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. :)
Monday, July 27, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Especially for Black Bear!
Sorry, Black Bear, I went to class today but we didn't do a track workout. We just ran loops around the shopping center where the running store is located.
And one of the coaches hassled me about not attending the Saturday morning long runs. Considering I'd have to get up at 4:45am to get there on time, I'm not too interested in attending those runs. I run long with a friend much closer to home at 7am on Saturdays and that works fine for me!
Next up is the Heart of the Hills 10K this Saturday. Hoping my favorite Black Bear has decided to run it, too. Hint hint HINT!
And one of the coaches hassled me about not attending the Saturday morning long runs. Considering I'd have to get up at 4:45am to get there on time, I'm not too interested in attending those runs. I run long with a friend much closer to home at 7am on Saturdays and that works fine for me!
Next up is the Heart of the Hills 10K this Saturday. Hoping my favorite Black Bear has decided to run it, too. Hint hint HINT!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Been too long!
Wow, I've sadly neglected this blog. I don't feel like I have much to say. My marathon training schedule officially started on June 29th and I promptly skipped a couple of days of running that week. Whoops! Oh well, better to goof up the first week instead of the more important weeks later on.
I skipped the Wednesday running class a couple of weeks ago because I was swamped at work and also thunderstorms were going through the area. They did a track workout that day so I may have missed something interesting.
This past Wednesday's class was okay. The run itself was nothing special. They sent us out on the roads to run 4-6 miles. Once again, the coaches went with the fast runners and those of us who are slower were left on our own. The weather was good so it was an enjoyable run. I did only 4 miles since I'd already run 3 miles on Wednesday morning (just in case work was too busy for me to get away for the class).
After the class, we had a seminar on injury prevention. Not sure exactly what the credentials were of the speaker; I think he is some sort of physical therapist. In any case, it was really interesting and he talked a lot about improving one's posture and showed us a few exercises that will help us keep in alignment more easily. He'll come back for another session some time to talk about core strengthening.
One of the coaches gave me a marathon training schedule that he selected for me. Not sure how he selected it since he really hasn't seen me run, nor has he talked to me. The coaches do know our running distances and times because we have a website where we log all our runs so they can review it. The schedule the coach gave me is higher mileage than the schedule I'm using and I don't think I'll be following it. My current schedule may be a little light on mileage so I'll probably end up doing a compromise between the two. Since this is my first marathon and there are approximately a billion different training schedules out there, it's tough to know what's right.
This morning David and I met Vicki at the park for a 6-miler. I ended up doing 6 1/2 miles. It was hot for 7am (over 70 degrees) and really muggy. But it started raining part-way through the run and that kept us cool. The only other times I've run in the rain it's been a cold rain in winter or fall. Running in a warm summer rain was actually surprisingly pleasant.
Okay, done rambling for now.
I skipped the Wednesday running class a couple of weeks ago because I was swamped at work and also thunderstorms were going through the area. They did a track workout that day so I may have missed something interesting.
This past Wednesday's class was okay. The run itself was nothing special. They sent us out on the roads to run 4-6 miles. Once again, the coaches went with the fast runners and those of us who are slower were left on our own. The weather was good so it was an enjoyable run. I did only 4 miles since I'd already run 3 miles on Wednesday morning (just in case work was too busy for me to get away for the class).
After the class, we had a seminar on injury prevention. Not sure exactly what the credentials were of the speaker; I think he is some sort of physical therapist. In any case, it was really interesting and he talked a lot about improving one's posture and showed us a few exercises that will help us keep in alignment more easily. He'll come back for another session some time to talk about core strengthening.
One of the coaches gave me a marathon training schedule that he selected for me. Not sure how he selected it since he really hasn't seen me run, nor has he talked to me. The coaches do know our running distances and times because we have a website where we log all our runs so they can review it. The schedule the coach gave me is higher mileage than the schedule I'm using and I don't think I'll be following it. My current schedule may be a little light on mileage so I'll probably end up doing a compromise between the two. Since this is my first marathon and there are approximately a billion different training schedules out there, it's tough to know what's right.
This morning David and I met Vicki at the park for a 6-miler. I ended up doing 6 1/2 miles. It was hot for 7am (over 70 degrees) and really muggy. But it started raining part-way through the run and that kept us cool. The only other times I've run in the rain it's been a cold rain in winter or fall. Running in a warm summer rain was actually surprisingly pleasant.
Okay, done rambling for now.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tonight's running class
Blah, tonight's running class was really disappointing. First of all, it's freaking hot out there - 90+ degrees. I prefer to run at 6am when it's not so gross outside yet. But I didn't run this morning because I knew I had the class tonight.
So we get to the class and all they did was send us out to the streets to run 4-6 miles! The two coaches took off with the fast runners and left us slower people behind. What a waste! If I'd known that's what we'd be doing, I would have run this morning and skipped the class. Seriously, what am I paying for here? I hope it's better next week. They say they will give us our personalized training schedules next week.
