Thursday, April 29, 2010

Capital Challenge - Race Report

I am a runner redeemed.

Wednesday morning I ran the Capital Challenge, a 3 mile charity race in DC that is invitation-only for teams representing the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches of the Federal Government and the Media. I ran a one of several teams fielded by the company for which I work. Approximately 700 people were running the race.

I had signed up for the race knowing that I wouldn’t be recovered from the marathon I was running the previous Saturday so I had submitted an estimated race time of 30 minutes. Of course, at that time, I didn’t realize I would only be allowed to run 22 miles of the marathon and therefore was not nearly as beat up as I thought I would be. My legs were feeling very good Wednesday morning.

As the starting whistle blew I decided to go ahead and push the pace just to see what I could. I was pushing but not too hard (no hard, labored breathing…yet) and hit the first mile in 8:06 (take off a few seconds because I started about 15 second after the gun). Wow! Great! I wonder if I can maintain this pace.

I blow past the water stop and push on to the turn around, 1.5 mile mark. I make the sharp 180 degree turn and push harder. I had only seen a handful of coworkers ahead of me and I wanted to see how many of them I could catch.

I ran. I pushed and ran harder. I hit the mile 2 marker in 15:57. What?! I’m actually speeding up. GO GO GO. Just one more mile.

It was unusually cold this morning, in the low 40s and there had been a sharp wind as we were standing around waiting for the race start. The wind that I thought would be at my back (or at the least coming in from side) was actually blowing straight at us, nonstop, for the entire third mile. I have said it before – I hate the wind. However, I knew I couldn’t let it defeat me on this day. I had had enough of being defeated by mother nature while running.

I pushed. I started breathing harder and harder and tried to keep it as steady as possible. I cajoled. One more mile. That’s nothing. You can’t outrun a tornado but you can make it to this finish line in under 24 minutes. Come on. RUN. Then, finally, I heard the announcer. There was a slight bend in the course and a few seconds later (though it seemed like minutes) I saw the banner for the finish line. Get there Becki. You just have to get to that spot and then you can stop. I promise. That’s it. Just get there.

The clock read 23 something and I pushed as hard as I could – 23:36. Holy crap, I did it! If this had been a 5K, I would have PR’ed by nearly a minute. Apparently running 22 miles of a marathon a few days prior really helps my speed (or at least it did this once). Running and finishing this race well, felt good. It still feels good. I have a much more positive outlook on running today compared to the few days after Nashville.

Am I still planning on attempting a marathon in few weeks…oh yeah!

Pros
-Small race = higher placement (254 out of 700)
-Low entry fee ($17)
-Very enthusiastic race organizers
-Nice, technical running shirt

Cons
-Invitation only race

Country Music Marathon - Race Report

How did the marathon in Nashville go? My official finisher’s certificate about sums it up.


When I left the previous weekend for our road trip to Tennessee, the weather for the marathon was supposed to be rainy with a high of 71 – cooler and cloudier than it was supposed to be the few days before Saturday’s race. However, by the time we made it to Nashville the forecast was looking much bleaker – rain…wind…hail!...tornado!!

I tried to remain positive about the weather. Really, how often is it as bad as the weatherman says? The race organizers had sent out on email on Friday saying that as long as the full marathoners were on pace to run a 4:30 or better time at the 11 mile mark we would be able to finish the race and not be diverted to the half marathon finish. Not a problem!

However, I had trouble sleeping the night before the race. I feel asleep quickly around 9 o’clock but I don’t think my mind ever shut itself off but I woke up at 2 and didn’t fall back asleep until 4. I kept worrying about the weather and questioning myself – what if I was having a bad day and fell off my pace early? what will I tell people? what if they cancel the race altogether? Not the thoughts I needed running through my head only a few hours before running a marathon.

