Monday, November 23, 2009

Flirting w/ higher mileage

When I am not actively training for a marathon, the stress of hitting certain miles each run, going to bed early and eating to fuel my runs melts away during the month following the race. It’s not that I let myself go or anything, I am still pretty disciplined (that being part of the point of this very blog; to stay accountable to daily activity) compared to how I lived prior to becoming a runner. It is just that my running tends to get a little “fuzzy.”

After each of my three marathons, my weekly running mile tended to settle in the mid 20s. This was good enough in between marathons but I still felt like I was starting over whenever I started training for the next marathon. During the last few miles of marathons 2 and 3, I’ve started to fade and I think this has more to do with my running base going in to the training phase rather than the training phase itself. Over the summer, fully settling in to 20 mile weeks, I resolved to make a change – I want my next marathon to be strong, from start to finish and the way to get there is through building a better running base.

During August and September, I made an effort to run more miles and I was comfortable running weekly mileage in the 30s; however, my efforts weren’t really focusing. I was still running fuzzy. This Fall, I have made decided effort to gain some focus without being too rigid.

During the month of October, each week I tried to hit 40 miles by Sunday. I was hitting this mileage consistently for the month and my legs were holding up well against the increased mileage. Throughout this month, I’ve been aiming for a weekly mileage of 45 miles. Due to life outside of running, I haven’t been able to hit it as consistently as I was hitting 40 in October but I have running very strong at this higher mileage all month long.

I really couldn’t be more pleased with my running at the moment and it has even had tremendous impact in other ways I didn’t intend. For one, my weight has dropped (almost 5 pounds below what I was over the summer) and seems to be continuing on this downward trend. I have much better muscle tone in my legs, especially in my quads and glutes.

Best of all, my pace has increased (see Breakthrough) at all my paces and even on my training runs. "Just Run" has me running consistently at a 10 minute mile pace. Awesome!

Another change I’ve made, in addition to the higher mileage, is incorporating pushups during the day. My goal, each day, is to get in 100 pushups from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed. My core is strong than it ever has been before and on “good” days I can see a “one-pack” starting to peak out.

Things are going well (I really hope I didn’t just jinx it!)

Run Strong!

Daily Dozen:
Cross-training (recumbent bike) and Strength Training @ lunch hour
3.7 miles after work with Jenn (planned)

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Lees Woods Trail - Leesylvania State Park - Hike

Saturday we decided to go for a short hike in order to enjoy the unusually nice fall weather – clear and temperatures in the 60s – so we headed south to Leesylvania State Park in Prince William County, VA.


We decided to try the Lees Woods Trail because of the historical significance – the trail would take us by Colonial and Civil War points of interest. The trail head is located near Freestone Point Beach, which we decided to save for last. We started up the trail, which quickly led us past an amphitheater.



This first part of the trail comprised one of the several short but steep inclines along the almost 2 mile long hike, as we made our way to the bluffs overlooking the Potomac River. Atop this hill, there are the remains of a Confederate gun battery which successfully held off the Union ships during the Civil War.




Next the trail took us past the ruins of Light Horse Harry Lee, the father of Robert E. Lee. One of the things I love about living on the East Coast is all of the American history that just seems to be lying around in the woods waiting to be discovered over and over again. It is amazing to me that the chimney, the foundation of the house and outlying buildings and even the well are still around.




The best part of this hike was the crunch of leaves underfoot. The trail was blanketed by fallen leaves that we swished our way through, making a tremendous amount of noise. There is something about kicking up leaves that reminds me of being young, raking up the leaves in to a big pile to jump in to. Whenever I hear this sound, I am instantly taken back to those fall days.



Noisily, we made our way along the trail, up to the site of the original Lee plantation. Although there is very little of the house left (only a foundation wall is barely visible across a small ravine), it is still interesting to stand in the same spot as these people did so long ago. Interestingly, one of Lee’s neighbors, only 14 miles north, would often stop by for dinner and lodging on his way to Williamsburg – one Mr. George Washington.