After the running portion of the evening, we went into the running store and they gave us a seminar about choosing proper shoes and socks. Interesting stuff, I guess, if you were brand new to running. Personally, I didn't learn anything new.
Blah! I am whiny today!
So we get to the class and all they did was send us out to the streets to run 4-6 miles! The two coaches took off with the fast runners and left us slower people behind. What a waste! If I'd known that's what we'd be doing, I would have run this morning and skipped the class. Seriously, what am I paying for here? I hope it's better next week. They say they will give us our personalized training schedules next week.
After the running portion of the evening, we went into the running store and they gave us a seminar about choosing proper shoes and socks. Interesting stuff, I guess, if you were brand new to running. Personally, I didn't learn anything new.
Blah! I am whiny today!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Running Class
I signed up for a "Marathon 501" class through a local running shop. My marathon training partner Vicki was going to do it, so I figured I would too.
The group meets twice a week, on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Wednesday night will be hill work or speed work, while Saturday is the long run. We have two coaches and we also get emails a few times a week from the head coach of the whole program. (They run this class out of several locations.) Plus they have a website with different training schedules we can use, and where we track all of our workouts so the coaches can review it during the week and give us comments when we meet for class.
Last Wednesday was the first class where we actually ran. The prior Wednesday was orientation and they didn't have a Saturday meeting. Not sure how I feel about the class so far. We met at the running store, then ran two miles to a middle school that has a track. Once on the track, we did a two-mile timed run that the coaches will use to help us determine what our training pace should be. Then we ran two miles back to the store, got some initial comments from the coaches about our workouts we'd posted online, and that was it.
I was hoping that we'd be getting some tips on running form and that sort of thing during the class, but so far it hasn't happened. This thing will run through October (most people in the class are training for the Detroit marathon that happens in Oct.) so there's still plenty of time for that, I guess. But the coaches seem a little disorganized and I'm hoping that improves, too. If nothing else, though, at least it will force me to do some hills and speed work which are two things I tend to avoid on my own.
I won't be attending the Saturday long runs because they take place at a park which is way too far away from David's house where I spend the weekends. I don't want to drive 90 minutes to meet for a 6:45am long run. Vicki and I meet at a park and do our long runs together, and there's a huge Team in Training group that meets there so we always have people to run with if we want.
Overall, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I didn't waste $150!
The group meets twice a week, on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Wednesday night will be hill work or speed work, while Saturday is the long run. We have two coaches and we also get emails a few times a week from the head coach of the whole program. (They run this class out of several locations.) Plus they have a website with different training schedules we can use, and where we track all of our workouts so the coaches can review it during the week and give us comments when we meet for class.
Last Wednesday was the first class where we actually ran. The prior Wednesday was orientation and they didn't have a Saturday meeting. Not sure how I feel about the class so far. We met at the running store, then ran two miles to a middle school that has a track. Once on the track, we did a two-mile timed run that the coaches will use to help us determine what our training pace should be. Then we ran two miles back to the store, got some initial comments from the coaches about our workouts we'd posted online, and that was it.
I was hoping that we'd be getting some tips on running form and that sort of thing during the class, but so far it hasn't happened. This thing will run through October (most people in the class are training for the Detroit marathon that happens in Oct.) so there's still plenty of time for that, I guess. But the coaches seem a little disorganized and I'm hoping that improves, too. If nothing else, though, at least it will force me to do some hills and speed work which are two things I tend to avoid on my own.
I won't be attending the Saturday long runs because they take place at a park which is way too far away from David's house where I spend the weekends. I don't want to drive 90 minutes to meet for a 6:45am long run. Vicki and I meet at a park and do our long runs together, and there's a huge Team in Training group that meets there so we always have people to run with if we want.
Overall, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I didn't waste $150!
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.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Nice and slow
Went out for a run this morning. I turned the Garmin on when I started running and then didn't look at it again until I was done. I wanted to run nice and relaxed without pushing myself to go faster. My goal was to do something a bit longer than the 3-milers I've been doing since the Bayshore half, but I didn't want to go all out since I have a race tomorrow plus it just felt like a good day for a relaxed run.
I hit the rail trail and ran until I felt like turning around, then ran some more and did a little random neighborhood running, too. When I bought my condo 15 years ago when I was tubby and inactive, I had no idea how wonderful it would be to have that rail trail a mere 1/4 mile from my front door. I love it! They've expanded it in the last several years so I could go a good 12-14 miles or so from end to end if I wanted to (with a couple of scary-ass road crossings in there).
Weather was perfect this morning - low 50s and sunny. A delightful day all in all, and lots of people out enjoying the trail with me. When I got home I expected to see maybe 4 1/2 miles on the Garmin, but it turns out I ran 5 1/4. Loved every minute of it.
