On Sunday, October 18th I completed my first marathon. Woo hoo! It was really hard but a wonderful experience.
My friend Wendy and her husband Ken came in from California to run the race. I met Wendy last year on an online fitness forum and she has been a big running inspiration to me. We met in person in May of this year when we visited another forum friend in Colorado and ran the Title 9K+ race in Boulder. David and I had dinner with Wendy and Ken on Saturday night and then we all went to our hotel rooms to try to get some rest. David and I stayed in the host hotel even though we live in the Detroit area because I didn't want to have to get up super early and then deal with traffic.
I slept better on Saturday night than I thought I would, though I still woke up several times. I ended up getting up half an hour before the alarm went off because I was a bundle of nerves. I had a special item to wear as part of race day apparel, because my friend Megan sent me a bracelet that says "Mind Over Miles." She sent one for my running buddy Vicki, too, which is so sweet of her. Vicki and I trained together and planned to run the marathon together. It was Vicki's first marathon, too.
My breakfast of champions consisted of oatmeal, a chewy granola bar, and two Tylenol tablets. A little pre-medication can't hurt, right?
We headed out of the hotel with Wendy and Ken at 6am, allowing us plenty of time to walk to the start corral which was less than a mile away. Well, we TRIED to head out of the hotel at 6am. The hotel is in the middle of the Renaissance Center, which is a group of interconnected cylindrical towers. And let me tell you, it's a freaking maze in there. It took us a while to find our way out to the street.
When we arrived at the start, we found our corral. Wendy and Ken were supposed to be in a faster corral but they sneaked into mine so they could run with me. Vicki and I had agreed to meet at the corral. I didn't see her so I started calling her cell phone. I called several times and walked through the whole corral searching for her, but I never found her! I did not see her for the entire race. I was very upset because I'm the one who talked her into doing the marathon in the first place. I knew she was riding downtown together with her friend Pam, who was also running the marathon, so she wasn't starting the race alone. But it was still really upsetting.
Standing in the corral in the cold was nerve-wracking. Did I mention that I was a bundle of nerves? At 7:15 the first corral was released and we started moving up. Our corral was sent off just past 7:30. I was really happy that I could still see David on the sidelines because that helped keep me calmer. Once we crossed the start line, my nerves mostly disappeared but I was still wondering about Vicki.
I went out a little faster than I planned but that was ok. One thing I found annoying is that a lot of people dropped their throwaway clothes right in the middle of the street. Come on people, go toss it on the side of the road so your fellow runners don't have to trip over it.
At about mile two we reached the approach to the Ambassador Bridge. I am no fan of hills but I was excited about crossing the bridge. Could have done without the winding around on the approach to the bridge, because it made it really apparent how many people were way in front of me already. :) But the bridge was fantastic. The sun was just coming up so we had a gorgeous view of the sunrise and the many trees that were wearing their fall colors.
Over the bridge, we soon turned onto Riverside Drive in Windsor for a long straightaway along the river. This was also very cool because there's a sculpture park along the way and a fantastic view of downtown Detroit. But I didn't pay as much attention to the scenery as I probably should have because I was thinking about running and the distance in front of me. Wendy and Ken were in front of me for most of this, but not too far and it was easy to keep them in sight.
It seemed like we reached the tunnel pretty quickly. The tunnel was interesting. It was pretty warm in there. Fortunately the crowd was pretty well spread out. Near the end of the tunnel, there were two guys in puffy jackets who didn't have race numbers. They were stopped by the cops and I wonder what happened to them.
Coming out of the tunnel - yay! It's David. We exchanged "I love you's" (awww) and he said "See you at 12." I thought, wow, he has an overly optimistic idea of how long it will take me to do this race. I took my first GU here and also my first dose of Aleve. My feet weren't hurting yet and I wanted to keep it that way!
The next few miles are a blur. I remember I got depressed when we passed the point where the half split off. I contemplated heading for the half finish and taking a DNF but quickly realized that was ridiculous. Plus, there were Wendy and Ken up ahead motioning me on to continue. And then much to my surprise, there was David again on the side of the road. Turns out that when he said "See you at 12" he meant mile 12, not 12pm. :) That was a nice psychological boost to see him.
I continued trudging along, keeping Ken and Wendy in sight up ahead. Wendy needed to make a pit stop somewhere between 12 and 13 so Ken and I waited for her. In retrospect, I should have kept going because 1) they run a lot faster than I do so inevitably they would catch up to me and 2) my legs seize up if I stop moving forward. Took me a bit to get forward motion going again in anything resembling a smooth movement.