The trail also took us past the small, private cemetery where the Lees are buried. Their headstones have either been lost to time or moved, four people remain buried here including…. It seems like such a beautiful and peaceful spot to be your final resting place, except for all those hikers who come through each year…



As we wound our way along the rest of the path, we couldn’t help but marvel at how quickly nature takes back the land. Both a road from the 1950s and a railroad from the early 1900s ran through what is now Leesylvania State Park and other than the land that was flattened to make way for each, you’d never be able to tell either had existed. Trees have grown back along with flowers and bushes. If no one touched this land, how long would it take before all traces of humans had disappeared? Probably not as long as you’d think.


The trail soon led us back to where we started and for a short, easy hike it was fun because of the beautiful weather and the history along the way.


Before leaving the park; however, we walked over to Freestone Point Beach to check out the fishing peer. The views along the river were wonderful and about a quarter of the way on the pier, we officially crossed the state line from Virginia into Maryland!





Here's another picture I took along the way...


Us - some where along the trial.




Thursday, November 12, 2009

Breakthrough

I am so happy with the way my running is progressing this fall. I am running stronger and faster, and it feels good. When I finished my run this morning, I was proud of myself and my running.

When I started running, I read as much as I could about how to start running. I mean, it sounds easy…just go out and run…but it turns out, there is quite a bit to learn. Everything I read aimed at beginner running emphasized that slow was the name of the game. If you wanted to make it the distance and cross the finish line (how ever far away that finish line may be) strong, you had to go slow and avoid crashing.

This is exactly how I ran during the training for my first marathon. I repeated “slow and easy, just take it easy Becki, nice and slow” over and over on every long run; and, it worked. I progressed from 10 to 12 to 15 to 18 to 20 milers and finished each one tired but strong and with confidence.

I was so careful not to go out too fast and that caution developed into apprehension and fear. I honestly believe that I have been afraid to go fast, thinking that if I ran fast I would crash. I was afraid of the fatigue and ache. I was afraid of the pain. It is so silly but somehow so very, very true. As I continued to run after my first marathon, I never really let go of the “slow and easy” approach.

However, something changed after I was injured last year. My running mantra changed from “slow and easy” to “steady and strong” as I rebuilt my running base. I credit this new mantra for helping me improve my marathon time by 15 minutes and finishing strong in my third marathon.

That race was just the beginning because this summer and fall, after recovering from the marathon, I have been focused on increasing my weekly mileage. Forty miles used to be my marathon peak week and now, after slowly building up all summer and fall, for the past month it has been my normal weekly mileage. I feel like a whole new runner – stronger, faster and more confident in my ability.

…and it shows. I have run a PR at every race distance this fall except for the marathon. My 5K PR dropped by two minutes and I know I could have run that one faster (I was just starting to lose my fear of running fast and was still transition to higher mileage). I smashed my 10K PR by over six minutes. I brought my 10 mile race PR down a minute after a tough a race (well, tough for me). However, the one that proves to me I am truly improving is my new half marathon PR, dropping it six minutes and feeling like I could have run forever as I crossed the finish line even after a ridiculous 6.25 mile “warm up” run. I wish I had a marathon planned this fall because I know I could make a serious dent in that PR as well. I think this is sufficient evidence that I’ve had a breakthrough in my running. I’m so excited to see what this new level of running holds for me.

Daily Dozen:
6 miles in the morning (rainy and cold)
Strength Training @ lunch hour

Monday, November 9, 2009

GCF Inaugural Half Marathon – Race Report

The perfect day – these are the only words that come to mind to describe my race at the GCF Inaugural Half Marathon. The PERFECT day.

The morning turned out to be an ideal fall morning to run a race – cool and clear with temperatures in the 40s (rising slowly but steadily all day – 50s by the end of the race and 70s by the afternoon). We couldn’t have asked for better race conditions. However, my race story starts before the morning dawned.

