May 23rd, 2017 marked my one-year running anniversary or "run-iversary." Yes, that's a thing. Don't judge me. May 23rd, 2016 was the day I ran my first race, The Fit2Fight 5K. If you've been following my journey, you may recall that I didn't really intend on running after that. I'm not going to rewrite my entire journey here, because you could just read my previous posts. In fact, if you haven't read them yet, you SHOULD read them.
In any case, to mark my run-iversary, I participated in the same race. The 2017 Fit2Fight was held on May 22. I spent the day prepping my body to run that night. I took a hot epsom salt bath, I did yoga, I hydrated, and I foam rolled. I also did those same things before I ran the TC One Mile and I ran my fastest mile time, ever. I figured that using the same routine for the 5K wouldn't hurt anything.
This year, since I'm a "seasoned runner" and not a beginner, I decided I could go by myself. Last year, my family came with to support me, even though it meant that my kids were missing softball practice. This year my kids went to practice. They need it. My neighbors were at the race, because one of them is a volunteer for the fire department that holds the race, and his wife is my running buddy. So, regardless of my family not being there, I wasn't alone. And also, since I've done several races now, I'm okay with going it alone. I've got my big girl pants on.
The race map online was the same route that we were supposed to run last year. I say supposed to because last year there was an issue that caused us to get rerouted, and the race ended up being only three miles as opposed to a full 5K. This year being the second year of the race, I assumed that things would be more organized. That wasn't exactly the case. The disorganization this year started with registration. When I signed up for the race online, there was an issue with the payment software so I wasn't able to pay. I also didn't bring my checkbook or cash with me to the race, and they couldn't take a credit card. Being such a small event, and my neighbor being a firefighter, they trusted me to pay my entrance fee later. My neighbor was supposed to come after me if I didn't. I paid it the next day, in case you're wondering.
The next issue was that the online registration software apparently had some problems and any runners who had previously registered online had to register again once we arrived at the race venue. What a hassle.
When the time came, the runners were ushered to the start. The national anthem was played this year. I'm not sure that I remember that happening last year. A few race rules were explained, and we were off with the sound of an air horn.
Once we got to the point where we were supposed to turn (according to the map), we did not. There were traffic cones on the road to indicate the route and those cones indicated that runners were to continue going forward. I suppose that I could have turned, but I would have led the runners behind me astray. I thought it was important to follow the people in front of me, so I did.
Speaking of the people in front of me, I was very surprised to find that there were not actually THAT many people in front of me. I was flying! I wasn't quite sure of my pace, since I started my GPS app early, but I knew I was doing well. Perhaps what was more surprising was how well I felt. For the speed that I was going, I probably should've been gasping for air. I wasn't. My pace felt really natural and that was exhilarating.
Somewhere after the water station and between miles two and three, there was a bit of course confusion. Runners were following a paved path next to the road. The path split, going straight or left. I could see the runners in front of me had turned left. So, why the confusion? The confusion came from a lone traffic cone that was on the path that went straight. Were runners supposed to go to that cone and turn around? The runners in front of me had not done that. And with no volunteers to give runners instructions, I had to just go with what the runners in front of me did. Perhaps next year there will be either arrows or volunteers to direct runners. Or, better yet, there could be arrows AND volunteers and the route could actually match the map that was on the website!
When I flew into the finish, the clock said 27:42. WHAT?! Then I looked at my GPS and learned that the race wasn't a full 5K. Damn. In fact, I came up with slightly under three miles. Maybe runners WERE supposed to loop that lone traffic cone. Still, I did not expect to finish in under 30:00, so my time came as a bit of a shock.
There were medals for top three male and top three female finishers. I never expected to be in the top three, and I wasn't. But, as far as I could tell, I was possibly the fifth female finisher. I'm really quite proud of that. Last year, runners were emailed official results along with a few stats about how many runners there were etc. This year, even three weeks later, I still haven't seen such a list. I think that perhaps the way the finish line was set up this year prevented those in charge from knowing an official time for anyone. Bummer. At least I know my approximate finish time, and I know I ran better than I did last year.
My plan at this point is to run this race every year that they hold it. Perhaps one year they will add chip time. Next year will be the third year of the race, and I hope that third time is a charm given all of the issues they had this year. And maybe, just maybe, third time will be a charm for me, and I will place in the top three. Given how well I ran this year, I think that is a definite possibility.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Thursday, May 25, 2017
One Is The Most Anxious Number
In my last post, I mentioned that planning ahead is best for those who like to run races. So, when I saw an advertisement for the Medtronic TC One Mile happening in May, I decided to look into it.
