So, life was full of surprises this week and one of them was that I ended up doing a 5K yesterday morning. :-) A friend of mine told me about Tyler's Run, which is a run to create awareness around SIDS. Plus it was at Miami Whitewater AND you got a free t-shirt. Hard to pass up. Friday night I had the best intentions of not drinking any alcohol and getting to sleep at a reasonable hour. But then some pals persuaded me to go to the Comet, so of course I had to have a burrito and a couple of Allagash's (which I really do think I like better in a bottle). Anyway. You know the drill.
The 6:15 am alarm felt like it came way too early and I was cursing myself for eating Mexican before a race. Again. Dehydrated and uninterested in breakfast, I trucked over to my friend's house and a few of us carpooled across town. We registered (long-sleeved shirts - score!), huddled in the car for warmth, then finally lined up in the corral. The gun went off and the race went something like this:
.25 mile
Why did I wear shorts? It's f'ing freezing out here. Hate Fall.
.5 mile
Ugh. Lord, if I can make it through this race I will REALLY make an effort to stop drinking so much. And eat better. And get more sleep. I thought this course was going to be flat???
1 mile
Isn't it time to turn around yet?
1.5ish miles
Hooray for a water stop! Sad that I need one in a 51-degree 5K but I feel like a million bucks after a few gulps!
2 miles
A small child just passed me.
3 miles
I can hear someone coming up behind me. It's definitely a girl, which means she's going to place ahead of me in the female division (yeah, I have some competitive issues). Can I speed up??? No. No, I cannot.
Finish Line
23:58??? I won a prize in my age group! If only I knew what place I was...(guessing third)
I love small races because I tend to do really well in them. :-) They also frustrate me because I can never find the results online. How am I supposed to update my spreadsheet? At any rate, my pace averages out to a 7:43-4 minute per mile split. A new PR!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
War!
Well, I've finally done it. I have managed to create the perfect storm of leg muscles (thanks, hills and weight training!) and too much body fat, which has resulted in none of my pants fitting correctly. I guess this is what happens when you only run 13-15 miles per week but continue to eat like you're running 25-30 miles per week. Blame it on the alcohol consumption, the peanut butter, the chocolate confections that surround my desk (the chocolate is for reference, really, i just can't seem to stop eating it), etc., but things are out of control. Enough is enough.
Hence, I have waged war on myself and the pants. Saturday I ran 9 very hungover miles, yesterday I ran 4.25 hungover miles, and tonight I ran 6. (Note: Yes, there is a pattern here and the obvious answer to my problems is to stop drinking and binging on cheese fries at 2 am.) I'm hoping to keep this daily exercise thing up until body parts go back to where they should be, at which point I'll stop running like a crazy woman. Probably. I also happen to be really stressed right now, so running every day is preserving my sanity and preventing me from being a surly grumpass. You're welcome, world. :-)
Hence, I have waged war on myself and the pants. Saturday I ran 9 very hungover miles, yesterday I ran 4.25 hungover miles, and tonight I ran 6. (Note: Yes, there is a pattern here and the obvious answer to my problems is to stop drinking and binging on cheese fries at 2 am.) I'm hoping to keep this daily exercise thing up until body parts go back to where they should be, at which point I'll stop running like a crazy woman. Probably. I also happen to be really stressed right now, so running every day is preserving my sanity and preventing me from being a surly grumpass. You're welcome, world. :-)
Monday, September 14, 2009
Almost an island
This past weekend, my parents and I piled into the family station wagon for a good ol' fashioned road trip to Erie, PA. No, we are not fun-hating masochists, we were headed to the Presque Isle State Park Erie Marathon. My dad and I have a goal of running races in all 50 states - Dad wants to run a full marathon in each place, I want to run a half. Prior to yesterday, I had only done two states:
Ohio - Cincinnati's Flying Pig Half Marathon - May 2008 - 1:56:05/8:51 pace (first half marathon ever)
Illinois - Chicago's Banco Popular Half Marathon - September 2008 - 1:55:34/8:49 pace (rained the entire race :-)
My Pennsylvania conquest advertised a flat course and the entire 13.1 miles took place on a peninsula in Lake Erie (Presque Isle means "almost an island" in French). Oh, and the field for the half was about 575 people. Packet pickup took place in the park's mess hall with the more domestically-inclined volunteers in the background cooking up a homemade pasta dinner. And all runners - even the halfers - got a reusable tote bag, a long-sleeved technical t-shirt, socks, and a Hammer Gel. I just love small races.
