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.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
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?
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?
Friday, August 5, 2011
Hills
Have I commented on hills much? Probably just randomly. I know I read somewhere that a "hill workout" should be part of my regular training. But like many things that should be part of my training routine, I don't always find them practical with a stroller. I would include hills in this category of "not practical" although I have an idea or two about how I could include them.
I have two routes with quite a few hills and I try to run them once a week (ok, maybe every other week - they really kick my rear...and quads...and hams...). I find even the smallest, inconsequential looking hill to provide plenty of challenge with both girls. I also find downhill to be a challenge because control is easier said than done.
I ran at a nearby lake recently and I'd forgotten how hilly it is out there. Yikes! My Polar HRM really liked it as far as calories are concerned. It was a fabulous workout and should probably be a regular route in my training schedule.
I've also considered parking the girls at the bottom of a hill while I do a short hill workout as part of a daily run. I would probably need a few extra snacks and/or toys while they're sitting still. And I probably wouldn't try it in the heat we've been having lately (unless they're in the shade and there's a breeze). It could work, right?
I've worked in some hill repeats on the rare weekend solo run, and I like the variety. I have a couple of hills nearby that are great for it. Any advice on hills? How often?
I have two routes with quite a few hills and I try to run them once a week (ok, maybe every other week - they really kick my rear...and quads...and hams...). I find even the smallest, inconsequential looking hill to provide plenty of challenge with both girls. I also find downhill to be a challenge because control is easier said than done.
I ran at a nearby lake recently and I'd forgotten how hilly it is out there. Yikes! My Polar HRM really liked it as far as calories are concerned. It was a fabulous workout and should probably be a regular route in my training schedule.
I've also considered parking the girls at the bottom of a hill while I do a short hill workout as part of a daily run. I would probably need a few extra snacks and/or toys while they're sitting still. And I probably wouldn't try it in the heat we've been having lately (unless they're in the shade and there's a breeze). It could work, right?
I've worked in some hill repeats on the rare weekend solo run, and I like the variety. I have a couple of hills nearby that are great for it. Any advice on hills? How often?
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Podcasts
I've started listening to podcasts on my long runs. The pro is that I find them very distracting and entertaining. My favorites are Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me and Car Talk (just FYI, I have no interest in cars but Click and Clack are hysterical!). The con is that I run slower listening to podcasts than I do with my music. All my run music is up tempo, dance type music (go figure), and I tend to run with the beat. But long runs are supposed to be slower, right?
I just saw that Another Mother Runner has some podcasts, so I've downloaded those for my next medium-long run. When did 8-10 miles become not a long run? I'm not sure . . .
Do you have suggestions for how to get out of the house without the kids for a long run? My strategy lately involves getting up very early on Sunday mornings and leaving before anyone else is awake. The main downside is that I am too tired to fix my hair for church and have been wearing it in a bun (which is actually OK because it's so hot, I don't want to use heat in way, shape or form to fix it) AND I am fidgety during church. Me and my 4 year old are bouncing in our seats during the service. But I digress. I typically leave Hubby a short list that says something like please feed the girls and get them dressed (I have to lay out the clothes, sometimes food suggestions too). I would like to leave water on the front porch and stop back by the house once or twice, but I'm fearful I will also get at least one girl in a stroller if I do that. ;) It's happened before. I don't mind doing long runs with Little Miss Spitfire, especially if she falls asleep, but I know Angel Girl's max right now is about 45 minutes and then she just wants O-U-T.
I just saw that Another Mother Runner has some podcasts, so I've downloaded those for my next medium-long run. When did 8-10 miles become not a long run? I'm not sure . . .
Do you have suggestions for how to get out of the house without the kids for a long run? My strategy lately involves getting up very early on Sunday mornings and leaving before anyone else is awake. The main downside is that I am too tired to fix my hair for church and have been wearing it in a bun (which is actually OK because it's so hot, I don't want to use heat in way, shape or form to fix it) AND I am fidgety during church. Me and my 4 year old are bouncing in our seats during the service. But I digress. I typically leave Hubby a short list that says something like please feed the girls and get them dressed (I have to lay out the clothes, sometimes food suggestions too). I would like to leave water on the front porch and stop back by the house once or twice, but I'm fearful I will also get at least one girl in a stroller if I do that. ;) It's happened before. I don't mind doing long runs with Little Miss Spitfire, especially if she falls asleep, but I know Angel Girl's max right now is about 45 minutes and then she just wants O-U-T.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Tempo Runs
Lately many of my runs have been a variation of a "tempo run" by default. As in I don't manage to get out of the house until 6:50am and Hubby needs to leave by 7:30am AND my goal mileage for the day is 5 miles. You see the issue here since I typically run a pace of 9:30 to 10:30 per mile on daily runs (especially in this heat). So I've had quite a few mornings where my pace is averaging around 8:30 per mile. Based on what I've read, I should really be doing a warm-up and cool-down mile at a slower pace, but again, it's not really an option some days.
