Race Report 10/23/11

Race: Honored Hero

Distance: 20 Miles

Time: 3:13

Finish: Overall:  , Gender:  , Age Group: 1/  (coming soon...)

Comments:  Small races can be so nice!  I had a really great run and by that I mean I felt good.  I can't say that about all my races.  But I felt good the entire 20 miles.  I'm not sure if it was because I was just running at a pace that felt right (no time goal).  In fact, I was feeling so good around mile 14, I started talking to just about everyone I came along, even if it was just to say "Good job!".  I was also able to speed up for my last 3 miles which was another sign that I was feeling pretty darn good.  Have I mentioned that?  What's kind of funny is that I was actually afraid I wouldn't finish the entire 20 miles.  I was worried I'd stop part way through.  One of the guys I chatted with is getting ready to run his 75th marathon next weekend.  Wow!  You can read about him here.  I met a grandmother who is training for her first marathon.  I met another woman who lost her mom to cancer and had a shirt that I would love to have - the back read "Strong for my mom". 

Lessons Learned:  I found some new spots that will need Body Glide during future long runs and the marathon.  ;)  I think a pit stop has to be part of my marathon plan - somewhere between mile 4 and mile 7.  I am just going to have to stop.  No other option as far as I can tell.  Oh well. 

Here are the girls waiting at the finish line.  Photo taken by ever-supportive husband. 

I tried to quit but . . .

Yes, it's true.  I tried to quit.  Several weeks ago after my 18 mile training run, I tried to quit. 
I haven't been able to get in my long runs on Saturdays which means either super early on Sunday, breaking them up on Sundays or running on Sunday afternoons (because I'm teaching Sunday School, of course).  I am a morning person.  Running after noon = bad.  I don't want to do much of anything after 3pm.  Five in the morning is much, much better than five in the evening. 

So when I did my 18 mile training run a few weeks ago, I wasn't in the greatest of moods to begin with.  It took me 3 hours.  My legs hurt.  They ached.  I was tired.  And I'd spent the majority of a weekend afternoon running.  Alone.  OK, not entirely alone since My Neighbor joined me a for a few miles around Mile 11.  But certainly without my girls or my man.  And weekends - at least for us - are supposed to be about family. 

So after feeling tired, achy and grumpy after my run, I decided it was just plain stupid.  Why am I doing this to myself?  Why am I spending all this time running?  It's never been a life long dream of mine to run a marathon.  I've never kicked myself for not doing it earlier in my life, unlike many other things I wish I'd done.  It's not one of those back-of-my-mind things I've thought about for years.  So why am I doing it?  I don't remember exactly.  I think it had something to do with needing a new goal, something to work toward and strive for. 

When my husband and girls returned home to find me soaking in a very hot bath, I announced that I had decided my training was STUPID and that I'd be changing my registrations to a half if the race organizers allowed that.  Angel Girl quickly responded with Mom, we don't say that word!   (Stupid, of course.)  So I said, OK, this is not smart.   And then to my complete and utter amazement my husband said, No.  You've trained too much for this.  You're too close.  Do it and then you can be done with it. 

And so it goes.  I am still training.  The 20 Miler is on Sunday.  I'm nervous and dreading it and worried about it.  I haven't gotten to do a 20 mile training run yet.  So I guess we'll just have to see how this goes. 

Still here

Yes, I'm still here.  I've got at least 1 race report due.  Training for the 20 miler and December marathon = HARD.  I almost quit.  More about that soon. 

Race Report 9/23/2011

Race:  Get Healthy Texas 5K

Distance:  3.1 Miles

Time: 26:24

Finish:  Overall:  32/159, Gender:  10/93, Age Group:  3/24

Comments:  One of the Stroller Mates Moms used this as her goal race to train for a 5K following the birth of baby boy #3.  It was a fun race - we met there and hung out with until start time.  Wonder Woman was also there with her oldest who's 6.  He kept yelling at her to "Run faster, MOM!" during the race (yeah, that's super-easy when you're pushing a 45 lb kid).  Angel Girl sort of sang/yelled the whole way and chimed in occasionally with the "Run faster, MOM!" and "Go, Mommy, Go!" on hills.  We were quite the sight, I'm sure.  It was a 6pm race, so I was very thankful that Little Miss Spitfire didn't fall asleep during the race (that would've meant a very late bedtime).  Probably the singing/yelling kept her awake.  Angel Girl thinks I won this race because I got a trophy.  I'll just let her think that for now.