Checking out the beach pre-race
There was actually quite a posse of runners from Cincinnati. Two of my dad's friends from Fleet Feet (yes, he runs for the competition) were there, as well as 10 or so people from the Galloway group. We all convened at 6 am on race day, some of us sporting the essential pre-race garbage bags for warmth. (Not very green of me, I know)
Sporting our festive plastic wear
At any rate, I was one of only two people in our group running the half so I ended up starting the race alone. However, I quickly made friends. I was having quite a nice conversation with a fellow in his 40's (mile 1), when he announced that he was a run-walker and dropped off. Sneaky, sneaky those run-walkers! Next I recognized a dude I had met the day before (while he was peddling energy drinks). He was planning to run the race "at a pretty slow pace, shooting for a 4 hour". Hahaha. He dropped off pretty quickly though too, as he was frantically searching for a bathroom...in mile 2. Lay off the caffeine, eh?
Miles 3 and 4 were a bit lonely and I was trying to decide what I wanted to lock in for my race pace. Should I shoot hard for a PR or just run and see what happened? I was contemplating the latter when the guy next to me asked what pace we were running. A mathematician I'm not (and I wasn't taking splits and there weren't pace clocks on the course) but based on our mileage and my overall time, I guessed we were running an 8:45 or so. He looked a bit overwhelmed, so I gave him the talk test, basically asking him questions to help take his mind off the race but also to see if he could breathe and carry on a conversation. Turned out he could, and hence began our 9-mile partnership. His story was inspiring: a college junior coming off a knee injury and trying to prove to his football coach that he could indeed run again. It was his first half marathon, so I gave him a few pointers such as:
- Alternate between water and sports drink at each water stop and make sure to drink water on the stops after a Gu. The sports drink on the course was Heed, which tasted like HalfLytely but seemed to have more salt and less sugar than Gatorade. Not delicious by any stretch although my body responded well to it.
- It's ok to walk the water stops.
- Runners' Tourettes (e.g. yelling "shit!" aloud during a particularly hard mile) can be quite therapeutic even if it does make other people stare.
Around mile 10 we were too tired to talk and our only conversation was at the mile markers, "3 more to go, 2 more", and so on. I occasionally said things like "this race is in the bag" and "you're kicking ass", but honestly, these statements were more to help my own mental game. Yeah, I'm a self talker.
We finally finished and I helped myself to a slice of watermelon (brilliant post-race snack, btw) and a cinnamon sugar bagel from Panera. The medals, which I don't normally get that excited over, were super cool as well - a blue glass circle with the Presque Isle lighthouse etched into it, hanging from a thin leather strap.
Are we there yet?
My stepmom Pam and I then began the long waiting game while my dad and his gang ran loop two of the park to complete the full marathon. Sadly, I had to take a quick catnap in the car instead of being a good cheerleader but since I was told multiple times that "this race is just a training run for Portland", I didn't feel too guilty.
The Three Musketeers - Dad, Jen #2, Doug - finish their "training run" :-)
After the full marathon wrapped, a few folks opted for an ice bath with Mother Nature aka a dip in frigid Lake Erie. Um, pass. Pam and I collected rocks instead. At any rate, I'm proud to say I can now add a third state to my list:
Pennsylvania - Erie's Presque Isle State Park - September 2009 - 1:51:56/8:33 pace
On to Maine in October!
Ohio - Cincinnati's Flying Pig Half Marathon - May 2008 - 1:56:05/8:51 pace (first half marathon ever)
Illinois - Chicago's Banco Popular Half Marathon - September 2008 - 1:55:34/8:49 pace (rained the entire race :-)
My Pennsylvania conquest advertised a flat course and the entire 13.1 miles took place on a peninsula in Lake Erie (Presque Isle means "almost an island" in French). Oh, and the field for the half was about 575 people. Packet pickup took place in the park's mess hall with the more domestically-inclined volunteers in the background cooking up a homemade pasta dinner. And all runners - even the halfers - got a reusable tote bag, a long-sleeved technical t-shirt, socks, and a Hammer Gel. I just love small races.