(Total side note: Our A/C went out Thursday afternoon. Yikes it was hot in here! Luckily the A/C repair guy was here bright and early on Friday and got it functioning again by 10am. I don't know about the weather where you are, but we're on our 28th consecutive day of triple digit heat.)
(Total side note: Our A/C went out Thursday afternoon. Yikes it was hot in here! Luckily the A/C repair guy was here bright and early on Friday and got it functioning again by 10am. I don't know about the weather where you are, but we're on our 28th consecutive day of triple digit heat.)
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Poor neglected blog . . .
I don't know about your summer, but ours has been packed with activities, lessons, day camps, and trips to various pools and splash pads. I over planned for the summer to say the least. Add on weeks of triple digit weather and you get one poor and neglected blog.
I am an early riser. Yes, one of those people. I'm normally up no later than 5:30am because that is typically the only time that no one else is awake, and I am able to do things without interruption. Things like blog posts. However, with the triple digit streak and lows only dipping into the lower 80's, I've been trying to log some miles before Hubby goes to work and that means getting out to run by 6:00am or as soon as there's enough light. That in turn means that everyone is awake by the time I get home and thus, no blogging.
I did manage my longest run to date this past Sunday - 16 miles. I started at 5:50am and finished at 8:30am. Yikes, that's a long time to be running! I seldom plan a route exactly now that I have my Forerunner 610, and this day was no different. I wore my Camelbak (packed with ice and then filled with water), but I ran out of water at 10.25 miles. At that point I started texting Hubby (while running) giving him location information and asking him to bring me water. Unfortunately, he didn't get the texts until I was walking down our street as a cool down. So now I know I need to stop back by the house at least once on runs longer than 14 miles. Run and learn. I wasn't very sore the next day, but I took a hot soak in the tub and then got the water as cold as I could stand it for a while longer. I don't know why that works for me but it seems to.
I am an early riser. Yes, one of those people. I'm normally up no later than 5:30am because that is typically the only time that no one else is awake, and I am able to do things without interruption. Things like blog posts. However, with the triple digit streak and lows only dipping into the lower 80's, I've been trying to log some miles before Hubby goes to work and that means getting out to run by 6:00am or as soon as there's enough light. That in turn means that everyone is awake by the time I get home and thus, no blogging.
I did manage my longest run to date this past Sunday - 16 miles. I started at 5:50am and finished at 8:30am. Yikes, that's a long time to be running! I seldom plan a route exactly now that I have my Forerunner 610, and this day was no different. I wore my Camelbak (packed with ice and then filled with water), but I ran out of water at 10.25 miles. At that point I started texting Hubby (while running) giving him location information and asking him to bring me water. Unfortunately, he didn't get the texts until I was walking down our street as a cool down. So now I know I need to stop back by the house at least once on runs longer than 14 miles. Run and learn. I wasn't very sore the next day, but I took a hot soak in the tub and then got the water as cold as I could stand it for a while longer. I don't know why that works for me but it seems to.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Race Report 7/4/2011
Race: Firecracker 5000
Distance: 5K
Time: 26:36
Finish: Overall: 90/361, Age Group: 8/26
Comments: After our last 5K, I knew we needed to hold back and not start off too fast. I kept us around an 8:45 minute mile for the first 2 miles. Hubby kept trying to take off, but hovered around us at the same time. The first 2 miles felt good. I wasn't tired or winded and could chat with Angel Girl. I would tell you what we were chatting about if only I could remember. After mile 2, I told Hubby to "just go" and that we would try to keep up. I slowly watched the distance between us lengthen. He's pretty quick considering a good week for him is running 3 times for 20 minutes. If that were my running schedule, I doubt I could finish a 5K without walking. His actual time was 26:10. It must be partially due to each his natural athleticism and competitiveness. At least that's what I'm going to tell myself.
This was my first race with the Garmin and without using the Nike+. Because I am usually using the Nike+, I typically have my headphones with me so I get to listen to my iPod as well. This time I forgot the headphones because I wasn't worried about the Nike+. I also forgot my arm band to hold my iPhone. I like my music! I ended up turning down the volume and letting my iPhone play via speaker in the stroller pocket, so we could enjoy some tunes but hopefully not disturb others on the course.
Apparently, I overemphasized the need to not lose her water bottle, because Angel Girl was holding onto her water bottle in its cup holder in every race photo. She's so funny! Little Miss Spitfire - you guessed it - slept through most of the race. She even missed the post-race bananas that she loves so much. I used the Phil & Ted's which - as I've stated before - is great for 5K races because it's tandem, but not so great it how tough it can be to push, especially uphill. On a side note, I added up the weight for the strollers and the girls and both the Bob Duallie and the Phil & Teds plus the girls come in around 90 lbs.