Lessons Learned:  No big lessons here, but I am reminded how much I like small races (when else would I get a trophy?!), how much more fun it is to have friends there, and how nice it is to have one close to home.

What happened to running?

Is this a post about running?  Well, not so much.  But it is a post about my frustration because I'm not running as much as I'd like to be.

Life has gotten a little more hectic and less conducive to running in the last month or so.  About 4 weeks ago while walking home from our neighborhood pool, we passed a home for sale and commented that more space might be nice.  Ten days later our house went on the market and we had an Open House (same day as the Hottest Half).  Three days later we had an offer.  Now we're 'under contract', and I'm stuck at the house waiting for various service techs to show up during a 4 hour window. 

Wednesday morning I actually ran laps around our block while waiting for a plumber.  It's half a mile around our block, so I figured the most anyone would have to wait was 4-5 minutes.  I think I got 2.5 miles in that way, but running laps around your block (a) gets moderately boring and (b) makes the neighbors wonder what you're doing.  Yesterday I managed to squeeze in 3 miles before the girls woke up.  I've been doing 2-3 miles on the dreadmill when I can (but oh how boring that is).  This piecemeal running is not ideal.  I miss getting 4-5 miles in at once.  I'm hopeful that I'll get back into a better routine and soon.  I have only been going to Stroller Mates when I'm teaching which means my overall fitness is suffering - not just running. 

I've also had to apologize to every friend who's moved in the last couple of years - for my own ignorance and lack of sympathy for all the stress it entails.  Wonder Woman moved not that long ago, and I had no idea.  Since Angel Girl was born, the majority of our moves have been from one rental to the next until this home.  Even then it was buying only.  I think what's frying my brain is the selling and the buying all at once. 

Race Report 8/14/2011

Race:  Hottest Half

Distance:  13.1 Miles

Time: 2:07:33

Finish:  Overall:  474/1373, Age Group:  17/102

Comments: This was my slowest time for a half marathon yet.  I had anticipated taking it a little more slowly given the heat and humidity.  I knew I'd actually be walking through water stops.  But even knowing that, I still wanted to finish in under 2 hours.

We got a brief respite from the heat the day before the Hottest Half which meant it wasn't as hot as it had been (39 consecutive days of triple digit weather), but it was very humid.  Much more humid than it had been. 

I dropped my water bottle around mile 9.  I was apologizing profusely as I picked it up, and when I started running again another runner started chatting with me.  He ended up talking to me until we crossed the finish line.  I learned all about his kids (all grown), and he got to hear all about mine.  He was about the same age as my dad, and thankfully, he was funny. 

Lessons Learned:  Don't start at the back.  I know they say that it doesn't matter with chip timing, but it does.  If you're way in the back, you get stuck behind the walkers.  I spent the first mile just trying to get out from behind people.  Then the race bottle-necked on a bridge, and I probably walked 100 yards . . . slowly.  I know not to start at the back, but we'd just come out of the port-o-potties when we heard the gun go off. 

Hottest Half

I'm scheduled to run the Hottest Half this Sunday with My Neighbor.  It may truly be the hottest half.  We've had 40 consecutive days of triple digit heat.  The record is 42 consecutive days. 

We've been under either a Heat Advisory (temps over 105) or had an Excessive Heat Warning (temps over 110) pretty much every day.  The predicted low on Saturday night is 80 and the predicted high on Sunday is 104. 

I've decided to freeze the reservoir in my Hydrapak and wear it during the race.  That will allow me to focus on sports drinks at the water stops and keep water handy for most of the race. 

Anyone else running the Hottest Half this weekend?  Are you traveling or do you live nearby?