Checking out the beach pre-race
There was actually quite a posse of runners from Cincinnati. Two of my dad's friends from Fleet Feet (yes, he runs for the competition) were there, as well as 10 or so people from the Galloway group. We all convened at 6 am on race day, some of us sporting the essential pre-race garbage bags for warmth. (Not very green of me, I know)
Sporting our festive plastic wear
At any rate, I was one of only two people in our group running the half so I ended up starting the race alone. However, I quickly made friends. I was having quite a nice conversation with a fellow in his 40's (mile 1), when he announced that he was a run-walker and dropped off. Sneaky, sneaky those run-walkers! Next I recognized a dude I had met the day before (while he was peddling energy drinks). He was planning to run the race "at a pretty slow pace, shooting for a 4 hour". Hahaha. He dropped off pretty quickly though too, as he was frantically searching for a bathroom...in mile 2. Lay off the caffeine, eh?
Miles 3 and 4 were a bit lonely and I was trying to decide what I wanted to lock in for my race pace. Should I shoot hard for a PR or just run and see what happened? I was contemplating the latter when the guy next to me asked what pace we were running. A mathematician I'm not (and I wasn't taking splits and there weren't pace clocks on the course) but based on our mileage and my overall time, I guessed we were running an 8:45 or so. He looked a bit overwhelmed, so I gave him the talk test, basically asking him questions to help take his mind off the race but also to see if he could breathe and carry on a conversation. Turned out he could, and hence began our 9-mile partnership. His story was inspiring: a college junior coming off a knee injury and trying to prove to his football coach that he could indeed run again. It was his first half marathon, so I gave him a few pointers such as:
- Alternate between water and sports drink at each water stop and make sure to drink water on the stops after a Gu. The sports drink on the course was Heed, which tasted like HalfLytely but seemed to have more salt and less sugar than Gatorade. Not delicious by any stretch although my body responded well to it.
- It's ok to walk the water stops.
- Runners' Tourettes (e.g. yelling "shit!" aloud during a particularly hard mile) can be quite therapeutic even if it does make other people stare.
Around mile 10 we were too tired to talk and our only conversation was at the mile markers, "3 more to go, 2 more", and so on. I occasionally said things like "this race is in the bag" and "you're kicking ass", but honestly, these statements were more to help my own mental game. Yeah, I'm a self talker.
We finally finished and I helped myself to a slice of watermelon (brilliant post-race snack, btw) and a cinnamon sugar bagel from Panera. The medals, which I don't normally get that excited over, were super cool as well - a blue glass circle with the Presque Isle lighthouse etched into it, hanging from a thin leather strap.
Are we there yet?
My stepmom Pam and I then began the long waiting game while my dad and his gang ran loop two of the park to complete the full marathon. Sadly, I had to take a quick catnap in the car instead of being a good cheerleader but since I was told multiple times that "this race is just a training run for Portland", I didn't feel too guilty.
The Three Musketeers - Dad, Jen #2, Doug - finish their "training run" :-)
After the full marathon wrapped, a few folks opted for an ice bath with Mother Nature aka a dip in frigid Lake Erie. Um, pass. Pam and I collected rocks instead. At any rate, I'm proud to say I can now add a third state to my list:
Pennsylvania - Erie's Presque Isle State Park - September 2009 - 1:51:56/8:33 pace
On to Maine in October!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
a lovers' quarrel
Running and I aren't getting along so well lately. I think deep down I still love him, but right now, I don't really like him. We've been fighting a lot...take this morning for instance:
Me: I don't really feel like spending 4 miles with you right now. I think I'll sleep in.
Running: Look, Muffin Top, er, Muffin, you promised me last night that you would get up this morning.
Me: I know but I'm REALLY tired.
Running: Fine. Sleep then. But need I remind you that you're 30, and the cupcake you downed at 10 pm isn't going to metabolize like it did when you were 25?
Me: Them's fightin words.
Running: Get up then! Come out and kick my @ss on the road!
Me: I hate you.
Running: Don't say things you'll regret just because you're lazy.
Me: Fine. I'm getting up.
Running: Sucker.
Me: I don't really feel like spending 4 miles with you right now. I think I'll sleep in.
Running: Look, Muffin Top, er, Muffin, you promised me last night that you would get up this morning.
Me: I know but I'm REALLY tired.
Running: Fine. Sleep then. But need I remind you that you're 30, and the cupcake you downed at 10 pm isn't going to metabolize like it did when you were 25?
Me: Them's fightin words.
Running: Get up then! Come out and kick my @ss on the road!
Me: I hate you.
Running: Don't say things you'll regret just because you're lazy.
Me: Fine. I'm getting up.
Running: Sucker.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
there is no "only" about running 16 miles
Because I love running long distances (or maybe because I'm a masochist), I tagged along with my Running Spot buddies on their 19-mile trek yesterday. I'm only doing half marathons this Fall, so I decided there was no need to run the full 19 miles. Sixteen would do just fine.
