done it for 30 years or more get a special shirt. During the race I came across a man who was running his 33rd Crim. That's so impressive and I hope I can have that much running longevity. It's a well-organized race and they have water stops at every mile because historically it's ridiculously humid, though it wasn't too humid this year.
I had a fairly bad attitude during my run so I admit that I kind of gave up in the last few miles when I realized that I wasn't going to hit my time goal. I'm so disappointed in myself. All I keep thinking about is those damn marathons and how I don't enjoy marathon training. Still haven't made any final decisions. I want to get back to enjoying running more and feeling less like it's an endless slog of misery.
Next week is the 30K so I will get through that and then reassess my racing future!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
The race report that wasn't
Today I was registered for the Legend 5 mile race. It's a trail race; I did it last year and it was pretty fun. But it's a couple of hours from home. So a few weeks ago I decided to skip the Legend and do the Heart of the Hills 10K instead. I did that one last year and it was hard and I got beaten by someone who was about 80 years old, so I wanted a do-over.
But I didn't run either one of those races today. Instead, I went out to good old Stony Creek Metro Park (site of many of my training runs last year) and ran 16 miles with my running buddy Jo. And I had a great time. I don't regret skipping those races at all. If I hadn't done this long run with Jo, then I wouldn't have run long this weekend. I'm going to a pub crawl tonight and I know there's no way I'm going to get up early tomorrow. And if I don't get up early, long runs don't happen.
Overall, the 16 mile run was much better for my training than either of the races would have been. I enjoy running with Jo and she wanted someone to do the long run with her, so I was happy to oblige. Looking forward to many more kick-ass long runs. I'm starting to feel more confident about my ability to finish those marathons in the fall.
But I didn't run either one of those races today. Instead, I went out to good old Stony Creek Metro Park (site of many of my training runs last year) and ran 16 miles with my running buddy Jo. And I had a great time. I don't regret skipping those races at all. If I hadn't done this long run with Jo, then I wouldn't have run long this weekend. I'm going to a pub crawl tonight and I know there's no way I'm going to get up early tomorrow. And if I don't get up early, long runs don't happen.
Overall, the 16 mile run was much better for my training than either of the races would have been. I enjoy running with Jo and she wanted someone to do the long run with her, so I was happy to oblige. Looking forward to many more kick-ass long runs. I'm starting to feel more confident about my ability to finish those marathons in the fall.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Bastille Day 15K Race Report
Today I ran the Bastille Day 15K in beautiful and hilly Fenton, MI, along with my friend Shaina. The race website said the course is "hilly and challenging" and they were not kidding!
I arrived at packet pick-up around 6:45am and Shaina showed up a few minutes later. Not a huge crowd, not even a line at the porta potty so I was able to make use of it before it became disgusting. :) I think the porta potty company could have chosen a better name than Poopie's Potties. Come on now, we all know what the potty is for, let's not feel the need to include that in the company name!
Anyway, we picked up our packets, stowed our t-shirts in our cars and headed for the start line. We noticed that the race started on a slight uphill - just a taste of things to come! We noticed a woman with a race bib, holding the leash of a cute dachshund. I wondered if the dog would be running the race and the answer was yes; we saw them running along a little while after the start. I don't know if the dog actually ran the whole thing. That seems awfully far for a little stubby-legged dog, especially in the heat and humidity we were dealing with. But I saw them again after we were finished, and the dog seemed fine. I don't know, maybe she carried him part of the way or handed him off to someone. Or he's just a little running maniac!
Shaina and I had agreed that we would each run our own race and not feel obliged to stay together, but we did stick together for the first half of the race, where I started to pull ahead a little bit and Shaina told me to go. She told me later that the pace for that first half was faster than she was comfortable with, but I am really proud of her for pushing herself and testing her limits.
The course was full of rolling hills. I took advantage of the downhills to pick up some speed and did my best to run strong on the uphills. I'm terrible with remembering what happened when, but I can tell you that there was a GIANT uphill between miles 7 and 8 that lasted at least half a mile. That one certainly made an impression. Everyone I saw was walking that sucker (including me) and when I reviewed my split times, I was not surprised to see that was my slowest mile by far.
God bless the race organizers, though, because after mile 8 the rest of the course was substantially downhill. That rocked! I never felt so strong at the end of a race before. It was a fun feeling. First time my last mile of a race was ever my fastest. (Yeah, I have always dreamed of negative splits, but I have a bad tendency to go out to fast and then fall apart at the end.)
I had a time goal in my head that was my "I'll be so happy if I achieve this time on a hilly course" goal. Well, I shocked myself by beating that time by 5 minutes! I have to say, something has happened to me lately and I'm starting to embrace and enjoy the tough stuff. It's a great feeling of accomplishment to tackle something difficult and exceed your own expectations. Shaina experienced the same thing, because she beat her expected time by quite a bit. She doesn't give herself enough credit for how tough she is.
The race was sponsored by a bakery, so we all received a giant baguette at the end. Delicious!
Embarrassing moment of the day: after I finished and went to wait for Shaina, someone was waving his arms at me only I didn't realize he was waving at me. Turns out it was Jim from the Your Pace or Mine running club. I'd met him last Saturday but totally blanked out and forgot his name. So embarrassing but he was completely nice about it. Met a couple of the other club members. Seems like a great group. I like it that everyone hung out at the finish and waited until all the club members were done with the race.
Overall, the race was a terrific experience. I actually had fun BECAUSE of the challenge, not in spite of it. Super cool. Hope that lasts through the rest of my races this year!
I arrived at packet pick-up around 6:45am and Shaina showed up a few minutes later. Not a huge crowd, not even a line at the porta potty so I was able to make use of it before it became disgusting. :) I think the porta potty company could have chosen a better name than Poopie's Potties. Come on now, we all know what the potty is for, let's not feel the need to include that in the company name!
Anyway, we picked up our packets, stowed our t-shirts in our cars and headed for the start line. We noticed that the race started on a slight uphill - just a taste of things to come! We noticed a woman with a race bib, holding the leash of a cute dachshund. I wondered if the dog would be running the race and the answer was yes; we saw them running along a little while after the start. I don't know if the dog actually ran the whole thing. That seems awfully far for a little stubby-legged dog, especially in the heat and humidity we were dealing with. But I saw them again after we were finished, and the dog seemed fine. I don't know, maybe she carried him part of the way or handed him off to someone. Or he's just a little running maniac!
Shaina and I had agreed that we would each run our own race and not feel obliged to stay together, but we did stick together for the first half of the race, where I started to pull ahead a little bit and Shaina told me to go. She told me later that the pace for that first half was faster than she was comfortable with, but I am really proud of her for pushing herself and testing her limits.
The course was full of rolling hills. I took advantage of the downhills to pick up some speed and did my best to run strong on the uphills. I'm terrible with remembering what happened when, but I can tell you that there was a GIANT uphill between miles 7 and 8 that lasted at least half a mile. That one certainly made an impression. Everyone I saw was walking that sucker (including me) and when I reviewed my split times, I was not surprised to see that was my slowest mile by far.