Maybe a mile or so after that, Wendy and Ken pulled over to the side. Wendy was taking off her jacket and Ken looked like he was stretching. Having learned from my previous error, I kept going. Wendy caught up with me soon after and said Ken had mentioned his ankle was hurting. She'd suggested he drop out at the half but he didn't want to do that.
I was thinking negative thoughts at this point about how much still remained ahead of me. It was probably my lowest point in the race. Wendy told me that this was the part of the race where she just started focusing on the next mile marker. I started doing that and it's amazing how much it helped me. I would repeat to myself (in my head, not out loud) "just get to 15, just get to 15" or whatever the next mile was. Somehow that made the miles go by faster. I also occasionally muttered a long drawn-out f-bomb (out loud, not in my head) but I kept it fairly quiet so as not to offend my fellow runners who may not be as potty-mouthed as I am.
Somewhere in the miles between 14 and 16 I could no longer manage to keep Wendy in my sights. I'd told her and Ken before the race that they should take off whenever they felt like it and I didn't think they had any obligation to stick with me. Ken was still behind me at this point and I wasn't sure what was going on with him.
The run through Indian Village was another highlight of the race. It's beautiful there - the houses are great, the trees were pretty and the residents were very encouraging. I skipped the beer that was being offered, as well as the jelly beans. Seemed like it would not be in my best interest to partake in them. At mile 16 I took my second GU and another dose of Aleve.
I think the Aleve was a life-saver for me. By mile 15 of my 20-miler, my feet were killing me. But during the whole marathon, my feet felt a little sore but nothing like the anguish I experienced previously.
We did a weird little loop around some traffic cones on Jefferson and then headed in the direction of Belle Isle. It was at this point that I started taking more walk breaks. When I do another marathon some day I'm going to work on eliminating walk breaks as much as possible. Or else I will plan them (e.g. run 10 minutes, walk one minute) so I don't end up stretching the walking out longer and longer.
On the bridge to Belle Isle, Ken came up to me again to see how I was doing. Apparently he had been feeling somewhat barfy though he never actually vomited. He said that it was clear to him he needed to do some more training (did I mention that he's an amazing adventure racer and will be doing a 150 mile race in March?) Yep, a marathon is only a training race for him, because he is unbelievably impressive. I'm in awe of him.
Belle Isle was a little aggravating to me because there was some DJ providing "entertainment" at mile 22 near where people were getting back onto the bridge to exit Belle Isle. The only problem is that those of us entering Belle Isle around mile 19 could also hear him clear as a bell saying "you're at mile 22, only four miles to go." That is depressing to hear when you've got 7 miles to go. Plus this DJ had no idea how to motivate runners. Berating someone for taking a walk break at mile 22 is not the way to go, jackass!
I saw Ken again on Belle Isle but he dropped back again. I found out later that he was probably about 50 yards behind me for the last 7 or 8 miles of the race. Since he wasn't having a good race himself, he made it his mission to make sure I was doing all right. What a sweetheart!
When I exited Belle Isle I managed not to punch the DJ in the face. I didn't have the energy to form a fist anyway. No way would I have been able to put any power behind the punch. Maybe I could have mustered up a bitch slap but he wasn't worth it. It was encouraging to leave Belle Isle and realize that I was kind of in the home stretch.
I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that I walked HUGE portions of the last 6 miles of the race. My legs were so fatigued. My goal at that point was to make sure I finished within 5 1/2 hours. That was partly because it was the time I'd predicted all along, but also because the late checkout at the Marriott was only until 2pm so if I didn't finish in 5 1/2 hours there was no way I would make it back to the hotel in time to take a shower before checking out. I did NOT want to have to drive all the way home to shower before coming back downtown for dinner with Wendy and Ken.
When I walked, I tried to keep up a decent pace. I noticed a lot of people were strolling along slowly on their walk breaks but I figured 5 1/2 hours is long enough to be on my feet and again, I had the shower to motivate me.
The run (walk in my case) along the Riverwalk was cool. That was the first time I'd ever been on the Riverwalk and it was great to see how access to the riverfront has been opened up. Very nice! Around mile 23 or 24 some people said things like "you're almost there." I couldn't help myself and said to one guy "unless I can see the finish line, I'm not almost there." I know people are trying to be encouraging but come on, 2 or 3 miles to go is not "almost there." Those feel like endless miles at that point, at least to me.
As I reached the 25 mile marker, I put on the dorky Bluetooth headset and called David as previously agreed upon to let him know I was getting closer. He didn't hear the phone ring so I left a message letting him know where I was and that I was walking so it was probably going to be another 15 or 16 minutes.