Our run started at the Loveland Spot, running north out and back on the bike trail for 4 miles then south out and back for 5.5 (4 for me). The temperature was in the 60's or 70's, but the humidity/dew point was out of control! By the time we hit the mile 4 water stop (I bring my own, since I'm a crasher), I did not have a dry spot on my shirt. Sexy, sexy. I was running with Kent and a few girls I've only met a few times, and we were all complaining because:
- The trail is beyond monotonous. At one point we actually went rogue and ran on the road, which goes right next to the trail, for a half mile. We were begging for a change of scenery, getting excited at things like fallen logs and the occasional grassy field. Sad.
- The trail is not only monotonous but flat. We normally bitch about the hills in O'bryonville but I think the flat trail is worse, because you're using the same muscles over and over with no break.
No one's Garmins were working correctly because we were in the woods, so we didn't really know how fast we were going. I also didn't get a clear read on when I needed to turn around. I left everyone some point during mile 12 and started hauling @ss because I just wanted to FINISH. The elites were passing me (they had already run the 5.5 miles and were circling back) and I felt stupid for being such a wuss, since I was doing only 16 miles. I mentioned this to one of them and he replied "there is no 'only' about running 16 miles." True story.
The end of the run was pretty miserable and by the time I hit the Spot, I could tell I was dehydrated - everything was cramping up. Tisha and I decided the best thing to do would be lie down in the parking lot, using railroad ties as pillows. Classy, we are. We were only motivated to get up by the fact that Kent was having everyone back to his house for breakfast. Score!
Our group (quite a lot of us actually) crashed Coach K's house, completely taking over the kitchen and deck. His very patient family was surrounded by gamey runners guzzling mimosas and shoveling in quiche as if we might never eat or drink again. Mmm...I heart quiche. Most of us stayed to hang around outside afterwards chatting and soaking up the sun. :-) Good times!
Once I got home, I plotted out my route on USATF to try and gauge my pace. I looked at the map and oops! I ran almost 17 miles on accident - 16.69 give or take. This puts my pace right around a 9:09. My body feels like it's been hit by a bus, I have more blisters than I can count, and two of my little toenails are black (again, sexy, sexy). As my dad would say, it might be time to take me out back and shoot me.
Our run started at the Loveland Spot, running north out and back on the bike trail for 4 miles then south out and back for 5.5 (4 for me). The temperature was in the 60's or 70's, but the humidity/dew point was out of control! By the time we hit the mile 4 water stop (I bring my own, since I'm a crasher), I did not have a dry spot on my shirt. Sexy, sexy. I was running with Kent and a few girls I've only met a few times, and we were all complaining because:
- The trail is beyond monotonous. At one point we actually went rogue and ran on the road, which goes right next to the trail, for a half mile. We were begging for a change of scenery, getting excited at things like fallen logs and the occasional grassy field. Sad.
- The trail is not only monotonous but flat. We normally bitch about the hills in O'bryonville but I think the flat trail is worse, because you're using the same muscles over and over with no break.
No one's Garmins were working correctly because we were in the woods, so we didn't really know how fast we were going. I also didn't get a clear read on when I needed to turn around. I left everyone some point during mile 12 and started hauling @ss because I just wanted to FINISH. The elites were passing me (they had already run the 5.5 miles and were circling back) and I felt stupid for being such a wuss, since I was doing only 16 miles. I mentioned this to one of them and he replied "there is no 'only' about running 16 miles." True story.
The end of the run was pretty miserable and by the time I hit the Spot, I could tell I was dehydrated - everything was cramping up. Tisha and I decided the best thing to do would be lie down in the parking lot, using railroad ties as pillows. Classy, we are. We were only motivated to get up by the fact that Kent was having everyone back to his house for breakfast. Score!
Our group (quite a lot of us actually) crashed Coach K's house, completely taking over the kitchen and deck. His very patient family was surrounded by gamey runners guzzling mimosas and shoveling in quiche as if we might never eat or drink again. Mmm...I heart quiche. Most of us stayed to hang around outside afterwards chatting and soaking up the sun. :-) Good times!