Once again, I like my Garmin! It was so nice to see our pace in order to pace us. Ha! I promise I will stop reporting my laps when the newness wears off, but until then I'm afraid they'll be listed in practically every post.
Lap 1 - 8:46
Lap 2 - 8:31
Lap 3 - 8:14
Lap 4 - 1:14
The race itself was very organized and well put together. The announcer was on top of things, and the course was easy to follow and didn't have any curbs. You know how I feel about those curbs during races. We've run one or two other 5K races in the park where it was held, and they are generally good there - lots of sidewalks, roads, and trails to run on. I can't say I'm a fan of the hill during the last half mile, but who would be and what kind of 5K would it be without it.
Lesson(s) Learned: Starting off slow is a good idea. We finished slightly faster than our last 5K, and we both felt good. We did not feel good after the previous one, so this was a welcome change. Going to the zoo right after may not have been the best choice though. We were both hot and a little tired, but overall it was a very fun 4th of July.
Have I mentioned how much I detest photos of myself running? I mean, I just look like I'm in pain. I feel the need to apologize to all my neighbors for having to see me run on a regular basis. Actually, I seldom like photos of myself in general, so photos of myself running are just the epitomy of dislike for me. I got the dreaded "your race photos are online" email which I can never just delete. It's my own train wreck if you will. I can't not look. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that they didn't have any photos linked to my name or bib number because the stroller was blocking my number. I think I'll use that strategy in all future races.
Distance: 5K
Time: 26:36
Finish: Overall: 90/361, Age Group: 8/26
Comments: After our last 5K, I knew we needed to hold back and not start off too fast. I kept us around an 8:45 minute mile for the first 2 miles. Hubby kept trying to take off, but hovered around us at the same time. The first 2 miles felt good. I wasn't tired or winded and could chat with Angel Girl. I would tell you what we were chatting about if only I could remember. After mile 2, I told Hubby to "just go" and that we would try to keep up. I slowly watched the distance between us lengthen. He's pretty quick considering a good week for him is running 3 times for 20 minutes. If that were my running schedule, I doubt I could finish a 5K without walking. His actual time was 26:10. It must be partially due to each his natural athleticism and competitiveness. At least that's what I'm going to tell myself.
This was my first race with the Garmin and without using the Nike+. Because I am usually using the Nike+, I typically have my headphones with me so I get to listen to my iPod as well. This time I forgot the headphones because I wasn't worried about the Nike+. I also forgot my arm band to hold my iPhone. I like my music! I ended up turning down the volume and letting my iPhone play via speaker in the stroller pocket, so we could enjoy some tunes but hopefully not disturb others on the course.
Apparently, I overemphasized the need to not lose her water bottle, because Angel Girl was holding onto her water bottle in its cup holder in every race photo. She's so funny! Little Miss Spitfire - you guessed it - slept through most of the race. She even missed the post-race bananas that she loves so much. I used the Phil & Ted's which - as I've stated before - is great for 5K races because it's tandem, but not so great it how tough it can be to push, especially uphill. On a side note, I added up the weight for the strollers and the girls and both the Bob Duallie and the Phil & Teds plus the girls come in around 90 lbs.
Once again, I like my Garmin! It was so nice to see our pace in order to pace us. Ha! I promise I will stop reporting my laps when the newness wears off, but until then I'm afraid they'll be listed in practically every post.
Lap 1 - 8:46
Lap 2 - 8:31
Lap 3 - 8:14
Lap 4 - 1:14
The race itself was very organized and well put together. The announcer was on top of things, and the course was easy to follow and didn't have any curbs. You know how I feel about those curbs during races. We've run one or two other 5K races in the park where it was held, and they are generally good there - lots of sidewalks, roads, and trails to run on. I can't say I'm a fan of the hill during the last half mile, but who would be and what kind of 5K would it be without it.
Lesson(s) Learned: Starting off slow is a good idea. We finished slightly faster than our last 5K, and we both felt good. We did not feel good after the previous one, so this was a welcome change. Going to the zoo right after may not have been the best choice though. We were both hot and a little tired, but overall it was a very fun 4th of July.
Have I mentioned how much I detest photos of myself running? I mean, I just look like I'm in pain. I feel the need to apologize to all my neighbors for having to see me run on a regular basis. Actually, I seldom like photos of myself in general, so photos of myself running are just the epitomy of dislike for me. I got the dreaded "your race photos are online" email which I can never just delete. It's my own train wreck if you will. I can't not look. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that they didn't have any photos linked to my name or bib number because the stroller was blocking my number. I think I'll use that strategy in all future races.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)