After spending all day on my couch yesterday, I was feeling pretty stir crazy this morning and decided I needed a long run. Also, I needed a break from running around Hyde Park. Enough is enough already.
I thought it would be fun to run from my apartment to downtown, through Northern Kentucky, back through downtown, then up Gilbert through Eden Park to O’Bryonville/home. I don’t know why I never did this route during marathon training except that it has a ton of hills and I’m lazy. A good portion of the route also happens to be the Flying Pig course.
What I didn’t realize was that downtown would be crawling with Bengals fans. I’ve been to a Bengals game once in my life and had no idea they were home today (I really, really hate football).
Most of tailgaters were super nice and got out of my way. A few of them yelled “good job” and of course I got the obligatory dumbass comments from a few of them as well:
“You’re going the wrong way”
“Slow down”
And some other stuff I won’t repeat…
The whole mess was amusing and distracting. I was cracking up by the time I got out of downtown.
The rest of the run was relatively uneventful (it's hard to top hundreds of drunk people in orange tiger stripes). Once I got to Eden Park I was pretty exhausted and realized that I’m out of shape these days. Even so, I managed to do 12.8 miles in 1:54, which is only about 4 seconds per mile slower than my half marathon race pace. I can deal with that.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
The off season…
Not much to blog about right now. I’m working 10-hour days and am barely squeezing in 15-20 miles each week. Most of my runs are pretty uninteresting. I run 4-6 miles. I run around Hyde Park. I run hills. I wear a flashing light because it’s dark whether I run in the morning or after work. Exciting, right? But, I spent 9.5 months of this year in training and I think my body is benefiting from the relaxed schedule.
Plus it’s nice to have a social life again. I’m really starting to notice some similarities between running and drinking. For instance, both of these things can:
- Cause dehydration
- Induce vomiting
- Make you swear you’re never going to do it again (but then you do it again anyway)
- Make you say dumb things (I’m nonsense after a 20-miler. I’m nonsense after piles of beer. Go figure.)
- Make you forget that you’ve had a really bad day
I could keep going but I won’t. Anyway, I prefer running. ☺
Plus it’s nice to have a social life again. I’m really starting to notice some similarities between running and drinking. For instance, both of these things can:
- Cause dehydration
- Induce vomiting
- Make you swear you’re never going to do it again (but then you do it again anyway)
- Make you say dumb things (I’m nonsense after a 20-miler. I’m nonsense after piles of beer. Go figure.)
- Make you forget that you’ve had a really bad day
I could keep going but I won’t. Anyway, I prefer running. ☺
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Pics from Columbus
Pre-race dinner with my cheering squad and my running buddy :-)
Me, somewhere between miles 9-11
Post race with Dad
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Running without a purpose
Now that the marathon is over, everyone keeps asking me what’s next. You know what? I have no idea. There are so many options - for instance:
- I could run the Otter Creek Trail Marathon in December. I’ve never done a trail race before and my dad has been talking about doing this one. Would be fun to do a race together. Plus it’s in Kentucky, and I like the idea of trying to do a marathon in all 50 states…but am I ready to jump back into training just yet? And do I really want to do a course that loops three times? (Big Ben. Parliament.)
- I could take two months off from marathon training and then join the Running Spot Flying Pig group in January. I live here so I probably should do the full Pig at some point? Ugh, the hills on that course…
- I’ve been eyeing the Paris Marathon on 4/5/09. This would be an expensive one (I think the race alone would be more than $100) but how cool would it be to run in Paris?? The downside is that I would have to start training in December AND I would have to find someone who wants to either do the race with me or come to Paris to watch. I will definitely need some type of moral support. There are only 10,000 spots left…
- I’ve also been thinking about Boston…a race I would never have thought I could ever qualify for…but now I wonder. I’m only 18:25 away from a BQ marathon time. Should I start scoping out other really flat marathon courses and focus on getting my time down? I know I won’t be qualifying on a course like the Pig but maybe if I can find other courses like Columbus?
Regardless of what I end up deciding, I have really enjoyed my week of running without a purpose. Last Tuesday was my first run since the marathon and I went out with my training group. We did an easy five miler (it was freezing! I forgot how much the cold air burns your lungs) then had happy hour, which was fun. Thursday night I did another five miles with my Landor running buddy, who I haven’t run with since July. Our route included several of the Cincy/KY bridges and I was exhausted afterwards. Ha.
Today I got brave and decided to tackle Eden Park/Mt. Adams. I was planning to run for an hour but was feeling so great I ended up adding on an extra 24 minutes.