With the race starting at 7 am and the metro not opening until 7 am, I was trying to figure out how to get to the race without having to resort to driving. I hate driving in the city and although it wouldn’t have been bad getting in since it was so early, I was hoping to avoid the drive back after the race. Mike offered to wake up early to drive me in and drop me off at the race site. It was tempting to take him up on the offer but I know he would have hated waking up that early so I let him off the hook (but major points for offering!).

That left the bike or the power of my own two feet and since I had come to terms with the fact that I wouldn’t be breaking any PRs (see here and here) for the race I made the decision to run to the race. At my 10K two months ago, I finally came around to the idea of warming up before a race so the run to the race would serve as an extended warm-up - uhm, 6.25 miles to be exact.

I left the house at 5:30 and had an hour and a half to make it to the race site, pick up my race packet and check my bag. I was a little worried about making it on time so I was running just a bit faster than my easy pace. As the day dawned and I realized just what I had gotten myself in to – I would be running 19 miles that day, the longest I’ve run (by far) since the marathon in May. I just shook my head and laughed at the stunt I was pulling but I had already committed. The only option was to go with the flow, anticipate the blow up I was sure to experience on the half marathon course and come to terms with it in the hopes of alleviating any disappointment. Just Run, I told myself, Just Run.

Doing just that, I got to the start area at 6:30 (whoa! I covered 6.25 miles in 1 hour and 1 minute, which equals a sub-10 minute pace. Oops, so much for a warm-up…that’s marathon pace!). I quickly found my packet, put on my bib, threw my gloves and ID in my bag, checked it and hit the bathroom line. With all that done, I took the time to stretch out from my run to the race and soak up my surroundings.

There were 2000+ people running the race that morning, add to that the race organizers and volunteers and you get quite a lot of people out and about in the early morning hours to support an amazing cause. It felt great to be a part of something charitable even if I was doing it for my own reasons. It gave me a good feeling for the race ahead. From the start, throughout the race, all the way to the finish festival, the GCF put on a great race with excellent organization. Amazing! (Even more so considering it was an inaugural event).

The course for the half marathon was three, 4+ mile loops. I have never run a loop course before so I was skeptical on how it would turn out. Would I get bored? Would I get tired of making almost all left turns (and in this case many of them 180 degree turns)? Would I be able to convince my legs to run the same route again and again when they were tired? As the gun went off and the race got underway, these questions dissipated because I quickly found a groove.

From the very first step I was in the zone and because the crowd was relatively small, especially for a DC race, it quickly thinned out and there was hardly any bobbing and weaving. Maybe the 6.25 mile, marathon pace warm-up wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Just after the 3rd mile, I hit a water stop and gulped down a Powerade. I was feeling good but concerned I couldn’t keep up the pace for the ten miles that I had ahead of me. Rather than hitting the lap button on my watch at the mile markers, I decided to continue with my “Just Run” motto and only concern myself with time after each loop. I hit the first loop in 37:xx minutes.

OK, that’s under a 9 minute pace....and I was hoping I would be able to maintain a 10 minute pace considering my 6.25 mile warm-up. But can I keep this up? I was feeling good and figured there was nothing I could do about it now, I might as well keep going until the wall came crashing down on me. I might as well get as far as I could before that happened. Going through the second loop, I started to get tired and could feel the miles on my legs – Mile 6 of the race was my Mile 12 for the day, etc. Amazingly I made it through that loop – Mile 9 (my Mile 15, oy!), one more loop to go. Just hold on, I told myself.

I didn’t even look at my watch. I didn’t want to know (turns out it was 36:xx – my fastest loop). I just hit the button and kept running. Damn the watch. Damn my time. Damn the miles I had run before the race. Just Run.