I'm not going to discriminate against a race just because it's only one mile. Especially since the race was on a weekday, and weekday races are best for my schedule. I decided to register for the race, and I had a little over two months to work on my mile pace.
I've heard that improving your running time happens with hill work and speed work. Also, running longer distances helps. If I can get my body used to running a 5K, then I should, theoretically, be able to 'rock' a one mile.
Prior to the race, my best time for one mile was right around nine minutes. I didn't know if I would get much faster for the race. I honestly didn't even expect to. I just did my best to maintain a (mostly) regular running schedule. We have a treadmill, so I couldn't really use weather as an excuse for not running. Life got in the way of a couple of runs, but for the most part, I ran every other weekday for the two months leading up to the race.
The TC One Mile was on a Thursday evening. I don't generally like driving downtown, so I opted to take Metro Transit to the race venue. It just so happened that I could ride the bus for free with a special pass printed from the TC One Mile website. Score! When my family dropped me off at the bus station, I was already a bundle of nerves. I get super nervous before races anyway, but there were a couple of other things that were adding to my anxiety. I was nervous about the little "twinge" I kept feeling in my right quadricep. I was nervous about taking Metro Transit — it's not something I do often, and I rarely do it alone. I was nervous about whether or not my sister, who had agreed to pick me up after the race, would actually show up. Read my last post if you're curious as to why I question her reliability. So, when my bus was thirteen minutes late, I was pacing around the bus stop like a crazy person. I planned my trip so that I would get off of Metro Transit about an hour before the race. I had to walk about a quarter mile to get to the race start from where I got off the Light Rail. With my bus being late, I would miss my connection for the train.
Once I got on the bus, traffic, construction, and detours all added to my anxiety. I checked the time; 6:30. I was supposed to be there by 6:30. Instead, I was barely five minutes away from where I got on the bus. I got on my phone to search for the Light Rail schedule. What did people ever do without smartphones? Thankfully, a train ran every ten minutes. So, regardless of what time my bus got to the stop, I would be able to catch a train relatively quickly.
I made my connection (about thirty minutes after I planned to), and I got to my final destination without further incident. I still had thirty minutes to spare. I jogged to the 'sweats check' so that I could check my personal items. Then, I went down to the riverfront to take a few pictures. I ran into someone else from the Run the Year Facebook group, which was pretty neat considering there are 24,000+ people in the group.
There were several different start times for the race depending upon which wave you wanted to or qualified to run with. I opted to be in the competitive wave, because I was more serious about the race than those running the recreational wave. However, when I lined up for my start time, I started questioning whether or not I belonged in the competitive wave. Many of the racers looked very fit, very active, and much better at running than me. But, I chose to be there, not because I expected to win any prizes, but because I wanted to push myself. My goal was to finish in about nine minutes and to not get injured. Sometimes, the key to running faster—in addition to hill work, speed work, and higher mileage—is simply to run with people faster than you.
My favorite part about the route was that there were official time clocks every quarter mile. Every time I passed a clock, I tried to do the math in my head to figure out what my finish time would be. Even still, when I crossed the finish line at 8:23.6, I was shocked by my time. Regardless of seeing a clock every quarter mile, I still had no idea I was going that fast.
Shortly after finishing, I received a text from my sister. She was at the finish line. Sweet. Not only did the race go better than I could've hoped, but my ride didn't let me down. Her and I went to the race after-party for a bit. They had alcohol samples and other freebies that we took advantage of. We also shared a brownie from a food truck. Overall, it was a great experience. I would sign up again next year in a heart beat. Hopefully next year I won't be so anxious, since I've run the route and I know the drill. And hopefully by then, I'll be able to beat an 8:23 mile.
I'm not going to discriminate against a race just because it's only one mile. Especially since the race was on a weekday, and weekday races are best for my schedule. I decided to register for the race, and I had a little over two months to work on my mile pace.
I've heard that improving your running time happens with hill work and speed work. Also, running longer distances helps. If I can get my body used to running a 5K, then I should, theoretically, be able to 'rock' a one mile.
Prior to the race, my best time for one mile was right around nine minutes. I didn't know if I would get much faster for the race. I honestly didn't even expect to. I just did my best to maintain a (mostly) regular running schedule. We have a treadmill, so I couldn't really use weather as an excuse for not running. Life got in the way of a couple of runs, but for the most part, I ran every other weekday for the two months leading up to the race.