God bless the race organizers, though, because after mile 8 the rest of the course was substantially downhill. That rocked! I never felt so strong at the end of a race before. It was a fun feeling. First time my last mile of a race was ever my fastest. (Yeah, I have always dreamed of negative splits, but I have a bad tendency to go out to fast and then fall apart at the end.)
I had a time goal in my head that was my "I'll be so happy if I achieve this time on a hilly course" goal. Well, I shocked myself by beating that time by 5 minutes! I have to say, something has happened to me lately and I'm starting to embrace and enjoy the tough stuff. It's a great feeling of accomplishment to tackle something difficult and exceed your own expectations. Shaina experienced the same thing, because she beat her expected time by quite a bit. She doesn't give herself enough credit for how tough she is.
The race was sponsored by a bakery, so we all received a giant baguette at the end. Delicious!
Embarrassing moment of the day: after I finished and went to wait for Shaina, someone was waving his arms at me only I didn't realize he was waving at me. Turns out it was Jim from the Your Pace or Mine running club. I'd met him last Saturday but totally blanked out and forgot his name. So embarrassing but he was completely nice about it. Met a couple of the other club members. Seems like a great group. I like it that everyone hung out at the finish and waited until all the club members were done with the race.
Overall, the race was a terrific experience. I actually had fun BECAUSE of the challenge, not in spite of it. Super cool. Hope that lasts through the rest of my races this year!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Another day, another race registration
Wheee! I love registering for races. It gives me a sense of excitement and a little twinge of fear of the unknown. Today I registered for the Bastille Day 15K. I've never run a 15K race before, so that's an automatic PR no matter how much I stink it up. :)
The course is described as "hilly and challenging" which normally is something I would want to avoid. But this is not a normal year and I'm embracing hilly challenges as much as possible. It will only make me stronger for those fall marathons.
The course is described as "hilly and challenging" which normally is something I would want to avoid. But this is not a normal year and I'm embracing hilly challenges as much as possible. It will only make me stronger for those fall marathons.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Solstice Run 10 Mile Race Report
This morning I ran the Solstice Run 10 Mile race in beautiful Northville, MI. David came along to cheer me on, but we forgot to bring a camera so there's no photographic evidence of the race. It was mid to upper 60s at the race start, with cloudy skies, so not too shabby compared to the overheated sweat-fest that was the Cheesetown Challenge last week.
Before I get into the blah, blah, blah of the race report, I just want to say that today was great. This was the first race I've done in quite some time where I didn't have moments of despair where I felt like quitting. I feel like I've turned a corner and I'm ready to head into marathon training with a positive attitude. Now for the blah, blah, blah part of the post...
The race started at Northville Downs, which is a horse racing track. We started out by making a loop of the race track. The guy next to me was making horse noises as we ran. It was pretty funny. I don't think they groomed the track, because I could see hoof prints in the dirt but it was easy to run on, so no big deal.
There weren't a ton of people behind me as we exited the track to hit the streets. David was there at the exit so I told him "I'm battling for last place again" and he laughed. But by the time we left the track parking lot (about 3/4 mile into the race) I could see that I wouldn't be last unless something went drastically wrong, so I decided to relax and enjoy myself. Also, no police cars were trailing the people at the back so even if I were last, I would have felt less pressure.
First thing we came upon after leaving the parking lot was a fairly steep hill. I'd heard the course was hilly and that was no lie - there were hills throughout the course. But I approached it with a positive attitude, thinking about how good the hills are to make me a stronger runner. Around the 3 mile mark, we started getting a little rain, but it was just some random sprinkles that continued from time to time through the race. Felt pretty good.
At about 3.3 miles, we entered a subdivision. This was a loop through the sub, so we exited out the same street. As I was entering at mile 3.3, I saw the lead female runner at what turned out to be just past the 6 mile mark. So she was not quite twice as fast as I am, which strangely enough is comforting to me. Heh, I have low standards apparently.
Starting around 6.5 miles, we entered my favorite part of the course - about a mile and a half that was liberally sprinkled with downhill portions. Ahhh, so nice to be able to pick up speed without feeling like it's any extra effort. I loved it!
There were certain portions of the race where the roads were a potholed mess and seemed pretty hazardous. It was only for short stretches and represented a tiny part of the course, but I hope that's fixed up before next year because I could see some twisted ankles happening there.
In the last couple of miles (maybe more, can't remember) the 10 mile course joined up with the 5K and 10K courses so there were suddenly a lot more people around. The shorter races started later than the 10 mile. What I liked about meeting up with the other races is that I knew we were getting close to the end, and also if anyone passed me I just assumed they were doing a shorter race and thus were not beating me at the distance I was running. I love the mental games I play. :)
Around mile 9 I suddenly became very tired, but the end was near and I was getting excited to cross that finish line. With maybe .4 left to go, I saw David smiling at me so that gave me an extra kick. Then I headed down the path into the park where the finish was and saw David again (he had come down the stairs quickly) and got a high five and another big smile.
It seemed like we had to make almost a full loop around this park path which felt like forever because I just wanted to see that finish line! And finally there it was. Woo hoo! David had dashed across the park to see me at the finish, so he was there but I wasn't looking for him since I wasn't expecting it. Alas, I am too slow so they were out of medals by the time I finished, but I signed up on the list of people who didn't get a medal and will get it later.
Then we went off to the art show that was taking place nearby and I bought myself a pretty ring as a reward.
Before I get into the blah, blah, blah of the race report, I just want to say that today was great. This was the first race I've done in quite some time where I didn't have moments of despair where I felt like quitting. I feel like I've turned a corner and I'm ready to head into marathon training with a positive attitude. Now for the blah, blah, blah part of the post...
The race started at Northville Downs, which is a horse racing track. We started out by making a loop of the race track. The guy next to me was making horse noises as we ran. It was pretty funny. I don't think they groomed the track, because I could see hoof prints in the dirt but it was easy to run on, so no big deal.
There weren't a ton of people behind me as we exited the track to hit the streets. David was there at the exit so I told him "I'm battling for last place again" and he laughed. But by the time we left the track parking lot (about 3/4 mile into the race) I could see that I wouldn't be last unless something went drastically wrong, so I decided to relax and enjoy myself. Also, no police cars were trailing the people at the back so even if I were last, I would have felt less pressure.
First thing we came upon after leaving the parking lot was a fairly steep hill. I'd heard the course was hilly and that was no lie - there were hills throughout the course. But I approached it with a positive attitude, thinking about how good the hills are to make me a stronger runner. Around the 3 mile mark, we started getting a little rain, but it was just some random sprinkles that continued from time to time through the race. Felt pretty good.
At about 3.3 miles, we entered a subdivision. This was a loop through the sub, so we exited out the same street. As I was entering at mile 3.3, I saw the lead female runner at what turned out to be just past the 6 mile mark. So she was not quite twice as fast as I am, which strangely enough is comforting to me. Heh, I have low standards apparently.
Starting around 6.5 miles, we entered my favorite part of the course - about a mile and a half that was liberally sprinkled with downhill portions. Ahhh, so nice to be able to pick up speed without feeling like it's any extra effort. I loved it!
There were certain portions of the race where the roads were a potholed mess and seemed pretty hazardous. It was only for short stretches and represented a tiny part of the course, but I hope that's fixed up before next year because I could see some twisted ankles happening there.