Once I got home, I plotted out my route on USATF to try and gauge my pace. I looked at the map and oops! I ran almost 17 miles on accident - 16.69 give or take. This puts my pace right around a 9:09. My body feels like it's been hit by a bus, I have more blisters than I can count, and two of my little toenails are black (again, sexy, sexy). As my dad would say, it might be time to take me out back and shoot me.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
grumpy but speedy
Today was not a good day at work. :-) It was starting to get dark by the time I got home, but I decided I didn't care - dead bodies in the woods be damned! - I needed to go for a run. Cincinnati summer was pressing down its heavy blanket of humidity; however, my mood seemed to fuel me right up the first hill. I literally felt like I had a hand pushing at my back, and maybe I did because my first mile split was 9:20. For perspective, this split usually ranges from 10:00 to 9:30. Woot. I ended up with an average pace of 8:19 for the 4.25 miles, which is officially my fastest time since June!
I'm happy with the pace improvement although I think the better improvement was that of my mental state. I was having a pity party when I set out, but then I realized that any day I am healthy enough to run four miles can't be all that bad. Yes, I suppose I'm kind of sappy but whatever. Running helps me keep my head out of my @ss, which is a full time job really.
I'm happy with the pace improvement although I think the better improvement was that of my mental state. I was having a pity party when I set out, but then I realized that any day I am healthy enough to run four miles can't be all that bad. Yes, I suppose I'm kind of sappy but whatever. Running helps me keep my head out of my @ss, which is a full time job really.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
metronomes, beer, and pancakes
I'm so proud of myself. For the second week in a row, I got up early on Saturday morning and ran with the Running Spot group. They were doing 16-18 today from Crossroads, which I seriously considered doing. The plan was for me to run for at least 2 hours and take it from there.
Pace wise, my old group is all over the place. Coach Steve is now running with the 8-minute mile kids, no one can catch Tisha, and the rest of us are pretty scattered as well. I started off at a comfortable clip and caught up with Joan, my Winter training buddy, somewhere on Brotherton. Joan is like a metronome with a steady, even pace - complete opposite of me (I tend to run erratic splits). We were having a great time chatting though, so I kept up with her despite the fact that I knew I was running too fast to hold out for 16. :-)
The route took us on part of the Pig course - down Erie to Bramble, then through Mariemont where we did a few laps around what used to be my training loop. I was feeling pretty good...until we had to run back up Brotherton. Ugh. Once we got into Norwood, I knew I was only down for my original two hours. I ended up turning around somewhere near Floral and Smith and running back with the halfers, who happened to be trolling in the same area. I hit Crossroads at 1:59:34, about 13.75 miles at an 8:41 clip. I looked back at my training log from the Pig and this is about on target for me. At least I'm consistent!
Post run I hung around and waited for the marathoners to finish their 18 because I knew there would be...beer! And breakfast. Sure enough, Larry and Rich both had a delightful selection of imported beers. I enjoyed a delicious Lowenbrau in the parking lot of Crossroads, which is a church. Did I mention we were doing this at 10 am?? As the old joke goes, we are drinkers with a running problem. Afterwards a few of us went to IHOP for pancakes and chocolate milk. I didn't end up getting home until 1 pm! Long morning but totally worth it.
Pace wise, my old group is all over the place. Coach Steve is now running with the 8-minute mile kids, no one can catch Tisha, and the rest of us are pretty scattered as well. I started off at a comfortable clip and caught up with Joan, my Winter training buddy, somewhere on Brotherton. Joan is like a metronome with a steady, even pace - complete opposite of me (I tend to run erratic splits). We were having a great time chatting though, so I kept up with her despite the fact that I knew I was running too fast to hold out for 16. :-)
The route took us on part of the Pig course - down Erie to Bramble, then through Mariemont where we did a few laps around what used to be my training loop. I was feeling pretty good...until we had to run back up Brotherton. Ugh. Once we got into Norwood, I knew I was only down for my original two hours. I ended up turning around somewhere near Floral and Smith and running back with the halfers, who happened to be trolling in the same area. I hit Crossroads at 1:59:34, about 13.75 miles at an 8:41 clip. I looked back at my training log from the Pig and this is about on target for me. At least I'm consistent!
Post run I hung around and waited for the marathoners to finish their 18 because I knew there would be...beer! And breakfast. Sure enough, Larry and Rich both had a delightful selection of imported beers. I enjoyed a delicious Lowenbrau in the parking lot of Crossroads, which is a church. Did I mention we were doing this at 10 am?? As the old joke goes, we are drinkers with a running problem. Afterwards a few of us went to IHOP for pancakes and chocolate milk. I didn't end up getting home until 1 pm! Long morning but totally worth it.
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