I hit the rail trail and ran until I felt like turning around, then ran some more and did a little random neighborhood running, too. When I bought my condo 15 years ago when I was tubby and inactive, I had no idea how wonderful it would be to have that rail trail a mere 1/4 mile from my front door. I love it! They've expanded it in the last several years so I could go a good 12-14 miles or so from end to end if I wanted to (with a couple of scary-ass road crossings in there).
Weather was perfect this morning - low 50s and sunny. A delightful day all in all, and lots of people out enjoying the trail with me. When I got home I expected to see maybe 4 1/2 miles on the Garmin, but it turns out I ran 5 1/4. Loved every minute of it.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Today's run
I ran three miles today at a 9:57 average pace. That's faster than the 5K we did on Saturday. What is happening to me? I honestly never thought I'd break a 10-minute mile. Now I want to see how much faster I can go.
But I'm taking tomorrow off from running. Partly because I don't want to overdo it, but mostly because I have an appointment at 7:15, then I have to work, and then right after work I go to my first Marathon 501 class! Time to start getting ready for the Free Press Marathon. I'm excited and terrified.
But I'm taking tomorrow off from running. Partly because I don't want to overdo it, but mostly because I have an appointment at 7:15, then I have to work, and then right after work I go to my first Marathon 501 class! Time to start getting ready for the Free Press Marathon. I'm excited and terrified.
Monday, June 8, 2009
More running with David
Since the 5K on Saturday, David and I have had two more opportunities to run together. On Sunday, we headed to the park where I'll be doing a trail 5K on Saturday. I just wanted to check it out and see how crazy it is. We did about 1 1/4 miles there. I think I can handle the terrain, but I'm a little worried about being able to pass people or let them pass me - it is mostly narrow single-track. Hmmm, should be interesting!
After we left the park, we went to my house and did another 3 miles on my local rail trail and got done just before it started raining. A good day of running!
I stayed at David's house last night and we headed out for a run at 6am today. We have a good three-mile route in David's neighborhood that we've run before. We headed out really fast (faster than our race pace from Saturday) for the first 1.5 miles. After that, we knocked it down a notch so as to avoid a heart attack. :) Our average pace for the three miles was nearly as fast as our 5K. I'm excited about the next 5K road race we decide to do, because I think we will kick some major butt.
I have to say once again that I love running with David! What could be better than sharing my favorite activity with my favorite person in the world?
After we left the park, we went to my house and did another 3 miles on my local rail trail and got done just before it started raining. A good day of running!
I stayed at David's house last night and we headed out for a run at 6am today. We have a good three-mile route in David's neighborhood that we've run before. We headed out really fast (faster than our race pace from Saturday) for the first 1.5 miles. After that, we knocked it down a notch so as to avoid a heart attack. :) Our average pace for the three miles was nearly as fast as our 5K. I'm excited about the next 5K road race we decide to do, because I think we will kick some major butt.
I have to say once again that I love running with David! What could be better than sharing my favorite activity with my favorite person in the world?
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!
Monday, June 1, 2009
Another day, another run with my boyfriend
David and I got up early before work today and ran three miles together. I love running with him! :)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Another beautiful day
What a gorgeous day it is today! It's currently about 50 degrees and beautifully sunny. David is helping a friend's dad move some furniture at 10am today, so we headed out a 8am for a nice three mile run. I'm so thrilled that David is enjoying running. It's been great to run with him these past two days and I hope we have many more great runs together in the future.
Yesterday we discussed that he's interested in doing a half marathon some time in the future. We haven't identified a race yet, but you can bet I'll be ready and willing to sign up for it and run it alongside him (if I can keep up with him - he likes to pick up the pace!)
That's all I have to report for now. I hope everyone is having a great Sunday.
Yesterday we discussed that he's interested in doing a half marathon some time in the future. We haven't identified a race yet, but you can bet I'll be ready and willing to sign up for it and run it alongside him (if I can keep up with him - he likes to pick up the pace!)
That's all I have to report for now. I hope everyone is having a great Sunday.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Milestone!
Recovery from Bayshore has been really smooth this week. I haven't run a ton, just 2-3 miles a day until today. This morning I went to Stony Creek to meet my friend Vicki. I planned to run six miles and she was planning 12 since she's training for a half later this month.
My beloved boyfriend David decided to come join us. We're running a 5K in Midland next Saturday - his first race - so he wanted to run three miles and make sure he could handle the distance since he's a new runner. I am so freaking proud of him and delighted, because he ran six miles today! We took a couple of short walk breaks but by far the majority of the six was running. He did a great job! I love running with David and I'm really excited about getting to do that more often.
He may be a convert to the delights of the early morning run, too. He felt great after finishing. I always love running first thing in the morning because then I don't care if I'm a lazy bum the rest of the day. I still know I accomplished something good. Now David understands that feeling. :)
My beloved boyfriend David decided to come join us. We're running a 5K in Midland next Saturday - his first race - so he wanted to run three miles and make sure he could handle the distance since he's a new runner. I am so freaking proud of him and delighted, because he ran six miles today! We took a couple of short walk breaks but by far the majority of the six was running. He did a great job! I love running with David and I'm really excited about getting to do that more often.