In the last couple of miles (maybe more, can't remember) the 10 mile course joined up with the 5K and 10K courses so there were suddenly a lot more people around. The shorter races started later than the 10 mile. What I liked about meeting up with the other races is that I knew we were getting close to the end, and also if anyone passed me I just assumed they were doing a shorter race and thus were not beating me at the distance I was running. I love the mental games I play. :)
Around mile 9 I suddenly became very tired, but the end was near and I was getting excited to cross that finish line. With maybe .4 left to go, I saw David smiling at me so that gave me an extra kick. Then I headed down the path into the park where the finish was and saw David again (he had come down the stairs quickly) and got a high five and another big smile.
It seemed like we had to make almost a full loop around this park path which felt like forever because I just wanted to see that finish line! And finally there it was. Woo hoo! David had dashed across the park to see me at the finish, so he was there but I wasn't looking for him since I wasn't expecting it. Alas, I am too slow so they were out of medals by the time I finished, but I signed up on the list of people who didn't get a medal and will get it later.
Then we went off to the art show that was taking place nearby and I bought myself a pretty ring as a reward.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Cheesetown Challenge Photographs
Here are just a few pictures from Saturday's Cheesetown Challenge. First up, here I am at the start line thinking about how all these people are going to be passing me shortly.
All alone, about half a mile from the finish line. Sooooo lonely. :)
Almost done, not quite last. Woo hoo!
A giant mouse driving a car.Because it's a cheese festival, duh! :)
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Cheesetown Challenge 5 Mile Race Report
Yesterday, David and I went to Pinconning, MI so I could run the 5 mile Cheesetown Challenge race. Pinconning is the cheese capital of Michigan, hence the name of the race.
We arrived a couple of hours before race time so I could get my packet and we could check out the Cheesetown Festival. The race packet included a sample of Pinconning cheese, which we promptly devoured. Then we went to a cheese store, bought some cheese and stashed it in the cooler we'd brought along for that very purpose. The race was at 6:30pm and it was flipping hot, sunny, and humid. Not great race conditions!
When it was almost race time, we went to the start line and I realized that this was a very small race. I also realized that everyone else looked pretty serious and more fit than I am. I looked at David and said "I think I'm going to be last." The race started and my premonition came true - everyone took off and I was lagging behind almost immediately. I tried to keep up, but there was no way. I'm slow and that wasn't going to change during the course of the race. So I settled down and decided to go at my own pace.
What I learned is that when you're in last place at a tiny race where the roads aren't closed, you may well have a police car trailing right behind you to make sure that no cars come run you over. I had no idea how pressure-filled it is to be in last place! :)
There were a couple of people not too far ahead of me who didn't know how to pace themselves, so they were taking frequent walk breaks. Every time I caught up to them, though, they'd start running again. I guess I was their inspiration. :)
I was debating just dropping out of the race because I hated having that police car right behind me. Then I considered running alongside the car so I could chat with the officer while I was racing. But then at the two mile mark, my minor miracle happened. The two people who were just ahead of me could no longer maintain their pace, so they fell behind me. Hooray, someone else could have the cops on their tail!
I kept plugging away, checking behind me occasionally to make sure nobody was gaining on me. There were occasional spectators along the course and they were unfailingly kind and encouraging to me, which was pretty funny. Hard to take it seriously when someone says "great job" when you know better. :) At every mile marker, there were volunteers calling out split times. I told the volunteer at mile 3 not to tell me, because I didn't want to know. (And I was wearing my Garmin, so I knew anyway.)
With about three quarters of a mile to go, I caught up to another runner. He asked me how I was doing and I said that I was still making forward progress, so I figured that was a good sign. I asked how he was and he said he was struggling. He started to get ahead of me a bit, then he said "oh no, cramps again" and started walking. I wished him well and kept on going. Felt bad, but also was pathetically happy to pass someone else.
As I approached the finish line, I could see David taking photos so I tried to pick up the pace and look like a real runner. I will post pictures once I get a chance to pull them off his camera.
I finished the race right around the time I thought I would. It's interesting that I would have felt great about my finish if there had been more people behind me, but the same time felt like failure when I was so close to the end. I need to get a little better at only feeling competitive with myself and not worrying about what everyone else is doing.
We arrived a couple of hours before race time so I could get my packet and we could check out the Cheesetown Festival. The race packet included a sample of Pinconning cheese, which we promptly devoured. Then we went to a cheese store, bought some cheese and stashed it in the cooler we'd brought along for that very purpose. The race was at 6:30pm and it was flipping hot, sunny, and humid. Not great race conditions!
When it was almost race time, we went to the start line and I realized that this was a very small race. I also realized that everyone else looked pretty serious and more fit than I am. I looked at David and said "I think I'm going to be last." The race started and my premonition came true - everyone took off and I was lagging behind almost immediately. I tried to keep up, but there was no way. I'm slow and that wasn't going to change during the course of the race. So I settled down and decided to go at my own pace.
What I learned is that when you're in last place at a tiny race where the roads aren't closed, you may well have a police car trailing right behind you to make sure that no cars come run you over. I had no idea how pressure-filled it is to be in last place! :)
There were a couple of people not too far ahead of me who didn't know how to pace themselves, so they were taking frequent walk breaks. Every time I caught up to them, though, they'd start running again. I guess I was their inspiration. :)
I was debating just dropping out of the race because I hated having that police car right behind me. Then I considered running alongside the car so I could chat with the officer while I was racing. But then at the two mile mark, my minor miracle happened. The two people who were just ahead of me could no longer maintain their pace, so they fell behind me. Hooray, someone else could have the cops on their tail!
I kept plugging away, checking behind me occasionally to make sure nobody was gaining on me. There were occasional spectators along the course and they were unfailingly kind and encouraging to me, which was pretty funny. Hard to take it seriously when someone says "great job" when you know better. :) At every mile marker, there were volunteers calling out split times. I told the volunteer at mile 3 not to tell me, because I didn't want to know. (And I was wearing my Garmin, so I knew anyway.)
With about three quarters of a mile to go, I caught up to another runner. He asked me how I was doing and I said that I was still making forward progress, so I figured that was a good sign. I asked how he was and he said he was struggling. He started to get ahead of me a bit, then he said "oh no, cramps again" and started walking. I wished him well and kept on going. Felt bad, but also was pathetically happy to pass someone else.
As I approached the finish line, I could see David taking photos so I tried to pick up the pace and look like a real runner. I will post pictures once I get a chance to pull them off his camera.
I finished the race right around the time I thought I would. It's interesting that I would have felt great about my finish if there had been more people behind me, but the same time felt like failure when I was so close to the end. I need to get a little better at only feeling competitive with myself and not worrying about what everyone else is doing.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Brooksie Way 5K Race Report
Last Sunday, David and I ran the Brooksie Way 5K. I ran the inaugural Brooksie 5K last year as my second race ever and was horribly disappointed when the course turned out to be a third of a mile short. But I want to eventually be one of those old people who says "Well I've run this race 25 times, every time since the first year they did way back in twenty ought eight" so I decided to give it another chance.