I hit Mile 10, only three more to go, and saw the official race clock read 1:26:xx and with a quick calculation my whole outlook on the race changed: even if I slowed down to 10 minute miles, if I could do better than that slower pace for the next 3 miles, the next 30 minutes, I would come across the line in 1:56:xx – that’s a PR! With that realization, I was totally reinvigorated. If I could get a PR even if slowed down, imagine how much I could smash my previous time (1:58:29) if I kept my faster pace. Now I was on a mission. Forget the wall, forget slowing down; I was going to get this done.

With each mile marker I hit, I did a quick calculation and with each calculation I projected my finish time to be faster and faster. Finally, I made the turn down Pennsylvania Avenue for the last time and I knew I was going to do it. My legs were tired but finishing at a fast pace wouldn’t be a problem. I ran and ran down Pennsylvania for what seemed like miles but it was only about ¾ a mile long. I heard the crowd and announcer at the finish line and I tried to pick up my pace. However, there was no kick left in my legs but they were machine-like in that they had zeroed in a pace and could go at that pace forever. Finally, with the finish line getting closer and closer I was able to read the clock at the 13 mile marker – 1:52:01 it read.

I had one minute to run .1 miles in order to be a 1:52 half marathoner. That is all that matter. I had to cross the line before the clock read 1:53:00. I ran strong and as I came close to the line, the announcer said, “…and here comes, Becki… [seriously, he announced my name and I pumped my fist]…she definitely knows how to celebrate, Becki in the white hat and the pretty ponytail getting it done.” I did it – 1:52:38!!!

I was the 115th woman to cross the finish line out of 549 and 48th in my age group.

In a word – PERFECT!

I wore my race shirt for the rest of the day with pride. I am only slightly sore today but in a good way. I believe I’ve recently experienced a break-through in my running and this half marathon performance is proof. Running that race and especially crossing that finish line, shattering my previous PR by 5 minutes made me want to scream, “AHHHH, I Love Running.”

Pros:
Excellent Start, Course and Finish Organization
Loop course – wouldn’t want to do a loop course for all my races but it worked for me at this race
Great cause w/ enthusiastic runners, volunteers, and organizers
Nice race shirt (even if it is cotton)

Cons:
Due to early start time (which I love), it is not metro accessible for the start (though I did metro home)
Expensive for a half ($75!)
No convenient packet pick up (i.e. metro accessible) other than race day
It is never a problem for me but there were no bathrooms on the course, only at the start/finish way off the course.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

OLD RAG MOUNTAIN – HIKE

The summit of Old Rag Mountain, in the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park, is at 3,291 feet and on a cool, crisp September morning we set out to conquer it.


The guide books and trail information provided by the park were quick to stress to extremely strenuous nature of this over 7 mile circuit hike and the one thing I worried about the day before and that morning as we drive to the trailhead was that it cautioned hikers to not attempt it if the rocks would be wet. Despite the rain of the day and night before, we (perhaps foolishly) stuck to our plan to hike Old Rag Mountain that morning as opposed to the next day (a Saturday, a weekend = even more crowds).


For some reason, we were reassured that our car wasn’t the first one in the parking lot at the trailhead. What this really meant was that there were 3 other groups of hikers foolish enough to hike despite the warnings; however, we chose to take it as a sign that it was OK to hike the trail. How bad could it really be, we asked ourselves, if other people are hiking it ahead of us. We are the best hikers out there (nor are we the worst and more importantly, nor does that mean the 3 groups ahead of us were any better than us), so if these other people could do it, so could we. Well, that is what we reasoned, anyway.


We got our Camelbaks ready and ourselves situated for a long hike and took off down the trail, determined to beat the park services’ time estimate of 7 hours for the circuit hike (5.5 for the out-and-back to the summit). As we headed off, I was a little bummed that the day was overcast and gray; the mountain seemed quiet.



The trail was quick to become steep and before we knew it we began a series of several switchbacks that would take us up the mountain for a bit under 2 miles when we would hit the strenuous rock scrambling that would take us to the summit (roughly a mile long). The switchbacks were steep but manageable. For some reason, and I really cannot explain this, I find it to be a very powerful experience to trudge up a mountain trail – heart pounding, blood pumping, leg deadening, lung exploding. It was amazing how we slowly emerged above the fog and realized it was a beautiful, sunny, lively day on the mountain above the fog line.