He may be a convert to the delights of the early morning run, too. He felt great after finishing. I always love running first thing in the morning because then I don't care if I'm a lazy bum the rest of the day. I still know I accomplished something good. Now David understands that feeling. :)
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Bayshore Half Marathon Report
I am proud to announce that I completed the Bayshore Half Marathon this morning in 2:16:51 which was a PR for me. (Previous PR was 2:20:02). Woo hoo! My Garmin battery died before the race started so I was running blind 
and actually that worked out okay.
and actually that worked out okay. The race course was so beautiful! Traverse City is located on a big bay of Lake Michigan and almost the whole course was on roads along the bay. Lovely views, great weather (mid-50s and some sun), awesome houses along the course that I would love to own.
I saw so many people I knew today, which was wonderful. I spent the time before the race hanging out with Sue, who was one of the Team in Training mentors when I trained for Phoenix. She's awesome and she will also be running the Detroit marathon so I know I'll see her a lot while training for that. She was aiming for a 2-hour finish time so I didn't run with her.
I set out alone at the start line, but about 2 miles in I heard someone say my name. It was Tracy, who was the TNT walk coach when I was a member. She is also awesome. She was running with her friend Tammy and I ran the remaining 11 miles of the race with them. That was so great. I wouldn't have gotten through it without them. Tracy was gunning for a 2:15 finish (which she didn't quite get) so I was pushing myself a bit to stay with her. It was soooo nice to have someone to run with, though, that I didn't want to fall back. Tracy and Tammy did pull away from me a bit in the last half mile because they wanted to try to sprint and I didn't have it in me.
With about 2 miles to go, we say Sandy who was my TNT running coach. She ran the last 2 miles with us. Are you seeing a theme here with the TNT people? Great group of folks and it's nice to feel
like part of a running community.
Overall, I had a fabulous time. I've attached a few pictures David captured. The finish line was on the high school track so there was a nice group of people there at the end giving encouragement.
Wheee! I'm so glad I did it. I feel surprisingly good right now. I have a blister on the arch of my left foot but it doesn't hurt so it's all good. David and I spent the day in downtown Traverse City checking out all the cute little shops. And I had some beer and some pie and some pizza and everything else that was delicious. And I have a nice shiny medal and a shiny new PR. :)
I saw so many people I knew today, which was wonderful. I spent the time before the race hanging out with Sue, who was one of the Team in Training mentors when I trained for Phoenix. She's awesome and she will also be running the Detroit marathon so I know I'll see her a lot while training for that. She was aiming for a 2-hour finish time so I didn't run with her.
I set out alone at the start line, but about 2 miles in I heard someone say my name. It was Tracy, who was the TNT walk coach when I was a member. She is also awesome. She was running with her friend Tammy and I ran the remaining 11 miles of the race with them. That was so great. I wouldn't have gotten through it without them. Tracy was gunning for a 2:15 finish (which she didn't quite get) so I was pushing myself a bit to stay with her. It was soooo nice to have someone to run with, though, that I didn't want to fall back. Tracy and Tammy did pull away from me a bit in the last half mile because they wanted to try to sprint and I didn't have it in me.
With about 2 miles to go, we say Sandy who was my TNT running coach. She ran the last 2 miles with us. Are you seeing a theme here with the TNT people? Great group of folks and it's nice to feel
like part of a running community.Overall, I had a fabulous time. I've attached a few pictures David captured. The finish line was on the high school track so there was a nice group of people there at the end giving encouragement.
Wheee! I'm so glad I did it. I feel surprisingly good right now. I have a blister on the arch of my left foot but it doesn't hurt so it's all good. David and I spent the day in downtown Traverse City checking out all the cute little shops. And I had some beer and some pie and some pizza and everything else that was delicious. And I have a nice shiny medal and a shiny new PR. :)
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Now the taper really begins
I have the Bayshore half marathon coming up next Saturday. I had a pathetic week of running this week. Between Monday and Friday I think I only logged 8 miles. I know I should be tapering, but come on! That's just ridiculous. I was busy all day Saturday so I didn't run then.
This morning I headed out to the park with Vicki. She had 11 miles scheduled. I was planning to do six. My six ended up a little longer because I needed to sidetrack to a restroom after about four miles. Embarrassing! And then when we got to the end of the loop I felt good so I tacked on another half mile. Ended up at seven total for the day. It felt good. Now I won't run more than three at a time for the rest of the week. Friday will be a day off.