The weather was fairly cool on race day so I wore a long-sleeved shirt and shorts. (Naturally I regretted the long sleeves about 1/4 mile into the race. But it was my awesome shirt from the Dick Beardsley half marathon in Minnesota that I ran last month so I wanted to wear it.) Anyway, we left the house a bit later than planned and naturally there was traffic on the road leading to the university where the race started. So we arrived with enough time to get to the start line and not enough time to look for any of my friends who were running the half marathon that started shortly after the 5K.
We lined up about halfway back in the 5K pack but that was a poor choice because when the race started, the people in front of us barely moved. David usually takes off like a jackrabbit at a 5K so I was surprised to see him still beside me after a minute. He finally dodged around the crowd and took off. He ended up with a PR. Yay!
My plan was to take it pretty easy for a couple of reasons. One, hello, I am running a marathon soon and I didn't want to go nuts and get injured. Two, I'd done a 15 mile run the day before so my legs weren't fresh. And three, well, I'm kind of lazy. I had no intention of trying for a PR.
The course was much the same as last year (except the start line was farther back) and I knew there was going to be a rather painful hill about halfway through. I focused on keeping a steady pace and having a good time. Saw lots of people sprinting ahead and then having to take walk breaks. I have been that person before and I don't have any interest in doing that again. Weirdly, there was a water stop around the 0.25 mile mark. Who needs water a quarter mile into a 5K? That was just plain strange. All I can think is that was a water stop near the end of the half marathon course, but I don't know.
As I approached the hill I told myself I was not going to walk it. Last year I started walking about halfway up the hill but I knew I could do better this year. I'm proud to say I conquered that hill. Well okay, I was huffing and puffing but still, I didn't walk it.
As usual, I can't remember a lot of details. But I do remember a few sweet downhills which I totally took advantage of, including a downhill leading to the finish line. Woo hoo, I came flying down that hill and felt like a real runner for once as I crossed the line strong instead of wheezing my way across it.
The course was actually a 5K this time around, so I guess I can stop bitching about last year finally. My total time was about 30 seconds slower than my PR, which was faster than I intended to run this thing. I guess those downhills helped and maybe I'm not quite as lazy as I thought. In any case, I had a lot of fun and I will do this race again next year (God willing and barring any injuries, of course). Good times!
The weather was fairly cool on race day so I wore a long-sleeved shirt and shorts. (Naturally I regretted the long sleeves about 1/4 mile into the race. But it was my awesome shirt from the Dick Beardsley half marathon in Minnesota that I ran last month so I wanted to wear it.) Anyway, we left the house a bit later than planned and naturally there was traffic on the road leading to the university where the race started. So we arrived with enough time to get to the start line and not enough time to look for any of my friends who were running the half marathon that started shortly after the 5K.
We lined up about halfway back in the 5K pack but that was a poor choice because when the race started, the people in front of us barely moved. David usually takes off like a jackrabbit at a 5K so I was surprised to see him still beside me after a minute. He finally dodged around the crowd and took off. He ended up with a PR. Yay!
My plan was to take it pretty easy for a couple of reasons. One, hello, I am running a marathon soon and I didn't want to go nuts and get injured. Two, I'd done a 15 mile run the day before so my legs weren't fresh. And three, well, I'm kind of lazy. I had no intention of trying for a PR.
The course was much the same as last year (except the start line was farther back) and I knew there was going to be a rather painful hill about halfway through. I focused on keeping a steady pace and having a good time. Saw lots of people sprinting ahead and then having to take walk breaks. I have been that person before and I don't have any interest in doing that again. Weirdly, there was a water stop around the 0.25 mile mark. Who needs water a quarter mile into a 5K? That was just plain strange. All I can think is that was a water stop near the end of the half marathon course, but I don't know.
As I approached the hill I told myself I was not going to walk it. Last year I started walking about halfway up the hill but I knew I could do better this year. I'm proud to say I conquered that hill. Well okay, I was huffing and puffing but still, I didn't walk it.
As usual, I can't remember a lot of details. But I do remember a few sweet downhills which I totally took advantage of, including a downhill leading to the finish line. Woo hoo, I came flying down that hill and felt like a real runner for once as I crossed the line strong instead of wheezing my way across it.
The course was actually a 5K this time around, so I guess I can stop bitching about last year finally. My total time was about 30 seconds slower than my PR, which was faster than I intended to run this thing. I guess those downhills helped and maybe I'm not quite as lazy as I thought. In any case, I had a lot of fun and I will do this race again next year (God willing and barring any injuries, of course). Good times!
Friday, August 7, 2009
The Legend Race Report
Last Saturday David and I ran The Legend. This was a 5-mile trail run at a park north of Lansing, MI. That's about a 90-minute drive for us so we stayed at a hotel Friday night.
It was the third and final race in a series of trail races I completed, so I earned a nice big drinking glass with the series name on it, given to everyone who finished the series. It's not a medal but it's pretty cool.
We had gone out to this park a couple of weeks ago to try out the trail and it was pretty tough and muddy and flooded out in a couple of places. Saturday at the race they expected people to run through the flooded out spots but I admit I went it to the woods and went around the water instead of going through water that was above the ankles. Call me a wimp and it wouldn't bother me. I collected a lot of mud on my shoes because I did plow right through the muddy spots.
As usual I went out too fast because the trail was pretty flat and gentle at the beginning. When it started getting rougher and more hilly I slowed way down. And I was really careful (slow!) going through the muddy spots because I didn't want to slip and fall like a number of other people did. David was up ahead of me and out of sight for the whole race because he's faster than me. But that was cool because then he was at the finish line yelling "Go Cathy!" by the time I got there. :)
It was weird because I spent a good portion of this race running all by myself! I've never had that happen before, usually there are always other people around. But I was too slow for the fast crowd and too fast for the slower crowd so I was mostly by myself. Near the end I was running next to a woman for a while and we talked a little bit about how much the hilly trail kicked our butts. I tried my best to pass her at the end but I just had no juice left so she beat me.
But I really find I enjoy the trail races because it's a mellower crowd, it's a good challenge, it's pretty on the trail and it's just a lot of fun. I had a good time and I think I'll do this same series again next year.
It was the third and final race in a series of trail races I completed, so I earned a nice big drinking glass with the series name on it, given to everyone who finished the series. It's not a medal but it's pretty cool.
We had gone out to this park a couple of weeks ago to try out the trail and it was pretty tough and muddy and flooded out in a couple of places. Saturday at the race they expected people to run through the flooded out spots but I admit I went it to the woods and went around the water instead of going through water that was above the ankles. Call me a wimp and it wouldn't bother me. I collected a lot of mud on my shoes because I did plow right through the muddy spots.
As usual I went out too fast because the trail was pretty flat and gentle at the beginning. When it started getting rougher and more hilly I slowed way down. And I was really careful (slow!) going through the muddy spots because I didn't want to slip and fall like a number of other people did. David was up ahead of me and out of sight for the whole race because he's faster than me. But that was cool because then he was at the finish line yelling "Go Cathy!" by the time I got there. :)
It was weird because I spent a good portion of this race running all by myself! I've never had that happen before, usually there are always other people around. But I was too slow for the fast crowd and too fast for the slower crowd so I was mostly by myself. Near the end I was running next to a woman for a while and we talked a little bit about how much the hilly trail kicked our butts. I tried my best to pass her at the end but I just had no juice left so she beat me.