I woke up at 5 to my alarm and I got dressed I was sleepy but I knew I had to shake it off – shake off last night’s frustrations and anxiety, shake off fretting about my pace. I stepped outside on the porch of the B&B we were staying in to eat my bagel and banana and was encouraged. The sun was coming up. It wasn’t raining. There was just a slight breeze. Maybe today wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

At 6 I headed out for the race start line, about 2 miles from where we were staying. I walked and jogged my way to Centennial Park feeling very confident about the next few hours. I wondered about the starting area for a bit and didn’t pay much attention to the race announcers since there were still 30 minutes until the start. I probably should have been paying more attention because it turns out they decided to start the race 15 minutes early so by the time I realized what was going on I had to push way through a crowd of runners to even get close to the pace group I was aiming for.

Before I knew it…and without really realizing what was going on…suddenly I was across the start line and running my fourth marathon. Running the first mile or so toward downtown Nashville in a massive sea of runners (going downhill) was awesome. Even though there were 35,000 runners, the streets and waterstops I never felt like I didn’t have enough room to run. For once, it seemed, a race had gotten the corral/wave start right (this has not been my experience with the local DC mega-races).

A bit about my strategy: nine minutes thirty seconds. That is the number I wanted to see each time I hit the lap button on my watch when I hit the mile markers – 9:30. I wanted 9:30s through Mile 20 and at that point I would assess where I was at and speed up if I could or continue to focus on hitting 9:30s.

As I ran along with the huge crowd, I was able to dial in to my pace quickly and stay there (within reason – I’m still not very good at knowing my pace by feel). The first 11 miles of the race went well – plenty of crowd support, saw my super spectator (husband, Mike) at Miles 5 and 8 and got a boost of energy seeing him. At Mile 11, the half marathon course split off and the few marathon runners (4000 compared to the over 30,000 running the half). I actually didn’t mind the lack of crowd support but the course itself was pretty lacking – they loop us through some business parks, etc.

Also, this was about the time that the clouds started filling up the sky. I was hoping that I would beat the rain but as I ran along it looked less and less likely.

I was still feeling good – some tightness in the hamstrings, my legs were starting to get tired and I was regretting the decision not to get new shoes about a month ago but all in all I was very positive about the race. I hit Mile 17 and my legs rapidly started feeling heavier and heavier. I was trudging up a hill and I made the decision to power walk to the top. I have never, NEVER, been forced to walk in a race. It was demoralizing. To make matters worse, I hit another bit hill at Mile 18 and it take even less time to talk myself in to walking to the top. Giving up was so easy at that point.

I started questioning everything. Making up my own running schedule was a bad idea. Just Run – that’s so stupid. Why didn’t I do specific marathon pace runs? I should have been more consistent during the crappy winter weather. I shouldn’t have cut down my taper to two weeks, I’ve tried that before and it doesn’t work for me. I should know better. I’m not the marathon running type. Why am I doing this? This sucks.

That was the lowest I’ve ever been with my running. However, I made it to the top of the hill and told myself that I had to take it one mile at a time. Just get to the next water stop and take it from there. Surprisingly, things did get a little better. My hamstrings were still screaming and my legs still felt like bricks but my mind wasn’t beating me up any more. I made it to Mile 20 at 3 hours 14 minutes. If I could do the next 6.2 miles in one hour, I could still PR. So that is what I set out to do – push for the next hour at 10 minute pace. I could do it. There were no more hills. I just knew I could do it.

And then I turned the corner and saw two things: the mile marker for 21 and police cars, police barricades and a policeman with a bullhorn. “Runners turn right and head toward the stadium. Severe weather is imminent. Runners divert to the stadium. Sever weather is imminent.” My heart dropped. I was on pace why are they diverting us. I forgot all about my tired legs and screaming hamstrings. The pain just melted away and was replaced with…

I’m not sure what it was I was feeling. Anger? No, not really. Frustration? Definitely but it was different too. Grief? Ok, that sounds a little dramatic but yes, kinda. Disappointment? Yup, in myself, in the race, in the weather.