The TC One Mile was on a Thursday evening. I don't generally like driving downtown, so I opted to take Metro Transit to the race venue. It just so happened that I could ride the bus for free with a special pass printed from the TC One Mile website. Score! When my family dropped me off at the bus station, I was already a bundle of nerves. I get super nervous before races anyway, but there were a couple of other things that were adding to my anxiety. I was nervous about the little "twinge" I kept feeling in my right quadricep. I was nervous about taking Metro Transit — it's not something I do often, and I rarely do it alone. I was nervous about whether or not my sister, who had agreed to pick me up after the race, would actually show up. Read my last post if you're curious as to why I question her reliability. So, when my bus was thirteen minutes late, I was pacing around the bus stop like a crazy person. I planned my trip so that I would get off of Metro Transit about an hour before the race. I had to walk about a quarter mile to get to the race start from where I got off the Light Rail. With my bus being late, I would miss my connection for the train.
Once I got on the bus, traffic, construction, and detours all added to my anxiety. I checked the time; 6:30. I was supposed to be there by 6:30. Instead, I was barely five minutes away from where I got on the bus. I got on my phone to search for the Light Rail schedule. What did people ever do without smartphones? Thankfully, a train ran every ten minutes. So, regardless of what time my bus got to the stop, I would be able to catch a train relatively quickly.
I made my connection (about thirty minutes after I planned to), and I got to my final destination without further incident. I still had thirty minutes to spare. I jogged to the 'sweats check' so that I could check my personal items. Then, I went down to the riverfront to take a few pictures. I ran into someone else from the Run the Year Facebook group, which was pretty neat considering there are 24,000+ people in the group.
There were several different start times for the race depending upon which wave you wanted to or qualified to run with. I opted to be in the competitive wave, because I was more serious about the race than those running the recreational wave. However, when I lined up for my start time, I started questioning whether or not I belonged in the competitive wave. Many of the racers looked very fit, very active, and much better at running than me. But, I chose to be there, not because I expected to win any prizes, but because I wanted to push myself. My goal was to finish in about nine minutes and to not get injured. Sometimes, the key to running faster—in addition to hill work, speed work, and higher mileage—is simply to run with people faster than you.
My favorite part about the route was that there were official time clocks every quarter mile. Every time I passed a clock, I tried to do the math in my head to figure out what my finish time would be. Even still, when I crossed the finish line at 8:23.6, I was shocked by my time. Regardless of seeing a clock every quarter mile, I still had no idea I was going that fast.
Shortly after finishing, I received a text from my sister. She was at the finish line. Sweet. Not only did the race go better than I could've hoped, but my ride didn't let me down. Her and I went to the race after-party for a bit. They had alcohol samples and other freebies that we took advantage of. We also shared a brownie from a food truck. Overall, it was a great experience. I would sign up again next year in a heart beat. Hopefully next year I won't be so anxious, since I've run the route and I know the drill. And hopefully by then, I'll be able to beat an 8:23 mile.
Friday, May 19, 2017
Forget the PR and Make Some Memories
Sometimes, you plan ahead. This is usually the case for people who run races, because many races require registering before the day of the race. While some races have walk-up registration, it is usually much cheaper to register well ahead of race day. Not to mention that race-day registration is not always guaranteed.
If you're someone like me, who has three kids, planning for a race becomes slightly more involved because a sitter is usually required.
I registered for the Anoka-Ramsey Community College Cambridge Campus 5K Family Fun Run on March 3, 2017, well ahead of the April 22 race day. There was no registration fee, but I wanted to commit to it early. I wanted to plan ahead.
Originally, the plan was that I would run the race alone, while my sister and her girlfriend walked with my three kids. I didn't expect my kids to want to run it, nor did I expect them to be excited about running it. But, I wanted to run it, and it was easier to bring them with. It's usually much easier to convince my family to watch my kids if I'm nearby, even if a 3.1 mile walk is involved.
I suppose that my sister and her girlfriend could've just played with the kids at the race site, rather than signing up to participate. I suppose that may have been less work for the kids. But, hindsight is 20/20.
A month before the race, my daughter found out that she would be participating in a school-related state competition on race day. Oh, well. As long as I could find her transportation, there was no reason why I couldn't still participate in the 5K with my two sons, still running on my own, while my sister and her girlfriend walked the route with them.
A couple of days before the race, my sister had to cancel. She had the opportunity to see an apartment that would hopefully become hers. So, now what was I supposed to do? I had no sitter. I guess it was time to make the decision, and admit to myself the reality that I would not be running this race for a PR. I would have to push my youngest son in the jogging stroller while my oldest son walked and ran beside me.