But I really find I enjoy the trail races because it's a mellower crowd, it's a good challenge, it's pretty on the trail and it's just a lot of fun. I had a good time and I think I'll do this same series again next year.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Heart of the Hills 10K Race Report
Now I remember why I make a point of looking for races that say they have a flat course. I do not enjoy hills!
On Saturday, David and I ran the Heart of the Hills 10K. Let me start out by saying that my performance was abysmal. I think I came in 283 out of 306. Hills suck and I'm not good at them, which I'm sure means that I should do more hill work but let's never forget that I'm fundamentally lazy.
The start and finish were at a local high school. The race started at 8am so we showed up at 7 for packet pick-up. Nothing in the goody bag except our t-shirts (cotton) and a few advertising flyers. What, no lip balm? No key chains? No snacks? Well, it's a small race so it doesn't matter.
Running buddy Vicki was doing this one, too. Since we're in marathon training and needed longer than 10K today, we set out for a little warm-up run. Just did 15 minutes, nothing major. Normally I don't warm up at all so this was a change for me.
A few minutes before 8am we lined up at the start. We had D-tags but strangely there was no timing mat at the start. Oh well, guess they measure everyone's start time based on the gun time. Not a big deal considering it took all of five seconds to get across the start. Plus, as mentioned above I suck at hills so I don't think five seconds is really going to make or break my performance.
It was raining a little bit throughout the race but I didn't mind. Felt pretty good, actually. The heavy stuff didn't start coming down until after we were done.
I set out too fast for the first mile. Once we started hitting some hills I slowed right down. I realized this race was going to be a rough one for me so I told myself if I finished with an 11:30 pace I'd feel successful. So, by that measure it was a success, even though I've run a much faster pace for a half marathon.
Here are my times mile by mile:
Mile 1: 9:50
Mile 2: 11:33 (yep, hills!)
Mile 3: 11:16
Mile 4: 11:20
Mile 5: 10:28 (nice gentle decline right after we passed mile 4 so it made me feel like continuing even though earlier I felt like giving up)
Mile 6: 11:12
last 0.2: 9:44 (can you tell I was excited to be near the end of those fricking hills?)
Along the way, I was passed by an old man who was all hunched over and he pounded his feet more loudly than anyone I've ever heard. You would think that would have spurred me on to go faster, but I'm sorry to say that I couldn't catch him. I don't know how old he was. There was a 74 year old who finished ahead of me AND a 91 year old. Yeah, embarrassing. Hope I can still run when I'm their age.
During the final mile, a guy just in front of me asked a volunteer how much more there was to go. She wasn't sure so I gave him the distance from my Garmin and we started chatting a little bit. Turns out he has atrial fibrillation so he has to keep a close eye on his heart rate while he runs. If it goes above a certain point (140 something, I think) he has to take a walk break until his heart rate goes down. He was glad still to be able to run even though it took his pace way down from what it used to be in his younger days. He had to stop to walk then so I trudged on along to the finish.
I was so happy to hear the loudspeaker. The race finished on the high school track and I was relieved that they didn't make us run the whole way around. Would have seemed endless to me at that point. Then it was off to the concession stand where Whole Foods was supplying cookies and bananas. Waited a couple of minutes to see Vicki cross the finish line. David finished before me so I found him and we headed back to the car.
Lesson learned: Hills suck
But I bet I'll do this race again next year and maybe even train on some hills so I can at least beat the 70+ crowd. :)
On Saturday, David and I ran the Heart of the Hills 10K. Let me start out by saying that my performance was abysmal. I think I came in 283 out of 306. Hills suck and I'm not good at them, which I'm sure means that I should do more hill work but let's never forget that I'm fundamentally lazy.
The start and finish were at a local high school. The race started at 8am so we showed up at 7 for packet pick-up. Nothing in the goody bag except our t-shirts (cotton) and a few advertising flyers. What, no lip balm? No key chains? No snacks? Well, it's a small race so it doesn't matter.
Running buddy Vicki was doing this one, too. Since we're in marathon training and needed longer than 10K today, we set out for a little warm-up run. Just did 15 minutes, nothing major. Normally I don't warm up at all so this was a change for me.
A few minutes before 8am we lined up at the start. We had D-tags but strangely there was no timing mat at the start. Oh well, guess they measure everyone's start time based on the gun time. Not a big deal considering it took all of five seconds to get across the start. Plus, as mentioned above I suck at hills so I don't think five seconds is really going to make or break my performance.
It was raining a little bit throughout the race but I didn't mind. Felt pretty good, actually. The heavy stuff didn't start coming down until after we were done.
I set out too fast for the first mile. Once we started hitting some hills I slowed right down. I realized this race was going to be a rough one for me so I told myself if I finished with an 11:30 pace I'd feel successful. So, by that measure it was a success, even though I've run a much faster pace for a half marathon.
Here are my times mile by mile:
Mile 1: 9:50
Mile 2: 11:33 (yep, hills!)
Mile 3: 11:16
Mile 4: 11:20
Mile 5: 10:28 (nice gentle decline right after we passed mile 4 so it made me feel like continuing even though earlier I felt like giving up)
Mile 6: 11:12
last 0.2: 9:44 (can you tell I was excited to be near the end of those fricking hills?)
Along the way, I was passed by an old man who was all hunched over and he pounded his feet more loudly than anyone I've ever heard. You would think that would have spurred me on to go faster, but I'm sorry to say that I couldn't catch him. I don't know how old he was. There was a 74 year old who finished ahead of me AND a 91 year old. Yeah, embarrassing. Hope I can still run when I'm their age.
During the final mile, a guy just in front of me asked a volunteer how much more there was to go. She wasn't sure so I gave him the distance from my Garmin and we started chatting a little bit. Turns out he has atrial fibrillation so he has to keep a close eye on his heart rate while he runs. If it goes above a certain point (140 something, I think) he has to take a walk break until his heart rate goes down. He was glad still to be able to run even though it took his pace way down from what it used to be in his younger days. He had to stop to walk then so I trudged on along to the finish.
I was so happy to hear the loudspeaker. The race finished on the high school track and I was relieved that they didn't make us run the whole way around. Would have seemed endless to me at that point. Then it was off to the concession stand where Whole Foods was supplying cookies and bananas. Waited a couple of minutes to see Vicki cross the finish line. David finished before me so I found him and we headed back to the car.
Lesson learned: Hills suck
But I bet I'll do this race again next year and maybe even train on some hills so I can at least beat the 70+ crowd. :)
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Flirt with Dirt 5K Race Report
Yesterday was the Flirt with Dirt 5K at Lakeshore Park in Novi. The park has mountain biking and hiking trails. The race took place on the bike trails.
The temperature was in the low 50s so in other words, perfect. The skies were cloudy. The park is small and we arrived early because we figured parking would be a nightmare. We were wrong - they were very organized and we parked quickly. I'd already picked up my race packet on Friday so David and I just milled around until it was time for the race to start.