Keep your fingers crossed for good weather in Traverse City next weekend. :)
This morning I headed out to the park with Vicki. She had 11 miles scheduled. I was planning to do six. My six ended up a little longer because I needed to sidetrack to a restroom after about four miles. Embarrassing! And then when we got to the end of the loop I felt good so I tacked on another half mile. Ended up at seven total for the day. It felt good. Now I won't run more than three at a time for the rest of the week. Friday will be a day off.
Keep your fingers crossed for good weather in Traverse City next weekend. :)
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Title 9K+ Race Report
On Sunday, May 10 I was in Boulder, CO to run the Title 9K+ race. (Sorry BlackBear, not Bolder Boulder!) Title 9K+ is a 9.9K women's only race sponsored by Title 9K clothing company.
What brought me to the race was a friend named Rachel from an online fitness forum that I belong to. There's a group of a few of us on the forum who are runners and Rachel invited me and another woman, Wendy, to come visit her and run the race. So I flew in on Friday evening, met my friends in person for the first time, and had a wonderful weekend!
On Saturday morning we went for a nice 4-mile run near Rachel's house. SO FREAKING BEAUTIFUL to go for a run with the Rocky Mountains forming the backdrop. Gorgeous! I was concerned about how the high altitude would affect a midwest flat-lander like me, but it turned out to be okay. I felt it, and my heart rate was up a bit, but it was manageable.
After our run, we cleaned up and headed up to Cheyenne to visit the Sierra Trading Post outlet. Wow, what a huge store! I bought a few running shirts, which I totally don't need but who cares, right? And also a cute casual skirt. Wendy and Rachel found even more and better deals than I did. It's probably a good thing I didn't buy more, since I hate checking luggage and my carry-on was already stuffed to the point of bursting.
On Sunday morning, we were up early and off to Boulder for the race! Rachel's husband and kids came with us. (It was Mother's Day, after all!) The race as at the Boulder Reservoir - really lovely there. It had been raining while were en route but fortunately stopped by race time. It was still cold, though. But Wendy (who is from southern California) was wearing shorts while Rachel and I were more bundled up. She's a tough one, that Wendy. :)
Rachel is super fast, so she lined up well ahead of me and Wendy. Wendy is also faster than me, so I was left in the dust pretty early on. I was wearing my jacket from the RNR Arizona half marathon, so that was fun because it caused a couple of women to start conversations with me. The race was mostly along dirt roads. Man, there were a couple of killer hills. But I kept on running. Really the only thing that slowed me down was about half a mile from the end when they had big pieces of chocolate at the aid station. Had to stop for that! Mmmm, chocolate.
The end of the race was a downhill, so I was able to turn on a little speed and feel what Rachel must feel like all the time when she runs! Crossed the finish line and collected my medal, which is actually a pretty necklace with a little pendant that says "Fit to Run" along with the name of the race and the date. Very nice! I haven't done a 10K before so I don't have a good point of comparison, but I was happy enough with my time. Mostly was glad the altitude didn't cause me to gasp for air and pass out. :)
Then we headed into town, did a little shopping, and then Wendy and I headed off to the airport. The weekend was much too short. And the race was a lot of fun, but mostly I enjoyed meeting my friends and hope I get to see them again soon.
What brought me to the race was a friend named Rachel from an online fitness forum that I belong to. There's a group of a few of us on the forum who are runners and Rachel invited me and another woman, Wendy, to come visit her and run the race. So I flew in on Friday evening, met my friends in person for the first time, and had a wonderful weekend!
On Saturday morning we went for a nice 4-mile run near Rachel's house. SO FREAKING BEAUTIFUL to go for a run with the Rocky Mountains forming the backdrop. Gorgeous! I was concerned about how the high altitude would affect a midwest flat-lander like me, but it turned out to be okay. I felt it, and my heart rate was up a bit, but it was manageable.
After our run, we cleaned up and headed up to Cheyenne to visit the Sierra Trading Post outlet. Wow, what a huge store! I bought a few running shirts, which I totally don't need but who cares, right? And also a cute casual skirt. Wendy and Rachel found even more and better deals than I did. It's probably a good thing I didn't buy more, since I hate checking luggage and my carry-on was already stuffed to the point of bursting.
On Sunday morning, we were up early and off to Boulder for the race! Rachel's husband and kids came with us. (It was Mother's Day, after all!) The race as at the Boulder Reservoir - really lovely there. It had been raining while were en route but fortunately stopped by race time. It was still cold, though. But Wendy (who is from southern California) was wearing shorts while Rachel and I were more bundled up. She's a tough one, that Wendy. :)
Rachel is super fast, so she lined up well ahead of me and Wendy. Wendy is also faster than me, so I was left in the dust pretty early on. I was wearing my jacket from the RNR Arizona half marathon, so that was fun because it caused a couple of women to start conversations with me. The race was mostly along dirt roads. Man, there were a couple of killer hills. But I kept on running. Really the only thing that slowed me down was about half a mile from the end when they had big pieces of chocolate at the aid station. Had to stop for that! Mmmm, chocolate.