The idea of just walking 3.1 miles with my oldest son was pretty stressful. He's a particularly sensitive kid, and to be honest, I didn't know if he would make it. He's the kind of kid who whines about walking a few blocks to the park. So, in order to get him more excited about the race, I bought him an MP3 player, which I was going to let him carry in one of my SPIbelts. And, I had plenty of Sports Beans to bribe him with along the course.
Race day came and I dropped my daughter off at her friend's house so that she could be at her competition. Then, my sons and I headed to the college. The weather was picture perfect. We couldn't have paid for a more gorgeous day. We ended up ditching the idea of him using the MP3 player, because we just couldn't get the ear buds to stay in his ears. Not to mention that he's a skinny kid, and my SPIBelt wouldn't stay up on him. We lined up at the start, and when they blew the air horn to signal the start of the race, my son took off in a flash. I wasn't even ready to run yet, but I started trying to catch him. He ran for about 400 meters before I caught him and he said, "I'm tired." I knew that was going to happen with the way that he took off at the start. I gave him some water from the jogging stroller, and we continued on at a very slow pace. From then on, I continued running slowly, and he walked and then sprinted to catch me. Every so often, I would feed him a Sports Bean. Even if they didn't actually help him in any way, they definitely had a placebo effect.
I had to do a fair amount of walking to be with him. Once we got to the two mile mark, there were cones in the road. He came up with a strategy to help himself move forward, telling me that we would walk to a specific cone and then we would run. I basically tried to let him be in charge of the pace, but I also tried to push his limits a bit and encourage him to keep going. I would run ahead a little ways, and then I would walk until he caught up. We probably went through two packages of Sports Beans, because I would reward him with one every time he got to me.
He was exhausted by the time the finish line was in view, but he found enough energy to sprint the last fifty meters. In the end, he finished the race in 43:14. That time completely blew away any expectations I had of him. My time was 43:10 (chip time) and is my worst 5K time. But despite running my worst race, I'm not disappointed. The pride I felt after finishing with my son trumps any pride I may have had if I had run a PR. I think the memories that we created are far better than any PR, too.
If you're someone like me, who has three kids, planning for a race becomes slightly more involved because a sitter is usually required.
I registered for the Anoka-Ramsey Community College Cambridge Campus 5K Family Fun Run on March 3, 2017, well ahead of the April 22 race day. There was no registration fee, but I wanted to commit to it early. I wanted to plan ahead.
Originally, the plan was that I would run the race alone, while my sister and her girlfriend walked with my three kids. I didn't expect my kids to want to run it, nor did I expect them to be excited about running it. But, I wanted to run it, and it was easier to bring them with. It's usually much easier to convince my family to watch my kids if I'm nearby, even if a 3.1 mile walk is involved.
I suppose that my sister and her girlfriend could've just played with the kids at the race site, rather than signing up to participate. I suppose that may have been less work for the kids. But, hindsight is 20/20.
A month before the race, my daughter found out that she would be participating in a school-related state competition on race day. Oh, well. As long as I could find her transportation, there was no reason why I couldn't still participate in the 5K with my two sons, still running on my own, while my sister and her girlfriend walked the route with them.
A couple of days before the race, my sister had to cancel. She had the opportunity to see an apartment that would hopefully become hers. So, now what was I supposed to do? I had no sitter. I guess it was time to make the decision, and admit to myself the reality that I would not be running this race for a PR. I would have to push my youngest son in the jogging stroller while my oldest son walked and ran beside me.
The idea of just walking 3.1 miles with my oldest son was pretty stressful. He's a particularly sensitive kid, and to be honest, I didn't know if he would make it. He's the kind of kid who whines about walking a few blocks to the park. So, in order to get him more excited about the race, I bought him an MP3 player, which I was going to let him carry in one of my SPIbelts. And, I had plenty of Sports Beans to bribe him with along the course.
Race day came and I dropped my daughter off at her friend's house so that she could be at her competition. Then, my sons and I headed to the college. The weather was picture perfect. We couldn't have paid for a more gorgeous day. We ended up ditching the idea of him using the MP3 player, because we just couldn't get the ear buds to stay in his ears. Not to mention that he's a skinny kid, and my SPIBelt wouldn't stay up on him. We lined up at the start, and when they blew the air horn to signal the start of the race, my son took off in a flash. I wasn't even ready to run yet, but I started trying to catch him. He ran for about 400 meters before I caught him and he said, "I'm tired." I knew that was going to happen with the way that he took off at the start. I gave him some water from the jogging stroller, and we continued on at a very slow pace. From then on, I continued running slowly, and he walked and then sprinted to catch me. Every so often, I would feed him a Sports Bean. Even if they didn't actually help him in any way, they definitely had a placebo effect.