They started us off down a grassy hill and we ran a lap around a soccer field, then along the driveway to the trailhead and finally onto the trail. I positioned myself about midway back in the pack and I really don't know if that was a good idea or not. The trail was mostly very narrow singletrack so there weren't a lot of opportunities to pass or be passed. There were a number of times that I was right on someone's heels and could have been going faster but there was no way to get around. Of course, there were also times when someone was on my heels and couldn't get past me, so I suppose it all evens out in the end.
About 3/4 mile into the race, it started to rain. Fortunately, it wasn't raining very hard and the trees shielded us from most of it, anyway. I quickly forgot that it was raining and never even noticed when it stopped.
At one point the girl in front of me tripped on a root or something and fell forward, arms splayed out, right on her face. Ooof! I stopped to ask if she was okay and she said yes, then apologized to me for blocking me! Sheesh, I was just glad she didn't get seriously hurt. We continued to run and she said "ouch" and kept looking at her left palm. I bet she ended up with some fun bruises and scratches.
The trail had hills but not any that were as long as the hills on the first trail race I did, so I didn't have too much trouble. I was really pleased that I didn't walk during this race at all, unlike the previous trail race. It was uphill to the finish so I was huffing and puffing by the time I got there and didn't exactly cross the line in a blaze of speed, but that's okay.
I had two goals for the race:
1) Don't fall. (I fell during the first trail race, ugh!)
2) Keep a faster pace than the last trail race.
Mission accomplished on both counts! Woo hoo! I finished 10th in my age group, which sounds pretty awesome until you find out that there were only 15 racers in my group. :) I finished 96 out 155 overall. Good or bad? I don't know, but I was happy with my performance.
The temperature was in the low 50s so in other words, perfect. The skies were cloudy. The park is small and we arrived early because we figured parking would be a nightmare. We were wrong - they were very organized and we parked quickly. I'd already picked up my race packet on Friday so David and I just milled around until it was time for the race to start.
They started us off down a grassy hill and we ran a lap around a soccer field, then along the driveway to the trailhead and finally onto the trail. I positioned myself about midway back in the pack and I really don't know if that was a good idea or not. The trail was mostly very narrow singletrack so there weren't a lot of opportunities to pass or be passed. There were a number of times that I was right on someone's heels and could have been going faster but there was no way to get around. Of course, there were also times when someone was on my heels and couldn't get past me, so I suppose it all evens out in the end.
About 3/4 mile into the race, it started to rain. Fortunately, it wasn't raining very hard and the trees shielded us from most of it, anyway. I quickly forgot that it was raining and never even noticed when it stopped.
At one point the girl in front of me tripped on a root or something and fell forward, arms splayed out, right on her face. Ooof! I stopped to ask if she was okay and she said yes, then apologized to me for blocking me! Sheesh, I was just glad she didn't get seriously hurt. We continued to run and she said "ouch" and kept looking at her left palm. I bet she ended up with some fun bruises and scratches.
The trail had hills but not any that were as long as the hills on the first trail race I did, so I didn't have too much trouble. I was really pleased that I didn't walk during this race at all, unlike the previous trail race. It was uphill to the finish so I was huffing and puffing by the time I got there and didn't exactly cross the line in a blaze of speed, but that's okay.
I had two goals for the race:
1) Don't fall. (I fell during the first trail race, ugh!)
2) Keep a faster pace than the last trail race.
Mission accomplished on both counts! Woo hoo! I finished 10th in my age group, which sounds pretty awesome until you find out that there were only 15 racers in my group. :) I finished 96 out 155 overall. Good or bad? I don't know, but I was happy with my performance.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Dow 5K Race Report
Yesterday was a big day because it was David's first 5K. We ran the Dow 5K in Midland, MI. Since the race started at 8:15am and we live about two hours away from Midland, we drove up the night before and stayed at the lovely new Springhill Suites. I love staying in new hotels - less opportunity for other people to get gross things on every imaginable surface! Best thing about the hotel is that it's entirely non-smoking. Ahhhh, I love to be able to breathe!
David later decided this would be a perfect race for his first one since he grew up in Midland and his parents both still live there. Ultimately Michelle decided she would prefer to run her own race rather than have me run alongside her, because her pace is a little slower than mine and she was worried about holding me back. David and I love to run together so we decided to stay side by side for this one and it was awesome!
The race started right on time. We were about halfway back in the crowd so it took us a couple of minutes to cross the starting line. But once we started, the nerves finally dissipated like they always do. We were both really excited and started out way too fast. We'd anticipated running a 10:45/mile pace but we were doing well below 10 for the first mile. We kept telling ourselves to slow down but that didn't work very well!
David's dad lives right on the 10K course and very near the 5K course, so he came out to cheer us on and snap a couple of action photos. We both got a great boost from seeing him and I'm just so pleased that he was there.
We pretty much kept pushing the pace the whole time even though we kept saying we should slow down. We were both feeling good, though, so why slow down, right? When we got down to the last quarter mile I said "Let's go, leave it all out on the course" and we pushed it even more and crossed the finish line together. Ultimately when the official times were posted David ended up finishing two seconds ahead of me. I think I crossed the start line just ahead of him.
The final result was the fastest pace I've ever run for any race (even faster than the Corktown 4-miler in March where I busted my butt) and we finished with a 9:59/mile pace. Yeah! For me, that is a super-freaking-fast pace. David and I both realized afterward that we could have run it even faster but we held back a little because we were afraid we'd be dying at the end.
David loved the whole race experience and I think he'll sign up for another one down the road. And we'll be sure to push hard the whole way and leave this race in the dust!
We woke up around 6:30am on Saturday so we could get over to the Community Center early and pick up our race packets. Turns out neither of us slept very well on Friday night. I think we had a case of pre-race jitters.
After packet pick-up, of course we had to commemorate the occasion wit
h a pre-race photo opportunity. One of these days I'll shower and do my hair before a shower so I can look pretty in a pre-race picture instead of greasy and unkempt. :)
h a pre-race photo opportunity. One of these days I'll shower and do my hair before a shower so I can look pretty in a pre-race picture instead of greasy and unkempt. :) Then we met up with Michelle, a friend I originally met on a papercraft forum. It was her first 5K, as well. Michelle was the reason I registered for the race. She lives in Midland and I told her I'd run the race too, to provide some moral support.
David later decided this would be a perfect race for his first one since he grew up in Midland and his parents both still live there. Ultimately Michelle decided she would prefer to run her own race rather than have me run alongside her, because her pace is a little slower than mine and she was worried about holding me back. David and I love to run together so we decided to stay side by side for this one and it was awesome!
The race started right on time. We were about halfway back in the crowd so it took us a couple of minutes to cross the starting line. But once we started, the nerves finally dissipated like they always do. We were both really excited and started out way too fast. We'd anticipated running a 10:45/mile pace but we were doing well below 10 for the first mile. We kept telling ourselves to slow down but that didn't work very well!
David's dad lives right on the 10K course and very near the 5K course, so he came out to cheer us on and snap a couple of action photos. We both got a great boost from seeing him and I'm just so pleased that he was there.