Yes, my IT bands are still bothering me, however I tend not to notice this as much now that I'm not worrying about staying healthy for the race. Plus it's hard to be worried about anything when you're checking out the view from the top of Celestial Street and there's not a cloud in the sky. All in all it was a gorgeous run AND I managed to crank through nine miles of hills at a 9:15 pace. Dig.
- I could run the Otter Creek Trail Marathon in December. I’ve never done a trail race before and my dad has been talking about doing this one. Would be fun to do a race together. Plus it’s in Kentucky, and I like the idea of trying to do a marathon in all 50 states…but am I ready to jump back into training just yet? And do I really want to do a course that loops three times? (Big Ben. Parliament.)
- I could take two months off from marathon training and then join the Running Spot Flying Pig group in January. I live here so I probably should do the full Pig at some point? Ugh, the hills on that course…
- I’ve been eyeing the Paris Marathon on 4/5/09. This would be an expensive one (I think the race alone would be more than $100) but how cool would it be to run in Paris?? The downside is that I would have to start training in December AND I would have to find someone who wants to either do the race with me or come to Paris to watch. I will definitely need some type of moral support. There are only 10,000 spots left…
- I’ve also been thinking about Boston…a race I would never have thought I could ever qualify for…but now I wonder. I’m only 18:25 away from a BQ marathon time. Should I start scoping out other really flat marathon courses and focus on getting my time down? I know I won’t be qualifying on a course like the Pig but maybe if I can find other courses like Columbus?
Regardless of what I end up deciding, I have really enjoyed my week of running without a purpose. Last Tuesday was my first run since the marathon and I went out with my training group. We did an easy five miler (it was freezing! I forgot how much the cold air burns your lungs) then had happy hour, which was fun. Thursday night I did another five miles with my Landor running buddy, who I haven’t run with since July. Our route included several of the Cincy/KY bridges and I was exhausted afterwards. Ha.
Today I got brave and decided to tackle Eden Park/Mt. Adams. I was planning to run for an hour but was feeling so great I ended up adding on an extra 24 minutes.
Yes, my IT bands are still bothering me, however I tend not to notice this as much now that I'm not worrying about staying healthy for the race. Plus it's hard to be worried about anything when you're checking out the view from the top of Celestial Street and there's not a cloud in the sky. All in all it was a gorgeous run AND I managed to crank through nine miles of hills at a 9:15 pace. Dig.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Recovering from the recovery
One of the hardest things about training for the marathon was neglecting my non-running friends. Now that the race is over, everyone wants me to make up for lost time. This is awesome because my week of recovery has involved a lot of free drinks. But I’m finding that recovery is turning out to be more exhausting than the training. :-)
I decided to REALLY take the week off and do nothing physically active (unless bar hopping counts as exercise). I went out five nights in a row. I stayed up until midnight or later. I ate Cocoa Puffs and Skyline Chili. Bleh. Seven days later and my apartment is wrecked, I have no groceries, and I’m too tired to do anything except lay on the couch.
On an unrelated note, I got to experience first hand how BORING it is to spectate a race. A couple of friends did Run Like Hell on Friday night, which is a really fun 5K where everyone dresses up and runs through a cemetary. Since I’m not up to racing again yet, I just watched and held people’s gear bags. Exciting. I have a whole new appreciation for my friends and family who came out and watched the marathon last week.
The ninja, the runaway bride, and me, dressed as a spectator
I decided to REALLY take the week off and do nothing physically active (unless bar hopping counts as exercise). I went out five nights in a row. I stayed up until midnight or later. I ate Cocoa Puffs and Skyline Chili. Bleh. Seven days later and my apartment is wrecked, I have no groceries, and I’m too tired to do anything except lay on the couch.
On an unrelated note, I got to experience first hand how BORING it is to spectate a race. A couple of friends did Run Like Hell on Friday night, which is a really fun 5K where everyone dresses up and runs through a cemetary. Since I’m not up to racing again yet, I just watched and held people’s gear bags. Exciting. I have a whole new appreciation for my friends and family who came out and watched the marathon last week.
The ninja, the runaway bride, and me, dressed as a spectator
Thursday, October 23, 2008
The Race…
I barely heard the gun/buzzer/whatever go off and about three minutes later I shuffled across the starting line. Highlights/drivel from the race…what I remember, anyway…
Miles 1-2
Damn it’s freezing out here. My legs feel pretty good though and these first three miles went fast. Hey, I’m about 1/12th of the way finished!
Mile 3
Hmm. Both IT bands hurt. But I’m almost caught up to the 4:00 Clif pacer!