I had to do a fair amount of walking to be with him. Once we got to the two mile mark, there were cones in the road. He came up with a strategy to help himself move forward, telling me that we would walk to a specific cone and then we would run. I basically tried to let him be in charge of the pace, but I also tried to push his limits a bit and encourage him to keep going. I would run ahead a little ways, and then I would walk until he caught up. We probably went through two packages of Sports Beans, because I would reward him with one every time he got to me.
He was exhausted by the time the finish line was in view, but he found enough energy to sprint the last fifty meters. In the end, he finished the race in 43:14. That time completely blew away any expectations I had of him. My time was 43:10 (chip time) and is my worst 5K time. But despite running my worst race, I'm not disappointed. The pride I felt after finishing with my son trumps any pride I may have had if I had run a PR. I think the memories that we created are far better than any PR, too.
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Do the Hustle
The Hot Cider Hustle 5K was scheduled for October 22, 2016. I knew that a race at the end of October could be cold, because I've lived in Minnesota for most of my life. But, my neighbor wanted to sign up for it and asked me if I would run it with her. I actually signed up for the race on August 9, which was probably the most advanced notice I'd had for a race all summer.
Between the time I signed up and the date of the race, I ran three other races, two of them virtual. You can read about those races here.
Knowing I had the Hustle coming up at the end of October forced me to continue training. I was coming off of a personal best time with the Panther 5K, and I was really hoping to beat that at the Hustle. In the five weeks between the Panther 5K and the Hustle, I got outside to run a total of eight times. Could've been worse, I guess.
The morning of the race came and it was definitely chilly. It was colder than any temperature I'd run in since my first race in May. I did my best to wear appropriate gear, and my neighbor and I drove to the race location.
When the race started it was right around 40ºF. We were shivering while we waited for the race to start, but thankfully, we didn't have to wait around for too long since parking the car took a fair amount of time. I was hoping to run with my neighbor, but we got separated early on. The race course was largely comprised of a bike path around a lake, and the path was hilly and narrow, especially at the start. The corrals were not super organized, and there were people starting the race in front of us that were walking. One even had a walking boot (cast) on her foot! Clearly those participants didn't understand race etiquette. It's incredibly disrespectful to walk side-by-side on a narrow, uphill race start. I weaved between and around people, finding myself in the grass at times. The weaving was what caused me to lose my neighbor, but she was still nursing her injury from the Panther 5K, and I wasn't going to cause even more congestion by slowing down.
I think the congestion at the start of the race cost me a PR. I finished just twenty seconds shy of my personal record Panther 5K time. I was frustrated to say the least, because I'd felt like I really could have hit that coveted sub 30:00 mark.
The biggest perk to the Hot Cider Hustle is the finisher's mug and hot cider at the end. We also got a caramel apple. Yum! My neighbor and I sat near the finish line enjoying our goodies while we waited for my sister to finish. Yup, that's right. When my sister heard about the Hustle, she decided to participate, too. However, she signed up to walk it. She was in good company at least, because there were many people walking the race–no doubt they were just there for the cider and mug.
After the race, I pretty much expected that I would be mostly done with running until spring came around. It was getting cold and I lacked proper gear to run in the winter and snow. I also lacked enough money to really purchase any of the said gear, because cold weather running gear can be prohibitively expensive. I just figured I would spend my winter sitting on my butt, per my usual, or maybe playing Wii Fit or Dance Party once in awhile.
I did get out and run a few more times before the end of the year, mostly because we didn't get much snow. But, I still had no intention of seriously running again until the warm weather came around. I was envious of my friends who posted pictures of themselves running throughout the winter. I missed running on a regular basis. Not to mention that I had worked really hard to get my 5K time down, and it was disheartening to know in the back of my mind that it could take awhile to get back to that point once spring did arrive.
When my family and I were down in Illinois between Christmas and New Year's, I came across a challenge called Run The Year. I had heard of it before but I dismissed it because it sounded insane. For some reason though, this time I researched it and learned that I could participate in the challenge by counting all of my daily miles toward the goal of 2,017 miles by year's end. I knew I would never be able to run an average of 5.5 miles a day, especially given that I didn't have a treadmill. But, I also knew that even hitting 5.5 miles a day would be difficult, because I knew how I have previously been mostly sedentary in the winter months. I bit the bullet and signed up for the challenge on December 31, and I am already thinking of signing up for the challenge next year.