We pretty much kept pushing the pace the whole time even though we kept saying we should slow down. We were both feeling good, though, so why slow down, right? When we got down to the last quarter mile I said "Let's go, leave it all out on the course" and we pushed it even more and crossed the finish line together. Ultimately when the official times were posted David ended up finishing two seconds ahead of me. I think I crossed the start line just ahead of him.
The final result was the fastest pace I've ever run for any race (even faster than the Corktown 4-miler in March where I busted my butt) and we finished with a 9:59/mile pace. Yeah! For me, that is a super-freaking-fast pace. David and I both realized afterward that we could have run it even faster but we held back a little because we were afraid we'd be dying at the end.
David loved the whole race experience and I think he'll sign up for another one down the road. And we'll be sure to push hard the whole way and leave this race in the dust!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Martian half marathon race report
The good news: I set a PR at the Martian half marathon this morning.
The bad news: Actually, there is no bad news. I SET A PR! Hehehe.
The official results aren't posted yet. If my Garmin is at all correct, then I beat my previous half marathon time by about 12 minutes. YEAH! (Edited to add: results are in and I set a PR by 12:37. Wooo!)
I don't know what else to write about. The race started at 7am. I arrived at about 6:30 and went into the building where late packet pickup was happening because it was warmer in there and they had real toilets. :) Temperature was in the low 30s at the start and around 40 at the finish, so it wasn't too bad. My hands were cold the whole race so I kept my gloves on. But then my hands are almost always cold, so that's no surprise.
As my friend Wendy predicted, my nerves settled down as soon as the race started. I think there were around 4,000 people registered, nearly all of them for the half and very few for the full. The race route was along the roads in Dearborn, MI (home of Ford Motor Company). The majority of the route was along one long road that goes through a number of parks, so there were lots of flush toilets along the route. Why am I so focused on the toilets? I don't know, but porta potties are gross so real toilets are appreciated.
The weather was mostly cloudy but the sun peeked out from time to time. It's hard to believe we're supposed to get three inches of snow tonight.
Even though I knew quite a few people who were running the race, I never saw any of them. It felt like the miles were going by pretty quickly and I felt quite good through most of the race. The course was mainly flat but there were a couple of killer hills which fortunately were very short. I'm proud to report that, aside for stopping at a couple of water stations, I ran the whole way. (That's different than my last half, where I took a few walk breaks in the later miles.) When I got to mile 12 I started getting pretty excited. And also had some weird and horrible abdominal cramping which fortunately disappeared after a few minutes.
I was really happy to see the finish line up ahead and I have no idea how the hell I'm going to run a full marathon in October. After I finished, I headed for the food tent and promptly ate three giant chocolate chip cookies. Yum!
The bad news: Actually, there is no bad news. I SET A PR! Hehehe.
The official results aren't posted yet. If my Garmin is at all correct, then I beat my previous half marathon time by about 12 minutes. YEAH! (Edited to add: results are in and I set a PR by 12:37. Wooo!)
I don't know what else to write about. The race started at 7am. I arrived at about 6:30 and went into the building where late packet pickup was happening because it was warmer in there and they had real toilets. :) Temperature was in the low 30s at the start and around 40 at the finish, so it wasn't too bad. My hands were cold the whole race so I kept my gloves on. But then my hands are almost always cold, so that's no surprise.
As my friend Wendy predicted, my nerves settled down as soon as the race started. I think there were around 4,000 people registered, nearly all of them for the half and very few for the full. The race route was along the roads in Dearborn, MI (home of Ford Motor Company). The majority of the route was along one long road that goes through a number of parks, so there were lots of flush toilets along the route. Why am I so focused on the toilets? I don't know, but porta potties are gross so real toilets are appreciated.
The weather was mostly cloudy but the sun peeked out from time to time. It's hard to believe we're supposed to get three inches of snow tonight.
Even though I knew quite a few people who were running the race, I never saw any of them. It felt like the miles were going by pretty quickly and I felt quite good through most of the race. The course was mainly flat but there were a couple of killer hills which fortunately were very short. I'm proud to report that, aside for stopping at a couple of water stations, I ran the whole way. (That's different than my last half, where I took a few walk breaks in the later miles.) When I got to mile 12 I started getting pretty excited. And also had some weird and horrible abdominal cramping which fortunately disappeared after a few minutes.
I was really happy to see the finish line up ahead and I have no idea how the hell I'm going to run a full marathon in October. After I finished, I headed for the food tent and promptly ate three giant chocolate chip cookies. Yum!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Corktown 4 Mile Race
Yesterday I went to Detroit for the Corktown 4-mile race. Corktown is a Detroit neighborhood, near Tiger Stadium, which apparently is the Irish area of Detroit. At least there are a lot of Irish bars there, and they have a St. Patrick's Day parade after the race.
It was gorgeous weather, almost 50 degrees and sunny. David came with me and we had plans to meet friends for a drink after the race. I went to line up and scanned the crowd of runners for people I knew, because I knew several of my TNT buddies were planning to be there. Suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder and it turned out two of my buddies, Josh and Stephanie, were standing right in front of where I lined up. Another friend, Tim, came over so we chatted for a couple of minutes and then it was time to race.
Stephanie was doing the two mile race and was planning to walk/jog. Tim is a speed demon so he took off in front. Josh and I ran together for the first two miles. Josh is a much faster runner than I am but he was holding back a bit at first. And I was pushing myself because it felt good to have a challenge and also it's fun to race with someone else.
At the two mile mark, Josh said he was going to kick it into high gear so he took off. I kept pushing myself to keep up my same pace even though I didn't have him there any more to lead me. I could really feel it in my legs but it still felt good. Then I had some extra motivation around the three mile mark, because some guy near me kept horking up big phlegm wads and spitting them onto the ground. I freaking HATE THAT! It's so gross and I thought I was going to throw up, so I had to pick up the pace just to get away from Horky McSnottington.
I kept checking my watch and couldn't believe the time I was seeing. I ended up at the fastest pace I've ever sustained over any kind of distance. It felt so good to see that. I don't expect ever to be fast but it's nice to know that I still am able to improve from where I've been. I know this was a short race and thus very different from my upcoming half marathons, but I really am feeling hopeful about getting a PR at the Bayshore half in May.
It was gorgeous weather, almost 50 degrees and sunny. David came with me and we had plans to meet friends for a drink after the race. I went to line up and scanned the crowd of runners for people I knew, because I knew several of my TNT buddies were planning to be there. Suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder and it turned out two of my buddies, Josh and Stephanie, were standing right in front of where I lined up. Another friend, Tim, came over so we chatted for a couple of minutes and then it was time to race.
Stephanie was doing the two mile race and was planning to walk/jog. Tim is a speed demon so he took off in front. Josh and I ran together for the first two miles. Josh is a much faster runner than I am but he was holding back a bit at first. And I was pushing myself because it felt good to have a challenge and also it's fun to race with someone else.
At the two mile mark, Josh said he was going to kick it into high gear so he took off. I kept pushing myself to keep up my same pace even though I didn't have him there any more to lead me. I could really feel it in my legs but it still felt good. Then I had some extra motivation around the three mile mark, because some guy near me kept horking up big phlegm wads and spitting them onto the ground. I freaking HATE THAT! It's so gross and I thought I was going to throw up, so I had to pick up the pace just to get away from Horky McSnottington.