Miles 4-6
Well, crap. Both IT bands STILL hurt. Ok, finish this race and you never have to run again. Ever.
Miles 7-8
Ouch. Where is my support team? And the pacer? I have to go to the bathroom…
Mile 8.5
Finally, I’ve caught up to the Clif Bar pacer again.
Oooh look. Rent-a-Johns with no line! I’m so there.
Miles 9-11
My legs feel better! Was it the bathroom break or is the caffeine from my Gu helping? Hey, there’s my dad! And my friend Jule! I am not alone (cue Michael Jackson music)…
Miles 12-13
Who are these j-holes yelling “almost there”? I realize I am surrounded by half marathoners about to finish. I hate everyone.
Mile 14
I think, yes, I’m pretty sure I see the 4:00 Clif pacer in front of me. WAY in front of me.
Miles 14.5-18
I see a Running Spot coach on the sidelines. She’s coming to run with me! She’s talking to me, trying to keep me motivated, but I am barely listening because I am closing in on Catherine, the Clif pacer…
Mile 19
I catch Catherine and notice she is wearing pigtails. One of them has come unbraided. I’m right behind her and I can think of nothing but the lopsided ‘do. Does she know? Should I tell her???
Mile 20
Is this where I’m supposed to hit the Wall?
Mile 21
Catherine is encouraging us, saying that the race is all in our heads now because the pain is going to be awful. My legs are hurting again but they are also starting to go numb. The Wall must be coming any minute now.
I’m ready. Bring. It. On.
Mile 22
Catherine looks at her watch and announces that “a sub four is on the menu for us today”. This is a silly thing to say but I’m inspired. Am I really less than five miles from a sub four?
Mile 23
My stomach hates me. HATES me. My right knee is suddenly threatening to buckle and my sleeves, which I have pushed to my elbows, are annoying me to no end. But I don’t want to waste the energy to push them back down.
Mile 24
Ok, so am I not hitting the Wall? Hello??
Catherine advises the seasoned marathoners to run on ahead if they are feeling good but tells us newbies to hang with her until at least 25.
I realize I have yet to see four of my five friends who drove up from Cincinnati.
Hey, there’s the 4:00 pace coach from the Running Spot. And. I’m passing him.
Mile 25
Finally, I see some of my friends! I find out later that they were holding signs that say “Runners are Good in Bed” and “Show us Your Nip Guards”.
I pass Catherine and I hear her say “that’s what I want to see!”
I feel like a million bucks.
Mile 25.25
Good grief, where is the F’ing finish line?
Mile 25.5
Hey! There’s my dad again! I. Can. Do. This.
I start sprinting.
Miles 26-26.2
I see more friends on the sidelines. Then I see the finish line. It is right there.
I run all out for the last .2 miles and only then do I glance at my watch. It reads 3:58:25.
I see another Running Spot coach and he puts his arm around me to guide me out of the chute. Both legs have locked up and I am babbling nonstop. A photographer sees us and takes our picture. I make a ridiculous face at the camera, in honor of the Photo Awareness Power Point.
Miles 1-2
Damn it’s freezing out here. My legs feel pretty good though and these first three miles went fast. Hey, I’m about 1/12th of the way finished!
Mile 3
Hmm. Both IT bands hurt. But I’m almost caught up to the 4:00 Clif pacer!
Miles 4-6
Well, crap. Both IT bands STILL hurt. Ok, finish this race and you never have to run again. Ever.
Miles 7-8
Ouch. Where is my support team? And the pacer? I have to go to the bathroom…
Mile 8.5
Finally, I’ve caught up to the Clif Bar pacer again.
Oooh look. Rent-a-Johns with no line! I’m so there.
Miles 9-11
My legs feel better! Was it the bathroom break or is the caffeine from my Gu helping? Hey, there’s my dad! And my friend Jule! I am not alone (cue Michael Jackson music)…
Miles 12-13
Who are these j-holes yelling “almost there”? I realize I am surrounded by half marathoners about to finish. I hate everyone.
Mile 14
I think, yes, I’m pretty sure I see the 4:00 Clif pacer in front of me. WAY in front of me.
Miles 14.5-18
I see a Running Spot coach on the sidelines. She’s coming to run with me! She’s talking to me, trying to keep me motivated, but I am barely listening because I am closing in on Catherine, the Clif pacer…
Mile 19
I catch Catherine and notice she is wearing pigtails. One of them has come unbraided. I’m right behind her and I can think of nothing but the lopsided ‘do. Does she know? Should I tell her???