In future posts, I will blog about the challenge along with writing about races I've done in 2017. I have a few virtual races I've already run this year, so I guess you can learn about those next time.
Between the time I signed up and the date of the race, I ran three other races, two of them virtual. You can read about those races here.
Knowing I had the Hustle coming up at the end of October forced me to continue training. I was coming off of a personal best time with the Panther 5K, and I was really hoping to beat that at the Hustle. In the five weeks between the Panther 5K and the Hustle, I got outside to run a total of eight times. Could've been worse, I guess.
The morning of the race came and it was definitely chilly. It was colder than any temperature I'd run in since my first race in May. I did my best to wear appropriate gear, and my neighbor and I drove to the race location.
When the race started it was right around 40ºF. We were shivering while we waited for the race to start, but thankfully, we didn't have to wait around for too long since parking the car took a fair amount of time. I was hoping to run with my neighbor, but we got separated early on. The race course was largely comprised of a bike path around a lake, and the path was hilly and narrow, especially at the start. The corrals were not super organized, and there were people starting the race in front of us that were walking. One even had a walking boot (cast) on her foot! Clearly those participants didn't understand race etiquette. It's incredibly disrespectful to walk side-by-side on a narrow, uphill race start. I weaved between and around people, finding myself in the grass at times. The weaving was what caused me to lose my neighbor, but she was still nursing her injury from the Panther 5K, and I wasn't going to cause even more congestion by slowing down.
I think the congestion at the start of the race cost me a PR. I finished just twenty seconds shy of my personal record Panther 5K time. I was frustrated to say the least, because I'd felt like I really could have hit that coveted sub 30:00 mark.
The biggest perk to the Hot Cider Hustle is the finisher's mug and hot cider at the end. We also got a caramel apple. Yum! My neighbor and I sat near the finish line enjoying our goodies while we waited for my sister to finish. Yup, that's right. When my sister heard about the Hustle, she decided to participate, too. However, she signed up to walk it. She was in good company at least, because there were many people walking the race–no doubt they were just there for the cider and mug.
After the race, I pretty much expected that I would be mostly done with running until spring came around. It was getting cold and I lacked proper gear to run in the winter and snow. I also lacked enough money to really purchase any of the said gear, because cold weather running gear can be prohibitively expensive. I just figured I would spend my winter sitting on my butt, per my usual, or maybe playing Wii Fit or Dance Party once in awhile.
I did get out and run a few more times before the end of the year, mostly because we didn't get much snow. But, I still had no intention of seriously running again until the warm weather came around. I was envious of my friends who posted pictures of themselves running throughout the winter. I missed running on a regular basis. Not to mention that I had worked really hard to get my 5K time down, and it was disheartening to know in the back of my mind that it could take awhile to get back to that point once spring did arrive.
When my family and I were down in Illinois between Christmas and New Year's, I came across a challenge called Run The Year. I had heard of it before but I dismissed it because it sounded insane. For some reason though, this time I researched it and learned that I could participate in the challenge by counting all of my daily miles toward the goal of 2,017 miles by year's end. I knew I would never be able to run an average of 5.5 miles a day, especially given that I didn't have a treadmill. But, I also knew that even hitting 5.5 miles a day would be difficult, because I knew how I have previously been mostly sedentary in the winter months. I bit the bullet and signed up for the challenge on December 31, and I am already thinking of signing up for the challenge next year.
In future posts, I will blog about the challenge along with writing about races I've done in 2017. I have a few virtual races I've already run this year, so I guess you can learn about those next time.
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Family Time and Failures
I've been pretty quiet this month. I was very busy with Girl Scout stuff and now that the cookie season is over, I'm working on an art project for a local competition.
My running schedule has suffered a little, and I'm not quite where I want/need to be for my Run the Year goals. I was hoping to hit 500 miles by the end of this month, since I should be at 497 if I've been getting 5.5 miles every day. I won't be hitting 500, or even 497. It's disappointing, but it's important for me to remember that missing one goal isn't the end of the world. With warmer and longer days coming, I will be getting out on more walks and just moving more in general.
The Run the Year challenge has still helped me to become a more active person, especially in the winter months. I'm happy that I discovered the challenge, and I'm glad to have a supportive network of like-minded individuals.
My running has slowed down considerably in the last couple of weeks, because I've been experiencing some pain in my SI joint. In the past, I've been able to relieve the pain by stretching my hips and glutes, but that hasn't fixed the problem this time. I have an appointment scheduled with my chiropractor next week.
I hope to get a running blog post written in the coming week. I have new races coming up and would like to be done writing about last year's races before starting this year's (live) races.