I kept checking my watch and couldn't believe the time I was seeing. I ended up at the fastest pace I've ever sustained over any kind of distance. It felt so good to see that. I don't expect ever to be fast but it's nice to know that I still am able to improve from where I've been. I know this was a short race and thus very different from my upcoming half marathons, but I really am feeling hopeful about getting a PR at the Bayshore half in May.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Signed up for another one
I've been running a bit this week, trying to get back on track for my 1,000 mile goal for the year. I took Monday and Tuesday off, but ran on the treadmill at the gym on Wed, Thu and Fri. I also went out to the park today to run with the TNT people. It was freaking cold - bitterly cold. Thought hard about not going, but I'd already told a few people that I'd be there. I ended up doing six miles (one time around the park loop) and called it good. I will hit the treadmill at the gym tomorrow and then I think I'll be back on pace for 1,000 miles.
While at the park today, a couple of people mentioned that they were planning to do the Martian Half Marathon on April 5th. I'm already signed up to do the Bayshore Half Marathon on May 23rd (as is one of the Martian half-marathoners).
I thought about it for a while after I got home and then thought what the hell, I'm going to go for it. My training schedule for Bayshore calls for me to do an 11 mile long run the week of the Martian half. So I'll just treat the Martian as my long run, a little longer than called for, and not worry about my time. Bayshore is still the race where I'll be aiming to beat my RNR AZ time. Martian can be slower and I won't care - I'm just going to consider it a training run. A training run that happens to have one of the ugliest race shirts I've ever seen in my life. Can't wait to get it! :)
While at the park today, a couple of people mentioned that they were planning to do the Martian Half Marathon on April 5th. I'm already signed up to do the Bayshore Half Marathon on May 23rd (as is one of the Martian half-marathoners).
I thought about it for a while after I got home and then thought what the hell, I'm going to go for it. My training schedule for Bayshore calls for me to do an 11 mile long run the week of the Martian half. So I'll just treat the Martian as my long run, a little longer than called for, and not worry about my time. Bayshore is still the race where I'll be aiming to beat my RNR AZ time. Martian can be slower and I won't care - I'm just going to consider it a training run. A training run that happens to have one of the ugliest race shirts I've ever seen in my life. Can't wait to get it! :)
Sunday, October 5, 2008
The Brooksie Way 5k
This morning I got up early to head over to Oakland University for the inaugural running of The Brooksie Way Half Marathon and 5k. As you might have guessed, I was doing the 5k and not the half!
It was very cold again this morning - not even 40 degrees. David was there to support me because he is the best boyfriend in the world. We just sort of milled around a bit in the vicinity of the starting line. It was a little tough to identify exactly where the start was due to lack of signage. Note to organizers: Big signs saying "5k Start" and "Half Marathon Start" would be a good addition for next year!
After a bunch of announcements and two different renditions of the national anthem, we were finally ready to go. God bless all the walkers who do these 5ks, but common sense would dictate that unless you're a speed walker you should probably start at the back of the pack and also not walk 4-5 abreast. I started out really fast just so I could get free of the big cluster of people and then settle down into my comfortable pace.
The course definitely had a couple of tough spots for me. I'm used to running on a trail that's quite flat, so there was one hill on this course that seemed endless and was very challenging for me. I had to walk for a minute to get myself up the hill because my legs just weren't cooperating after yesterday's seven-mile run.
I noticed along the way that the mile markers were way different than the mileage shown on my Garmin. So as I got to the finish line, I noted that the Garmin said the distance was only 2.83 miles. I'm sure the Garmin could be off by a little, but there is no way this race was anywhere close to a full 3.1 miles. That was very disappointing. I don't have my official time yet, but I could see from the timer at the finish line that my time will be way lower than it should be just due to the short course.
If I projected my average pace to a full 3.1 miles, then my time would have been 2 1/2 minutes less than the first 5k I did. I feel good about that, but it stinks that my official time is going to be way lower and it just doesn't mean anything.
It was very cold again this morning - not even 40 degrees. David was there to support me because he is the best boyfriend in the world. We just sort of milled around a bit in the vicinity of the starting line. It was a little tough to identify exactly where the start was due to lack of signage. Note to organizers: Big signs saying "5k Start" and "Half Marathon Start" would be a good addition for next year!
After a bunch of announcements and two different renditions of the national anthem, we were finally ready to go. God bless all the walkers who do these 5ks, but common sense would dictate that unless you're a speed walker you should probably start at the back of the pack and also not walk 4-5 abreast. I started out really fast just so I could get free of the big cluster of people and then settle down into my comfortable pace.
The course definitely had a couple of tough spots for me. I'm used to running on a trail that's quite flat, so there was one hill on this course that seemed endless and was very challenging for me. I had to walk for a minute to get myself up the hill because my legs just weren't cooperating after yesterday's seven-mile run.
I noticed along the way that the mile markers were way different than the mileage shown on my Garmin. So as I got to the finish line, I noted that the Garmin said the distance was only 2.83 miles. I'm sure the Garmin could be off by a little, but there is no way this race was anywhere close to a full 3.1 miles. That was very disappointing. I don't have my official time yet, but I could see from the timer at the finish line that my time will be way lower than it should be just due to the short course.
If I projected my average pace to a full 3.1 miles, then my time would have been 2 1/2 minutes less than the first 5k I did. I feel good about that, but it stinks that my official time is going to be way lower and it just doesn't mean anything.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Another 5k
I enjoyed my first 5k race experience so much that I've signed up for another one. I'll be running in The Brooksie Way 5k on Sunday, October 5. My goal is simply to run my heart out and beat the time I achieved at the St. John Applefest 5k. I know I can do better!
I chose this one because it's coming up soon and also because it takes place on a Sunday instead of Saturday. Saturdays are when TNT group training runs are held and I want to make sure to go to as many of those as possible. I still put in the miles either way, but it's nice to have the support of the group.
I'll be in search of more 5k races that I can do in the fall.
I chose this one because it's coming up soon and also because it takes place on a Sunday instead of Saturday. Saturdays are when TNT group training runs are held and I want to make sure to go to as many of those as possible. I still put in the miles either way, but it's nice to have the support of the group.
I'll be in search of more 5k races that I can do in the fall.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
First 5k!
Today I ran my first 5k race, the St. John Applefest 5k. It was awesome!
It was a beautiful day today, around 60 degrees at race time and sunny. I ran the race with my sister-in-law's friend Jennifer. Jennifer's husband Kevin was also racing but he's a lot faster than me and Jennifer, so we didn't exactly run alongside him. My sister-in-law Milissa, my niece Beth and my awesome boyfriend David were there to cheer us on.
Jennifer and I powered our way through those 3.1 miles and finished a minute faster than I expected us to. It was a great experience to do a race and I can only imagine that the half marathon I'm training for will be even more exciting.
I'm now on the lookout for some additional 5k races that I can do this fall so I can challenge myself to improve on my time.
Tomorrow I have a six-mile training run planned, which will be the first time I've run that distance all at one time. I'm nervous about it but I know I can do it.
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