Soon after that Ken approached me and asked how I was doing. I said I was probably going to walk to the finish. But then I saw my brother Rob yelling encouragement. Well, I couldn't embarrass myself by walking it in after that, so I started to run (very slowly). Rob said he would call ahead to his wife Milissa, who was waiting at the finish along with David and my nephew Alex. Rob loped along on the sidewalk not having any trouble keeping up with me.
Coach Sandy from Team in Training saw me somewhere between 25 and 26, can't remember where exactly. She ran with us for a bit, gave me lots of encouragement and told me Team in Training had a water station around the corner about half a mile from the finish. She left us and we finally turned that last corner and could see the finish line. That felt like a really long half mile to me. I managed to keep running but I have to say that it was damn hard for me to do so. If you saw the finish line video in the prior post then you know I was not exhibiting good running form at this point. :)
I saw David and my family and heard them yelling for me. Tried really hard to smile but couldn't quite do it until I crossed the finish line. People told me it would feel amazing to cross the finish line but I didn't really believe it until it happened to me. I took my beautiful medal and put it around my neck. The benefit of finishing as late as I did is that the security around the "runners only" area was non-existent so Rob, Milissa, Alex and David came right over to hug me. I felt like crying. I can't believe I completed a marathon.
And I made it to the hotel with 20 minutes before checkout so I took that shower. Yeah! Then David, Wendy and Ken and I had a drink at the bar and headed to Pizzapapalis in Greektown for a delicious pizza feast. Ken gave me a bracelet that says "Nothing Great is Easy" from endurancetrust.org.
Before David and I left Wendy and Ken at the hotel, Wendy gave me the most wonderful gift. It's a beautiful silver bracelet with a heart charm on it. The charm is engraved with "Detroit Marathon" on one side and the date on the other. Wendy said a friend gave her a similar bracelet after Wendy completed her first marathon. I am so touched and feel honored to have Wendy as my friend. Now I will always have a reminder of the wonderful weekend and this amazing experience.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Detroit Free Press Marathon
I completed the Detroit Free Press Marathon yesterday! Race report to come, but in the meantime here's a video of me crossing the finish line. Pain face is in full effect. I'm the one in the long-sleeved pink shirt and black hat, behind the group of people holding hands. The man next to me in the orange hat and peace symbol shirt is my friend Ken who crossed the finish line with me. His wife Wendy ran the race, too but finished well ahead of us.
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!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Good news and bad news
First, the bad news. My new shoes aren't the solution to my sore feet on long runs.
Second, the good news. My 15 mile run today was awesome. I felt great. I had sore feet for the last few miles but because I was expecting it, it seemed easier to take. I felt substantially better after 15 miles today than I did at the 15 mile mark last weekend. Also, I took an Aleve about 8 miles in and I think that helped, too. My legs didn't feel as sore so I believe that made the feet easier to handle.
I'm starting to feel like this marathon is going to be okay. Also, I know it helped to find out that my friend Wendy and her husband Ken plan to run the marathon alongside me and my running buddy Vicki. I knew Wendy and Ken were coming to run the marathon but didn't know they were going to stick with us. Wendy said that she wants to cross the finish line with me. They are so awesome! They're veteran marathoners and could finish much faster but they said they don't care about time. What a mental boost that will be to have them by my side! It's going to help me tremendously.
Life is good!
Second, the good news. My 15 mile run today was awesome. I felt great. I had sore feet for the last few miles but because I was expecting it, it seemed easier to take. I felt substantially better after 15 miles today than I did at the 15 mile mark last weekend. Also, I took an Aleve about 8 miles in and I think that helped, too. My legs didn't feel as sore so I believe that made the feet easier to handle.
I'm starting to feel like this marathon is going to be okay. Also, I know it helped to find out that my friend Wendy and her husband Ken plan to run the marathon alongside me and my running buddy Vicki. I knew Wendy and Ken were coming to run the marathon but didn't know they were going to stick with us. Wendy said that she wants to cross the finish line with me. They are so awesome! They're veteran marathoners and could finish much faster but they said they don't care about time. What a mental boost that will be to have them by my side! It's going to help me tremendously.
Life is good!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Shoes, pain and mental strength
Ran another five miles in the new Sauconys today. Still feel good. The real test is Saturday's 15 miles. But from what I hear, it is normal to get sore feet during a marathon. I'm pretending I don't know that.
I need to come up with some strategies to stay in a positive frame of mind even when my feet hurt and I don't feel like running anymore. I am going to finish this marathon, damn it. And it would be a bonus if I actually have fun instead of treating it like a death march.