Mile 20
Is this where I’m supposed to hit the Wall?
Mile 21
Catherine is encouraging us, saying that the race is all in our heads now because the pain is going to be awful. My legs are hurting again but they are also starting to go numb. The Wall must be coming any minute now.
I’m ready. Bring. It. On.
Mile 22
Catherine looks at her watch and announces that “a sub four is on the menu for us today”. This is a silly thing to say but I’m inspired. Am I really less than five miles from a sub four?
Mile 23
My stomach hates me. HATES me. My right knee is suddenly threatening to buckle and my sleeves, which I have pushed to my elbows, are annoying me to no end. But I don’t want to waste the energy to push them back down.
Mile 24
Ok, so am I not hitting the Wall? Hello??
Catherine advises the seasoned marathoners to run on ahead if they are feeling good but tells us newbies to hang with her until at least 25.
I realize I have yet to see four of my five friends who drove up from Cincinnati.
Hey, there’s the 4:00 pace coach from the Running Spot. And. I’m passing him.
Mile 25
Finally, I see some of my friends! I find out later that they were holding signs that say “Runners are Good in Bed” and “Show us Your Nip Guards”.
I pass Catherine and I hear her say “that’s what I want to see!”
I feel like a million bucks.
Mile 25.25
Good grief, where is the F’ing finish line?
Mile 25.5
Hey! There’s my dad again! I. Can. Do. This.
I start sprinting.
Miles 26-26.2
I see more friends on the sidelines. Then I see the finish line. It is right there.
I run all out for the last .2 miles and only then do I glance at my watch. It reads 3:58:25.
I see another Running Spot coach and he puts his arm around me to guide me out of the chute. Both legs have locked up and I am babbling nonstop. A photographer sees us and takes our picture. I make a ridiculous face at the camera, in honor of the Photo Awareness Power Point.
Packing, meltdown, and other pre-race delights
After four months of training, whining, and turning down way too many happy hours, I finally got to run the marathon last weekend! The race was in Columbus, which meant I had to pack three bags filled with every piece of running gear I own as well as all the stuff for my pre-race rituals:
- Three water bottles with Orange Gatorade powder. Orange Gatorade is NOT my favorite but I had it before the Flying Pig half and now I refuse to drink anything else before a race. Two bottles are for the day before and the other is for the morning of.
- My canister of oatmeal. I don’t really like this either but it’s what I always eat before a race or long training run. AND, our hotel had a coffee maker, which meant I got to enjoy actual oatmeal versus taking shots of raw oats floating in lukewarm water.
The weekend itself was a blur. Saturday night we had a pre-race meeting with all of our Running Spot coaches. By this point I was a nervous wreck, still debating the 4:00 vs. 4:15 finish time. I cornered the 4:00 coach and had a small (possibly medium sized) meltdown about pacing. He convinced me to start with the Running Spot 4:00 group, running the first 13 miles with people I knew, then doing a gut check at the half point. If I felt good, I could shoot for a 4:00. If not, I could back off. Sounded like a reasonable plan.
The group met again the next morning an hour before race time to take a photo and walk over to the start line together. The starting area was a ZOO, and of course by the time I found the 4:00 zone I had lost my group (amazing, because my coach was wearing a lumberjack flannel shirt and short shorts – how do you lose someone dressed like that??). Augh.
- Three water bottles with Orange Gatorade powder. Orange Gatorade is NOT my favorite but I had it before the Flying Pig half and now I refuse to drink anything else before a race. Two bottles are for the day before and the other is for the morning of.
- My canister of oatmeal. I don’t really like this either but it’s what I always eat before a race or long training run. AND, our hotel had a coffee maker, which meant I got to enjoy actual oatmeal versus taking shots of raw oats floating in lukewarm water.
The weekend itself was a blur. Saturday night we had a pre-race meeting with all of our Running Spot coaches. By this point I was a nervous wreck, still debating the 4:00 vs. 4:15 finish time. I cornered the 4:00 coach and had a small (possibly medium sized) meltdown about pacing. He convinced me to start with the Running Spot 4:00 group, running the first 13 miles with people I knew, then doing a gut check at the half point. If I felt good, I could shoot for a 4:00. If not, I could back off. Sounded like a reasonable plan.
The group met again the next morning an hour before race time to take a photo and walk over to the start line together. The starting area was a ZOO, and of course by the time I found the 4:00 zone I had lost my group (amazing, because my coach was wearing a lumberjack flannel shirt and short shorts – how do you lose someone dressed like that??). Augh.
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