I'd like to thank all of my family, friends, and RTY supporters for being here. I'm really enjoying my new, more active lifestyle, but it's a good reminder to all of us that life ebbs and flows; Goals might pass without being reached. Instead of giving up when things "fall apart" or when there is a failure, it's a great time to set new goals and keep moving forward.
My running schedule has suffered a little, and I'm not quite where I want/need to be for my Run the Year goals. I was hoping to hit 500 miles by the end of this month, since I should be at 497 if I've been getting 5.5 miles every day. I won't be hitting 500, or even 497. It's disappointing, but it's important for me to remember that missing one goal isn't the end of the world. With warmer and longer days coming, I will be getting out on more walks and just moving more in general.
The Run the Year challenge has still helped me to become a more active person, especially in the winter months. I'm happy that I discovered the challenge, and I'm glad to have a supportive network of like-minded individuals.
My running has slowed down considerably in the last couple of weeks, because I've been experiencing some pain in my SI joint. In the past, I've been able to relieve the pain by stretching my hips and glutes, but that hasn't fixed the problem this time. I have an appointment scheduled with my chiropractor next week.
I hope to get a running blog post written in the coming week. I have new races coming up and would like to be done writing about last year's races before starting this year's (live) races.
I'd like to thank all of my family, friends, and RTY supporters for being here. I'm really enjoying my new, more active lifestyle, but it's a good reminder to all of us that life ebbs and flows; Goals might pass without being reached. Instead of giving up when things "fall apart" or when there is a failure, it's a great time to set new goals and keep moving forward.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Virtual Races, Panthers and PR's
Sometime after the Esprit de She, my neighbor found a Best Friend's 5K virtual race through US Road Running. We liked that we could each get a medal for a pretty low price. So, we signed up for the 5K. The timing of when we received the medals and bibs coincided with our training for our school district's annual race, the Panther Foundation 5K. One evening, a few days before the Panther 5K, we went out and ran the virtual race. It was a PR for me: I actually cut over two minutes off of my official race time from the Esprit de She. Despite it being a virtual race, it was fun because I was running it with my neighbor and friend.
The next thing to tackle was the Panther Foundation 5K. My husband took vacation from work that day in order to attend the event with me and keep an eye on the kids while I ran. The event consisted of a 5K run, a 2K walk, and a carnival. The carnival was a great way to keep the kids busy while I participated in the 5K.
We arrived at the high school track early in order for the kids to enjoy the carnival games before things got too busy. Between the walk from the parking lot to the track and walking around with my family, I got quite a few steps in while I waited for the race to start. My shoes were less than a month old, and I had only ever run in them. So, it was pretty painful to learn that the walking I did before the race was giving me blisters on my heels. NOOOOOOO! It was 10 minutes to race time, and I had a blister on each foot. I grabbed some large bandages that I keep in my youngest son's diaper bag, and I hoped for the best.
The race started and things felt pretty good. My neighbor and I were running faster than I thought we were. By the time my GPS told me my mile split, I was shocked. I thought for sure that I was going to fizzle out before the race ended.
We kept going at a pretty steady pace. She kept wanting to stop, but I told her we could do it without stopping. Honestly, I was afraid that if we stopped that I wouldn't be able to start again, so I just encouraged her to keep going and it helped me to keep moving, too. We ran our hearts out, and when the finish line came into view, we stepped it out a bit.
She ended up with an injury because of stepping it out at the end. I kind of blame myself, and I felt bad that I had pushed her through the finish. But, it really felt good to cross the finish line with her at 30:15. I (we) were so close to breaking that thirty minute mark! I was ridiculously proud of us both. I was in a bit of shock that I had just run a 5K at that pace. It was two minutes off of the pace we ran the Best Friend's 5K virtual race at. It was so empowering!
After the Panther 5K, I decided that I could try to strive for something a little more. I was ready to slowly start pushing myself and see what my limits were. I decided that my next step would be to sign up for the virtual Turtle Runner 5 Miler. I ran it a month after the Panther 5K on a warm October day, and I ran it in under an hour. Considering that I have never run that far in my life, I was pretty psyched about the results. I was doing things I had never thought I would be capable of doing.
The outdoor running season was nearing its end, but my neighbor and I did find one more race to run before November. That story will wait until next time.
The next thing to tackle was the Panther Foundation 5K. My husband took vacation from work that day in order to attend the event with me and keep an eye on the kids while I ran. The event consisted of a 5K run, a 2K walk, and a carnival. The carnival was a great way to keep the kids busy while I participated in the 5K.