I need to come up with some strategies to stay in a positive frame of mind even when my feet hurt and I don't feel like running anymore. I am going to finish this marathon, damn it. And it would be a bonus if I actually have fun instead of treating it like a death march.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
So far, so good
I tried out the new Saucony shoes this morning. They felt fine, but it was only a five mile run so time will tell how they feel over a longer distance. But I was glad they were comfortable for a short run. Even if they don't help for a long run at least I know I'll be able to use them.
My total mileage for September was 163.93. Should have run an extra .07 just to get to a nice even number. That mileage wouldn't sound like a lot to a hard core runner, but that's a ton for me. My previous high mileage month was August with 153.19. Prior to that, I didn't even break 100 miles for most months.
Oh, and at the beginning of the year I set a goal of running 1,000 miles in 2009. As of today, I'm at 1002.94, so mission accomplished. I guess I can stop running for the rest of the year if I want to. :)
My total mileage for September was 163.93. Should have run an extra .07 just to get to a nice even number. That mileage wouldn't sound like a lot to a hard core runner, but that's a ton for me. My previous high mileage month was August with 153.19. Prior to that, I didn't even break 100 miles for most months.
Oh, and at the beginning of the year I set a goal of running 1,000 miles in 2009. As of today, I'm at 1002.94, so mission accomplished. I guess I can stop running for the rest of the year if I want to. :)
Sunday, September 27, 2009
New Shoes
I went to the awesome local running shop (Hansons) today and talked to them about how flipping sore my feet were during the 20 mile run yesterday. I am now the owner of a pair of Saucony ProGrid Guide 2 shoes. I bought men's because I have big feet and they felt good.
I'll be doing 15 miles next Saturday so we'll see how the feet feel after that. I hope to God these help with the problem because otherwise I'm not sure how I'll manage 26.2.
I'll be doing 15 miles next Saturday so we'll see how the feet feel after that. I hope to God these help with the problem because otherwise I'm not sure how I'll manage 26.2.
Recovery Run
Went out for a nice little three mile run today to loosen things up. The first several steps were tough - my legs were protesting! After that, I settled in and felt good. Running three miles sure feels nice and short after the agony that is a 20 miler. It's amazing to me how much better my legs and feet feel compared to yesterday. I enjoyed running today.
Now I'm going to forget all about the 20 mile agony and pretend that the whole marathon will feel just as great as today did.
Now I'm going to forget all about the 20 mile agony and pretend that the whole marathon will feel just as great as today did.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
20 Miler
I ran 20 miles today. Holy crap, that was hard! I spent the last five miles telling myself that I was going to back out of this whole crazy marathon idea. Then I finally finished the 20 miles and took some Aleve and felt better, and I realized that after all this fricking training I have to find a way to get through the marathon.
But seriously, why do my legs have to get so damn sore? Gah. I'm good through 14 or 15 miles and then I get really sore and I want to give up. I'm definitely having issues with the mental aspect of running long distances. I need to figure out a solution before the marathon on October 18th.
I'm just going to tell myself that after the taper my legs will feel nice and fresh for marathon day, so it will seem easier. Please, nobody disabuse me of that notion. It's all I have to hang on to right now!
But seriously, why do my legs have to get so damn sore? Gah. I'm good through 14 or 15 miles and then I get really sore and I want to give up. I'm definitely having issues with the mental aspect of running long distances. I need to figure out a solution before the marathon on October 18th.
I'm just going to tell myself that after the taper my legs will feel nice and fresh for marathon day, so it will seem easier. Please, nobody disabuse me of that notion. It's all I have to hang on to right now!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Back. Sorta.
Ah, my poor neglected blog! How could I abandon you?
Short update for now:
- I'm still training for the Detroit Free Press Marathon
- I have to run 20 miles on Saturday and I'm dreading it
- I did a 30K race on a freaking hilly course over Labor Day weekend and I did a terrible job and it scared me into thinking perhaps this marathon thing is not for me. But I will keep going and hope that the 20-miler restores some confidence.
In happier news, on Saturday I ran a 5K. This particular 5K was the very first race I ever did, when I started running last year. So this was my first repeat visit to a race. It was fun and I set a PR. Yay!
Short update for now:
- I'm still training for the Detroit Free Press Marathon
- I have to run 20 miles on Saturday and I'm dreading it
- I did a 30K race on a freaking hilly course over Labor Day weekend and I did a terrible job and it scared me into thinking perhaps this marathon thing is not for me. But I will keep going and hope that the 20-miler restores some confidence.
In happier news, on Saturday I ran a 5K. This particular 5K was the very first race I ever did, when I started running last year. So this was my first repeat visit to a race. It was fun and I set a PR. Yay!
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. :)
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?
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