The end of the race was a downhill, so I was able to turn on a little speed and feel what Rachel must feel like all the time when she runs! Crossed the finish line and collected my medal, which is actually a pretty necklace with a little pendant that says "Fit to Run" along with the name of the race and the date. Very nice! I haven't done a 10K before so I don't have a good point of comparison, but I was happy enough with my time. Mostly was glad the altitude didn't cause me to gasp for air and pass out. :)
Then we headed into town, did a little shopping, and then Wendy and I headed off to the airport. The weekend was much too short. And the race was a lot of fun, but mostly I enjoyed meeting my friends and hope I get to see them again soon.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Rounding out the week
I'm so lazy about blogging lately. But I've still been running!
Last Saturday afternoon after the trail race, David and I went to Stony Creek to hike on the nature trails. We managed to get caught in a rainstorm and I twisted my ankle in my rush to get back to the car. How nice that I can actually fall during a trail race without injury, yet I can't do a simple nature hike without hurting myself! My ankle was a bit sore for a few days, but nothing too bad. Certainly not enough to keep me from running.
On Sunday, we headed out to the bike/walk path at Stony Creek to do David's "couch to 5k" training plan. After we did that (about 2 miles), I was going to run out the rest of the 6-mile loop and David was going to walk it. When I got to the 5.5 mile mark, it started raining. Then it started raining pretty hard. So I was fairly well drenched by the time I got back to the car and called David to let him know I'd come pick him up. Unfortunately, the road set-up wasn't too cooperative so I had to do some goofy backtracking to get to David and he was soaked. Ugh, I felt bad about that.
Monday morning I got up early and did a lovely 5-mile run around David's neighborhood. I'm so happy that it's getting light out earlier now so I don't get all creeped out by early morning runs outside. It's nice to get away from the treadmill.
But speaking of the treadmill, on Tuesday and Wednesday it was back on the ol' belt of boredom to get my runs in because it was rainy and I'm a wimp! I took Thursday and Friday entirely off from any kind of exercise because I was feeling tired and my legs were a little dead. And frankly, I'm lazy so really that's my main reason for taking days off.
Today I met Sue, a former Team in Training mentor, to do a long run in Oxford. My regular running buddy Vicki is in Cincinnati this weekend for the Flying Pig half marathon and Sue was kind enough to invite me to run with her group of friends who usually meet on the weekends. Sue needed to get a good long run in, too, because she's also running the Bayshore half in a few weeks and her friends usually don't go more than 5 miles.
So Sue and I intended to get 12 in, but the route she chose ended up with us back at our cars after 11 1/4. We called it close enough because my legs were pretty sore anyway. But in a little while, David and I will hit the streets for his couch to 5k training so that will get me a couple of more miles, anyway. Then we're off to the Green Street Fair in Plymouth to walk around and then we'll probably hike at Maybury State Park. Gotta take advantage of the good weather and spend some time outside! Hoping not to get caught in a rainstorm this weekend. :)
Last Saturday afternoon after the trail race, David and I went to Stony Creek to hike on the nature trails. We managed to get caught in a rainstorm and I twisted my ankle in my rush to get back to the car. How nice that I can actually fall during a trail race without injury, yet I can't do a simple nature hike without hurting myself! My ankle was a bit sore for a few days, but nothing too bad. Certainly not enough to keep me from running.
On Sunday, we headed out to the bike/walk path at Stony Creek to do David's "couch to 5k" training plan. After we did that (about 2 miles), I was going to run out the rest of the 6-mile loop and David was going to walk it. When I got to the 5.5 mile mark, it started raining. Then it started raining pretty hard. So I was fairly well drenched by the time I got back to the car and called David to let him know I'd come pick him up. Unfortunately, the road set-up wasn't too cooperative so I had to do some goofy backtracking to get to David and he was soaked. Ugh, I felt bad about that.
Monday morning I got up early and did a lovely 5-mile run around David's neighborhood. I'm so happy that it's getting light out earlier now so I don't get all creeped out by early morning runs outside. It's nice to get away from the treadmill.
But speaking of the treadmill, on Tuesday and Wednesday it was back on the ol' belt of boredom to get my runs in because it was rainy and I'm a wimp! I took Thursday and Friday entirely off from any kind of exercise because I was feeling tired and my legs were a little dead. And frankly, I'm lazy so really that's my main reason for taking days off.
Today I met Sue, a former Team in Training mentor, to do a long run in Oxford. My regular running buddy Vicki is in Cincinnati this weekend for the Flying Pig half marathon and Sue was kind enough to invite me to run with her group of friends who usually meet on the weekends. Sue needed to get a good long run in, too, because she's also running the Bayshore half in a few weeks and her friends usually don't go more than 5 miles.