We took a single rest on the way up and it wasn’t long before we reached the first overlook.



As the trail descriptions promised, once we passed this first overlook the rock scrambling began. We squeezed our way between boulders, climbed up and over rocks, ducked through “caves” and scrambled our way along the trail. We even came to one place that we just couldn’t figure out how to proceed. Mike ended up having to boost me up from behind and once I was up, I had to pull him up. It was quite the team effort and I was so proud of Mike because I know he was fighting his fear of heights.



I had so much fun on this trail. It is the type of trail that keeps you actively engaged, both your mind and your body, as you have to think your way through it. Where do I put my hands? If I put my left foot in that crack, where will I put my right foot next?



However, the fun eventually ended as we reached the summit and were able to take a break. I am proud of our foolish journey to the top of Old Rag Mountain. We worked together and made it to the top together. It is a wonderful experience to share with someone.


After soaking in the views from the top…



…we headed back to the mountain, following a different trail that was longer but lacked the rock scramble. On the way down, the grade was much more gradual and after passing two day shelters along the trail, we came to a fire road that led back to the parking lot.


Two things struck me on the way down. One, it was neat to slowly walk back in to the fog. It felt like were reentering the world, as if, the sunny, bright day above the fog was somehow a dream world that we couldn’t remain in too long. Second, the trail on the way back was so drastically different from the rock scrambling and switchbacks on the way up it was hard to believe they both led to the same point.


Satisfied with our hiking for the day, which took us 4 hours and 15 minutes to complete (7 hours, ha!), we headed back to camp. I highly recommend this hike to anyone interested in a challenging and fun experience. We had a blast!


We met Mr. Turtle on the way up the mountain.

A view from the first overlook.

Along the trail, just before the rock scramble. It felt like we were floating in the clouds. It was amazing.


Mike taking a photo break along the trail.


I believe this is called Little Devil's Staircase. Very cool!



The view from the top of the mountain.


Descending back in to the fog.

Us at the top - we made it!



OVERALL RUN FALLS - HIKE

The hike toward Overall Run Falls starts at the Traces Trail in Matthews Arm Campground (where we were camping) so our drive to the trail was extremely short. In fact, we were hiking the trail within 5 minutes of leaving camp!



Unlike the constant and immediate up, up, up of the Old Rag hike, Overall Run Falls was flat for the first few miles and then went down, down, down. About an hour, maybe an hour and a half, in to the hike, we passed a trail marker that said Overall Run Falls was .4 miles away. We walked, saw a puny “waterfall” coming off the cliffs across a small valley from the trail, I took a picture and then kept going, looking for the “real” waterfall. Slowly down the mountain we went, both of us thinking that for all this down, hiking back up was going to be rough and this waterfall better be worth it. However, the trail just kept going. Each step down the mountain was a tough step up the mountain we’d have to make on the way back. About 30 minutes after passing the trail marker (and much further than .4 miles), we finally decided that that scrawny waterfall we had passed was probably THE waterfall and exhausted, we headed back up the mountain.


As we passed by the waterfall on our way up, out of breath and Mike struggling because of “cement legs” we couldn’t help but be disappointed – it must be better in the spring after the snow melts I told myself. Mike didn’t even stop to glance at it as he trudged past.



To make a slow story short, we eventually made it back to the car and Mike definitely perked up after we climbed back up the mountain and made it back to flat land over the last couple miles.


Hike – close to 7.5 miles, round trip (should have been 6.5 miles)


Camping in Shenandoah National Park - September 2009

Before our long weekend in September, Mike and I had some camping experience together but we’d only ever been camping on his parents’ property on the Eastern Shore of MD. In many ways, these prior experiences were more rugged (gathering firewood, not buying it; no restroom facilities; no car close by to keep supplies in, just the four-wheeler) and yet it still felt like we had not ever “really” camped because we always had the safety and comfort of the house to fall back on if we needed it (it was about 1.5 miles away).