I couldn’t believe my luck. The police car and barricades were being put in place just as I came around the corner. If I had been just 5 minutes faster, I would have been able to finish it. I was upset when I realized that I could have prevented being diverted from the course. If only I was a faster…by which I really meant “better”…runner. Several runners were jumping the barricades and running around the police cruisers, totally ignoring the instructions to divert and not finish. I slowed down to contemplate what course of action would I take – screw it, I’m a runner, I finish races that I start, weather and police be damned or better safe than sorry and live to run another day.

I made that turn and ran back to the stadium in a clump of 10 or so other quasi-marathoners. I just couldn’t bring myself to defy authority (not to say that is a bad thing – there was some pretty severe lightening going on in the distance and the Country Music Marathon is not worth dying over). Anyway, we headed back to the stadium, dodging pedestrians, runners who had finished their race (mostly half marathoners) and traffic. We jumped the barrier near the 26 mile mark and ran across the finish line.

The clock read 3:42 and to everyone watching, we looked legitimate. I felt sick to my stomach. I wasn’t legitimate and I knew it. I felt like I had tricked somebody, gotten away with it and felt guilty. I grabbed water, a space blanket and a medal and went to find my husband. He was shocked to see me so early and thought I must have had an amazing race. I had to confess (and that is what it felt like, a confession) that I didn’t run the whole race, that they had diverted the course and didn’t allow me to finish.

As we walked back to the car, I skipped the food and other finish line amenities because I didn’t feel like I deserved them, I started to get angry. I was angry with myself and with the weather and with the race organizers. I mumbled and cursed (sometimes loudly, sometimes under my breath) and I wanted to shout. I was mad at myself for crossing the finish line. I was mad at myself for taking a medal I didn’t feel like I deserved. The other runners would had cross the finish line around me ran the whole thing and I did not belong there at that time.

By the time we made it back to the bed and breakfast, I was a little calmer about it and had started to come to terms with not being allowed to finish. It was raining so hard outside and there was lightening, I know it was the right decision on everyone’s part. However, it then became apparent after the results there were half marathon runners…lots and lots of half marathon runners…finishing well after I would have come across the line. I understand they need to get people off the streets and that the police and EMTs had much better places to be than watching me run by but it still irks me that I could have finished in the time they held the course open for the half marathoners.

Breath. Calming down. (As you can see, it still stings a little).

So I didn’t get to finish the marathon. I have NOT run four marathons (no matter what everyone says…it is a fact) but I am OK with it. I have been recovering nicely this week and am seriously contemplating another attempt in a few weeks. I really want to see what I can do on the training I’ve done.

I did so many things wrong before this marathon (no running but lots of strenuous hiking the week before, not eating well the week before, very little runs at marathon pace, not pacing correctly on the hills, etc.) that I need to give myself a fair shot at a PR this spring.

Mile 1 9:39
Mile 2 9:25
Mile 3 9:29
Mile 4 9:44
Mile 5 9:46
Mile 6 9:19 – Energy boost after spotting my spectator
Mile 7 9:49
Mile 8 & 9 18:51
Mile 10 & 11 18:23
Mile 12 9:10
Mile 13 9:24
Mile 14 9:24
Mile 15 9:41
Mile 16 9:41
Mile 17 9:42
Mile 18 10:55 – Uh oh, had to walk up a hill, hamstrings feeling very tight
Mile 19 11:10 – Not good, had to walk up another hill, but decide to rally
Mile 20 10:26 – That’s getting better, feeling a little better
Mile 21 through finish about 22.2 18:22

Pros

-Nashville is a fun city, absolutely worth the visit
-Excellent support on the first half of the course
-Race Organizers have made up for having to divert the course – apologies, coupons to other events

Cons
-Second half lonely compared to the first half (for some this could be a pro)
-Race Organizers weren’t very good at communicating the changes to the start time and what to do once they diverted the course – was I supposed to cross the finish line?
-Expensive
-Goodie bag was just leaflets and ads (sign of the times more so than the race most likely)

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Fast

What is it about running fast that makes it feel so good? Why is it that covering 5 miles at a normal, easy pace is nothing like covering those same 5 miles at a fast pace?