So Sue and I intended to get 12 in, but the route she chose ended up with us back at our cars after 11 1/4. We called it close enough because my legs were pretty sore anyway. But in a little while, David and I will hit the streets for his couch to 5k training so that will get me a couple of more miles, anyway. Then we're off to the Green Street Fair in Plymouth to walk around and then we'll probably hike at Maybury State Park. Gotta take advantage of the good weather and spend some time outside! Hoping not to get caught in a rainstorm this weekend. :)
Saturday, April 25, 2009
First Trail Race!
Today I participated in my first trail race, the Road Ends 5-Mile Trail Run at Pinckney Recreation Area. It was only the second trail run of my life and I loved it!
I accomplished my primary goal, which was not to end up DFL or DNF. Sadly, I did not accomplish my secondary goal of not falling down. Just past mile 2, I kicked a stick and sent it flying into the legs of another runner. I turned my head to apologize to her. Mistake! I promptly tripped over Lord knows what and fell forward. Fortunately, I just picked up a lot of dirt and a few minor scratches on my right leg. No real injuries.
We're having what the weather guy calls "unseasonably warm" weather, which I refer to as "freaking awesome, feels like summer and I love it" weather. But for running, it's probably not the best.
I left the house shortly before 7am and it was already almost 70 degrees outside. It probably was 70 by the time the race started at 9am and a few degrees more than that at the end. While I do love not having that crazy shock of cold air when I step out of the house to run, I wish it had been a little cooler. There's just no pleasing me, eh?
Normally for a 5-mile run I don't bother to carry water and today was no exception. But with the warm weather and the hills, I was so happy to see the water station around the 2.5 mile mark. In fact, I said "thank God" when I saw it and the woman running near me echoed my sentiment.
So anyway, about this trail. As I mentioned above, this is only the second time I've ever run on a trail. The first time was last Sunday because I thought "hey, it might be a good idea to attempt a trail run at least once before you do a trail race, genius." So I ran 5.3 miles on the mountain bike trails at Stony Creek Metropark. (Though technically all those miles weren't on the trail since I got a little turned around and decided getting on the road to go back to my car was probably my smarter move.) I enjoyed the first trail run, found it fun and challenging but not too strenuous.
Naturally, this made me excited and probably a little cocky for today's race. David has gone mountain biking at Pinckney before and warned me that it would be a tough, hilly trail. Well I am here to tell you, that man knows what he's talking about. Wow, there were some killer hills. Fortunately, it seems that it's quite acceptable to walk up the hills in trail racing. Yay! So walk I did, for most of the hills. Occasionally (for the less steep ones), I acted all tough and ran up. But overall, my pace was pretty slow and I was okay with that. I felt a lot more relaxed than I normally do during a race. I really didn't feel any pressure to race. I just wanted to have fun.
I was wearing the shirt from the Martian Half Marathon so that caused a few other people to strike up conversations with me. One woman and I chatted for a bit as we ran. She'd also run the Martian half. I told her this was my first trail race and she said "it's my first one, too, and it's kicking my ass." I enjoyed talking to her but she stopped to walk and said "I'll let you go, have a good race" which I think is code for "go away and leave me alone, lady, I'm trying to race here."
When I got into the last mile of the race, I noticed I was feeling pretty good and my breathing was fine. Meanwhile, quite a few people around me were sucking in wind like a Dyson sucks dirt out of your carpet. I would feel egotistical and think that it's because I'm so much more fit, but the reality is that I didn't push myself much. After the fall at mile 2, I started running more cautiously because I didn't want to fall again and risk an injury.
In summary, the race was a great time. I had a lot of fun and will do more trail running in the future. Next time I do a trail race, I plan to push myself a little harder and leave more of my energy out on the course instead of taking it back to the car with me.
I accomplished my primary goal, which was not to end up DFL or DNF. Sadly, I did not accomplish my secondary goal of not falling down. Just past mile 2, I kicked a stick and sent it flying into the legs of another runner. I turned my head to apologize to her. Mistake! I promptly tripped over Lord knows what and fell forward. Fortunately, I just picked up a lot of dirt and a few minor scratches on my right leg. No real injuries.
We're having what the weather guy calls "unseasonably warm" weather, which I refer to as "freaking awesome, feels like summer and I love it" weather. But for running, it's probably not the best.
I left the house shortly before 7am and it was already almost 70 degrees outside. It probably was 70 by the time the race started at 9am and a few degrees more than that at the end. While I do love not having that crazy shock of cold air when I step out of the house to run, I wish it had been a little cooler. There's just no pleasing me, eh?
Normally for a 5-mile run I don't bother to carry water and today was no exception. But with the warm weather and the hills, I was so happy to see the water station around the 2.5 mile mark. In fact, I said "thank God" when I saw it and the woman running near me echoed my sentiment.
So anyway, about this trail. As I mentioned above, this is only the second time I've ever run on a trail. The first time was last Sunday because I thought "hey, it might be a good idea to attempt a trail run at least once before you do a trail race, genius." So I ran 5.3 miles on the mountain bike trails at Stony Creek Metropark. (Though technically all those miles weren't on the trail since I got a little turned around and decided getting on the road to go back to my car was probably my smarter move.) I enjoyed the first trail run, found it fun and challenging but not too strenuous.