We had decided to make our first “real” camping trip be at Matthews Arm Campground in Shenandoah National Park. I think both of us were a little nervous about the trip as we headed out Thursday afternoon but we faced it bravely and with a sense of humor.


We stopped in Front Royal, VA for supplies (a tarp because of the rain/wet ground, a cooler and food) before heading to the northern entrance to the park and Skyline Drive. The ranger at the gate took our park fee and suggested we head to the Elkwallow Waystation two miles north of the Matthews Arm Campground, in order to purchase our firewood before the store closed at 7. It was about 5:30 when we entered the park and she mentioned it should take about 40 minutes to drive to Elkwallow. As we pulled away from the gate she told us to drive careful because there was lots of fog on the mountains.


She wasn’t kidding! Much of the 20+ miles we drove on Skyline Drive that evening were dense with fog and when we finally climbed above it, it was an amazing sight to see.


The park ranger was right on the money with her suggestions, except the store at Elkwallow actually closed at 6 so we just missed it. Luckily, as we were poking around, an employee said she could sell us a bag of firewood and just ring it up in the morning. Thank goodness! We would have fire!


Around 6:30 that evening, we finally got to our campsite at Matthews Arm and started to set up. We laid down the new tarp (best purchase of the trip), pitched our tent and got the campsite ready. Once we were finishing setting up, we heading off on a short hike prior to starting a fire and making dinner.



The Traces Trail is a short, 1.7 miles hike encircling the Matthews Arm Campsite. It is named Traces Trail because there is evidence (stone fences and foundations) of settlements in the area. It was a nice hike with enough rocks and roots and slight ups and downs to keep things interesting. Along the way, we saw several deer and even spotted the “traces” implied by the trail name.



It was dark by the time we made it back to camp so we found the flashlights and lanterns and worked on starting a fire. Up until this point, the rain that seemed imminent had actually held off. There was some drizzle and mist on the drive out to Shenandoah but it had stopped by the time we got the park. However, as we were splitting up the firewood to make smaller starter pieces the rain started coming in fits and spurts. It was never a hard rain; however, it did put a damper on our fire, which we were never able to coax in to a decent-sized campfire. Still, in spite of the sporadic rainfall, we did manage to cook some hotdogs and enjoy an evening around the campfire.


It wasn’t long before we decided to call it a night, after straightening up camp and the supplies in the car, we snuggled in to our tent thankful for the dry and warm spot to sleep (it was in the low 50s that night). Just as we settled in for sleep, the rain started falling harder and more steadily. Lucky timing for the second time that day. Also, it turns out our cheap, $30 tent from Target was in fact waterproof so maybe we should consider that three-times lucky.


Friday morning we woke up early because we wanted to get to Old Rag Mountain early to ensure a parking spot near the trail. I think the rains from the previous day kept many potential hikers from getting a fresh start on the day because we didn’t encounter the crowds we expected on this popular hike.


The hike was a blast and we decided that this was definitely the best hike we’d been on outside of Maine (Acadia National Park still holds my heart when it comes to hiking). Here’s a description and more pictures of our hike.



We were exhausted after successfully tackling this tough hike and once we made it back to the car, we decided to grab a bite to eat in the small town nearby, Sperryville, VA. We found a wonderful place, serving freshly prepared (often local) food called Rae’s Restaurant. I had a Black Bean Burger and salad that was truly yummy.


We headed back to the campsite, with a short detour south along Skyline Drive to check out the Big Meadow area and stop at the souvenir store for a hat (for Mike) and some local honey (for me). Content after the long day, Mike started working on our fire for the evening and I relaxed off to the side intermittently watching his progress, offering advice and bellowing services, but mostly reading and relaxing. Once it got dark, we munched on grilled cheese sandwiches cooked over the fire and made s’mores but even the scrumptious camping food couldn’t keep the sleepiness at bay and before too long we gave in and called it an early night.