This morning I set out at 5 am for a hilly 5-miler. Thursdays I like to hit the hills and speed things up a little bit; bang out a good, hard workout with enough time to recover for the weekend long run. This morning, probably because I had a schedule rest day yesterday, I felt great. “Don’t push, just run” I repeated to myself as I cruised along the dark bike path, up, over and down the hills. My legs felt fresh and smooth. It was easy; easier than previous short runs.

The best part was letting myself run at a fast pace. Fast, when you don’t have to work for it, is an amazing feeling. I feel like I anything is possible and better yet, like I could run on and on forever.

After 3.5 years of running, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am just not built for speed. Endurance is my where my running strength lies. I can dial in to a 10:30 to 11:00 minute pace and just go and go, for hours. However, I also have to keep reminding myself that although I may not have been genetically blessed with speedy legs doesn’t mean that I can’t get faster. This morning’s near-effortless hilly run at a 9:30 pace feels as good, if not better than completing a 20-miler at 10:30 pace the previous weekend.

I’m looking forward to seeing what I can accomplish at the marathon, the distance that demands both speed and endurance.

Weather watch for April 24:

(Because I need something to focus my obsession on for the next few days)
Showers (40% chance), high of 71, low of 57 – I’m actually encouraged by that, better than sunny with a high of 85!! (:Knocking every piece of wood in the vicinity:)

Daily Dozen:
5.04 miles – hilly route
Walking and stretching XT @ lunch hour

Monday, April 12, 2010

Taper, Here I Come

Well, the damage has been done. Yesterday I completed my final long run of this round of marathon training. All that is left is the next two week’s of tapering – shorter runs and more sleep.

I feel confident coming off of the long run yesterday. While, I can’t say running 20 miles was easy, it certainly wasn’t as difficult as it has been in the past. I finished running strong yesterday and I am only minimally sore today. Completing the run was a tremendous boost to my confidence going in to the marathon, especially falling the run previous weekend’s attempt at 20 miles. I’m feeling very good about the marathon.

Some people have a hard time tapering before their marathon. They get antsy when they have more time on their hands because of the mileage reduction that goes along with the taper. However, I look forward to tapering. In fact, I see it as my reward for all the hard work I put in over the past few months. I ran hard. I ran long. Before I attempt to run both harder and longer during the marathon, I get a little break in order to rest and recover.

I don’t experience that taper madness that some runners complain of. I don’t feel like I need to squeeze in one more long run, I’ve yet to feel any phantom aches and pains or injuries and I don’t obsess over the coming marathon. I’ve read about other runners having issues with all of these things during their taper. Not me – I am looking forward to the extra sleep. Zzzzzzz

On deck tomorrow – “only” 5 miles.

Daily Dozen:
4.41 miles – very easy pace, feeling good, still on a high from yesterday’s run

Monday, April 5, 2010

A Tale of Two Runs

It turns out my body was going to make the decision for me. (Yes, I should have known that all along).

I woke up Saturday morning ready to face a 20 miler. I dressed, I ate, I packed my pockets w/ Fig Newtons, and I headed out the door. The morning was cloudy and the day was a bit cooler than I was expecting but it was a good temperature for running. I set off, plotting various routes.

The first mile went off well. I was enthusiastic and confident. However, that proved to be a short-lived experience. My heartrate was increased from the beginning of the run and by mile 2 I realized that it just wasn’t going to be my day. The decision to not run long was not a difficult one for me to make, unfortunately. Other days it would have been a struggle between my brain, my heart and my legs but not that day. I would live to run another day, I decided and then I headed home racking up only 5.6 of the 20 planned miles.