Naturally, this made me excited and probably a little cocky for today's race. David has gone mountain biking at Pinckney before and warned me that it would be a tough, hilly trail. Well I am here to tell you, that man knows what he's talking about. Wow, there were some killer hills. Fortunately, it seems that it's quite acceptable to walk up the hills in trail racing. Yay! So walk I did, for most of the hills. Occasionally (for the less steep ones), I acted all tough and ran up. But overall, my pace was pretty slow and I was okay with that. I felt a lot more relaxed than I normally do during a race. I really didn't feel any pressure to race. I just wanted to have fun.
I was wearing the shirt from the Martian Half Marathon so that caused a few other people to strike up conversations with me. One woman and I chatted for a bit as we ran. She'd also run the Martian half. I told her this was my first trail race and she said "it's my first one, too, and it's kicking my ass." I enjoyed talking to her but she stopped to walk and said "I'll let you go, have a good race" which I think is code for "go away and leave me alone, lady, I'm trying to race here."
When I got into the last mile of the race, I noticed I was feeling pretty good and my breathing was fine. Meanwhile, quite a few people around me were sucking in wind like a Dyson sucks dirt out of your carpet. I would feel egotistical and think that it's because I'm so much more fit, but the reality is that I didn't push myself much. After the fall at mile 2, I started running more cautiously because I didn't want to fall again and risk an injury.
In summary, the race was a great time. I had a lot of fun and will do more trail running in the future. Next time I do a trail race, I plan to push myself a little harder and leave more of my energy out on the course instead of taking it back to the car with me.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Survived the week
So, we had major layoffs at work this week. I ate a lot of chocolate on Tuesday when it was going down in my department. But I did run on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. And managed to finally get my eating under control.
Today I went out for a nice 12-miler with my friend Vicki. What a fantastic day for a run. It was almost 50 degrees when we started out at 7:30 this morning and gorgeously sunny. Ahhhh, a nice long run feels so good. We tried to keep our pace very reasonable today because we tend to overdo it. But we still found ourselves going way too fast from time to time. I swear, I need to keep my eyes glued to my watch every minute, otherwise my pace just gets out of control.
Vicki agreed to run the Detroit Free Press Marathon with me! Woo hoo, I'm so excited. We run really well together and it will be great to have a training partner for all those long miles. Plus, we're planning to run the whole race together. We don't have any time goals, we just want to get through it. It will be a lot easier to get through it if we run it together. Yeah!
Today I went out for a nice 12-miler with my friend Vicki. What a fantastic day for a run. It was almost 50 degrees when we started out at 7:30 this morning and gorgeously sunny. Ahhhh, a nice long run feels so good. We tried to keep our pace very reasonable today because we tend to overdo it. But we still found ourselves going way too fast from time to time. I swear, I need to keep my eyes glued to my watch every minute, otherwise my pace just gets out of control.
Vicki agreed to run the Detroit Free Press Marathon with me! Woo hoo, I'm so excited. We run really well together and it will be great to have a training partner for all those long miles. Plus, we're planning to run the whole race together. We don't have any time goals, we just want to get through it. It will be a lot easier to get through it if we run it together. Yeah!
Monday, April 13, 2009
I run so I can eat
That's what my favorite Bondiband says: I run so I can eat. But in this case, it should say "I ate, so I need to run!" Wow, did I ever eat a lot over the weekend! Like, everything in sight, former fat girl style, just chowed down. Good thing I ran 9.5 miles on Saturday, but that didn't put a dent in it!
Today I made it to the gym and got about 4.5 miles in before work. I'll run before work this week on Tue, Wed and Thu, too. Maybe even Friday. And I've got 12 scheduled for Saturday. If I do all that and eat right all week, then maybe I'll be back to where I started before I took a trip to binge-ville.
Job stress (as in, we're having layoffs and I'm waiting to see if I still have a job) has definitely played a role, but I think I also just got tired of always being the healthy, virtuous chick. However, I feel thoroughly gross and also don't want to regain all my weight, so it's back to healthy virtuousness this week and beyond.
Now somebody hold me to that.
Today I made it to the gym and got about 4.5 miles in before work. I'll run before work this week on Tue, Wed and Thu, too. Maybe even Friday. And I've got 12 scheduled for Saturday. If I do all that and eat right all week, then maybe I'll be back to where I started before I took a trip to binge-ville.
Job stress (as in, we're having layoffs and I'm waiting to see if I still have a job) has definitely played a role, but I think I also just got tired of always being the healthy, virtuous chick. However, I feel thoroughly gross and also don't want to regain all my weight, so it's back to healthy virtuousness this week and beyond.
Now somebody hold me to that.
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