Saturday morning, we were up even earlier in order to pack up the campsite and load the car. Even though we were still planning on hiking in the park that morning, we wanted to check out before we set off on our final day of adventure. As we packed up, one of the things that became apparent was we were both sore from the strenuous hike up Old Rag the day before, Mike more so than me. We decided to take the trail to see the highest waterfall on the mountain – Overall Run Falls at 93 feet high – rather than the trail to Little Devils Staircase (another rock scramble) as we had planned.


We ended up hiking much further than we intended that morning and the trail ended up being much more strenuous than we thought. The Overall Run Falls was actually a bit of a disappointment but I would like to try this hike again in the spring. I think that is when the falls might be more impressive. In addition to this disappointment, we were both more worn out by Old Rag Mountain than we had thought and I don’t think we gave this trail a fair shot. We were excited to get back to the car and home.



As we drove north along Skyline Drive, our camping adventure coming to end, Mike declared that after all that hiking and camping, he had a hunger than only a steak could conquer and so, we headed home in search of steak with a successful camping experience coming to end.


Friday, November 6, 2009

Pride versus Frustration

Alternately, I feel both pride and frustration.

I decided to skip my run this morning despite having woken up early, gotten dressed, packed my backpack, eaten breakfast and been ready to walk out the door. Yesterday the outside part of my left foot started to ache – I think it is a sore tendon or something along those lines – and it didn’t feel right when I was getting ready. I did a quick jog around the living room and I could have made it in to work, I know I could have made it, but I decided the right thing to do was skipped today’s run.

Immediately after making the decision, the right decision, I felt good. I knew it was the right call. My ultimate goal is to be a runner for life and in order to earn that title I need to actually be able to run. In the grand scheme of things, the 7-9 miles I would have run this morning don’t even make a dent.

My foot is feel better as the day goes on – still a bit tender but I should be fine by Sunday (the next scheduled run day). It was the right call to make and I take it as one sign I’m becoming a better runner. I know enough to know I can’t run through pain. Just run, even when that means skipping a run, just run.

Still, I know I could have finished the run.

Daily Dozen:
Rest Day

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Impulse Racing – Good or Bad?

The GCF Half Marathon; I’ve be contemplating running the race for weeks. I’ve even told everyone I was running it but I never committed to it until this morning. I’m not even sure what made up my mind. All I know is that I sat down at my computer this morning and just signed up. I forked over my money and that was that.

I haven’t trained for this race and I don’t really even feel like “racing” this race. I’ve been running faster paces lately and I’ve had an awesome streak of PRs in my last three races – 5K, 10K, 10 miles – in that order. It means I’m due for a PR at the next distance; the half marathon. However, I’m just not sure I’m feeling it.

One the one hand, I signed up for the race because I wanted to do 13 miles anyway this weekend so why not contribute to a great cause and run with thousands of other runners (plus it is an inaugural race…I enjoy doing inaugural races for some reason). The race is right in DC so no traveling is required; I will just need to get up a bit earlier than I normally would have on for a long run.

And yet…

There is still that fire inside of me that is chiding me for taking it easy – if I went out there and followed my training, I know I could PR by 2 minutes or more. Why not go for it? It’ll be a cool, early November morning; the conditions could not be better. Am I holding myself back?

BUT…

Is it smart? I just came off a poorly run hard race that left my legs feeling a little dead last week. Is this inviting injury? What’s the right move? Am I capable of making that decision on race day – will I be able to listen to my body and back off if I need to?

I’m not totally convinced that racing on impulse is always a good thing. Either way, it’s a good cause and I’ll have fun no matter what. Just Run….just run.

Daily Dozen:

4 miles @ easy, recovery pace
Strength Training (I’m motivated by push-ups lately – 100 in a day) @ lunch hour
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