Despite the easy decision, I couldn’t shake the feeling of sadness once I got home. I quit and there are no other ways to describe it. I may have made the “right” decisions but it still means that the right decision was to quit.

As I threw my sweaty (but not sweat I had earned, I thought) clothes in to the laundry basket and climbed in to a hot shower, I was a little down on myself. I’ve run through worse conditions, through legs that were more tired. I’ve willed myself through much tougher mental roadblocks. What was going on that I quit so easily?

I never did find the answer. I went on with my day and slowly the disappointment and sadness melted away being replaced by more important things like spending time with family.

I woke up the next day much earlier than I expected and the first thought that popped in to my head – I want to run. I crawled out of bed, stumbled around getting dressed in the dark and snuck out of my in-laws house, ready for a run in the country. The difference between running that morning and running the previous morning was stark. Where I felt sluggish and tired the day before, I was smooth and energized the next morning. Where I regretted not having the time to run longer that morning, the previous morning I regretted making plans around a long run that ended up being a bust so I had too much time. Where as my pace never warmed up past a crawl on Saturday morning, Sunday morning there was a spring in my step and I just couldn’t hold back.

I ended up running under 10 minute miles without every intending to run at my marathon goal pace. I just started running and I settled in to a fast pace. I don’t’ know that I could have slowed myself down even if I had wanted to because the pace felt so right. Slowing down would have been impossible.

One of the things I love about running faster paces is that there is span of time after the struggle of warming up but before the paces catches up to your muscles and forces you to slow down when the possibilities seem limitless. I really can run close to a 4 hour marathon. After this marathon I really will run a sub-4 marathon. I should sign up for the ultra-marathon I have been eyeballing. I should just keep running and running and running and…

Before I knew I was close to home and I reined in my speed-induced daydreaming. Back to reality, I told myself as I turned down the home stretching, forcing my legs to slow. I didn’t want to experience a blow up or a slow down. I wanted those possibilities to remain just that…possible.

Both Saturday and Sunday, I ended my runs on my own terms. Both times, I made the decision to stop and both times it was the “right” decision to make. Honestly, I’m not even sure what my point is here. I’m sure there is a lesson in there somewhere. What I do know is that Sunday’s run wiped Saturday’s run off the radar and thank goodness for that.

Daily Dozen:
5.22 miles – feeling good, running strong

Friday, April 2, 2010

Decisions.

This week was supposed to be the peak week in marathon training. I had a great 15-miler last Sunday and I was looking forward to another solid week of running, to be capped off by a 22-miler this coming weekend before being able to slip easily in to a 3 week taper…in fact, I wasn’t much bothered by the impending 22-miler, looking beyond it to the lower mileage, lighter load, more sleep of the taper.

But then I caught a stomach bug. Sunday night as I was vegging out on the sofa and contemplating turning in for the night, I started to feel a little “off.” By the time I put head to pillow less than an hour later, I was really starting to feel awful. Then, a little over an hour after falling asleep I was huddled in the bathroom thowing up. For the rest of the night, I repeated this hourly performance not stopping until the sun had come up the next time.

Just like that, just as quick as that, there went my peak training week down the toilet…swoooosh, plop! Bummer!

Yesterday, Thursday was the first time I ran since Sunday and it well. I could tell I was tired and not quite “on” but I completed the run and felt good about it. This morning I ran in to work, covering about 8 miles and tomorrow’s long run was on my mind for most of the time.

What to do? Take it easy tomorrow, don’t push it but cut my taper from 3 weeks to 2 weeks and run 22 miles next weekend. A 2 week taper didn’t work for me when I tried it during my training for marathon #2 so I’m very hesitant about this idea. However, I am a much stronger runner than I was back then so maybe, just maybe I could handle a 2 week taper.

Or, should I attempt the 22 miles and see if I can do it in order to preserve the 3 week taper that I was so looking forward to last week. I like this idea better but I’m just not sure it is wise.

Decisions. Decisions.

Daily Dozen:
8 miles run to work
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