We arrived at the high school track early in order for the kids to enjoy the carnival games before things got too busy. Between the walk from the parking lot to the track and walking around with my family, I got quite a few steps in while I waited for the race to start. My shoes were less than a month old, and I had only ever run in them. So, it was pretty painful to learn that the walking I did before the race was giving me blisters on my heels. NOOOOOOO! It was 10 minutes to race time, and I had a blister on each foot. I grabbed some large bandages that I keep in my youngest son's diaper bag, and I hoped for the best.
The race started and things felt pretty good. My neighbor and I were running faster than I thought we were. By the time my GPS told me my mile split, I was shocked. I thought for sure that I was going to fizzle out before the race ended.
We kept going at a pretty steady pace. She kept wanting to stop, but I told her we could do it without stopping. Honestly, I was afraid that if we stopped that I wouldn't be able to start again, so I just encouraged her to keep going and it helped me to keep moving, too. We ran our hearts out, and when the finish line came into view, we stepped it out a bit.
She ended up with an injury because of stepping it out at the end. I kind of blame myself, and I felt bad that I had pushed her through the finish. But, it really felt good to cross the finish line with her at 30:15. I (we) were so close to breaking that thirty minute mark! I was ridiculously proud of us both. I was in a bit of shock that I had just run a 5K at that pace. It was two minutes off of the pace we ran the Best Friend's 5K virtual race at. It was so empowering!
After the Panther 5K, I decided that I could try to strive for something a little more. I was ready to slowly start pushing myself and see what my limits were. I decided that my next step would be to sign up for the virtual Turtle Runner 5 Miler. I ran it a month after the Panther 5K on a warm October day, and I ran it in under an hour. Considering that I have never run that far in my life, I was pretty psyched about the results. I was doing things I had never thought I would be capable of doing.
The outdoor running season was nearing its end, but my neighbor and I did find one more race to run before November. That story will wait until next time.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Esprit de She
Sometimes, when you joke about doing something, things work out in such a way that you have no excuse to not do the thing you joked about.
When I finished my first race in May 2016, I joked with my husband that I should run five 5K's before my 35th birthday. Over the last few weeks, I've posted about my second and third races that were mostly coincidental. With my entry into those races, it was almost as though life was placing these neatly wrapped opportunities in front of me. The same can almost be said about my fourth race, too. My neighbor won an entry to a race through the same contest that I won my entry for the Torchlight 5K. The day after I ran the Super Run, she found out that she won her entry, and she basically asked me if I would run with her so she didn't have to go alone. At least that's how I remember it. In any case, I just happened to have a discount coupon from running the Torchlight 5K, so I took advantage of that and on July 25th, I signed up for the Esprit de She.
I actually had the opportunity, and surprisingly the motivation, to run three times between the Super Run and the Esprit. I was at the point where I was actually excited to be running another race with my neighbor, though, I still didn't think I was at the point where I could keep up with her.
The Esprit de She was on August 4th. My neighbor drove us to Maple Grove where we had to park and take a shuttle to the finish line and then walk the short distance to the starting line. While the race wasn't quite as large as the Torchlight, it was definitely an energetic atmosphere. We went to the pavilion area to get our wristbands (for the alcohol after the race), and we began our trek to the starting line. As we walked, we stopped to get an official pre-race photo. We stretched a bit, found our pace group (10:30 min/mile–an improvement from the Torchlight), and waited for the race to start.
For almost the entire course, she was at least 100 meters in front of me, though, there were times that I lost track of her completely. I wasn't really concerned with where she was because I wanted to focus on me. I did my best to run the whole 3.1 miles, and if I recall correctly, I was successful. As I neared the finish line, I saw my neighbor. That got my adrenaline pumping! I had spent the entire race lagging behind her, and here I was less than 200 meters from the finish, and I was within distance of catching her! My legs sped up and I flew around the last two corners; she didn't even see me coming.
I ended up crossing the finish line one second ahead of her, but because of when she started the race, we actually ended up with the same exact time of 34:36 (although my official race time is 34:37). I don't claim to be a math whiz, but when I started the race at 6:42:21 PM and finished the race at 7:16:57 PM, I'm pretty sure that I finished the race in 34:36. But, whatever. It was a personal record all the same.
I had now run four races in slightly over two months. I was determined to run a fifth race before I turned 35, and since my birthday was still nine months away, I was pretty confident I could make it work. And since I'm writing about it, I bet you can deduce that I was successful. So, you can read about my fifth race next time.
If you want you can follow me on Facebook. You can see pictures of my races, and keep up on how my training is going.
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