Flying Pig Half Marathon

Going into the race today, I knew there was a chance of rain.  All week the time of the rain/storms moved up earlier and earlier.  Driving to the race this morning it started to storm.  So we put on garbage bags and headed to the start line. The start line was chaotic due to the rain and it still being dark (the race started at 6:30 am eastern time, which is 5:30 am central time).  We should have started in corral D, but I think it was more like B.  Which means, we got passed a lot in the beginning.  And it rained really heavy for the first 4 miles. 

Mark decided to walk the race as he's still recovering from an injury (He was able to finish it with little pain -yea!). Gail was a little ahead of us, and we got separated from her near the start. Chrystyna and I struggled the first 4 miles.  It was clear our bodies were not recovered from yesterday's run.  Talking during the beginning of the race, we realized we probably could have trained better by running long runs on back to back days - if you are ever planning on doing back to back races, I suggest training by doing long runs on consecutive days.  The first 4 miles of the race, we mostly walked and weren't sure if we'd actually run much more of the race.

As the rain eased up, our attitudes also improved.  We were genuinely having a good time by mile 5, and we stuck to our 2/2 intervals.  Around mile 5 or 6 the elevation of the course started climbing and climbing.  When we got near the top there was some beautiful views of the river and the city.  The last 3 miles of the race were all downhill.  Can I just say having the last 3 miles be downhill is a very beautiful thing?  We ran most of the last 3 miles straight.   It felt good to run down, and at that point, we were afraid if we stopped running we wouldn't be able to start back.  It was a light rain or misty from mile 4 to mile 11 and then the rain came back harder. 

This race is very well planned out and everyone involved in it from race officials to volunteers had fabulous, positive attitudes. The expo was well organized and attended, especially considering how many races were this weekend.  Every runner received an asics tech shirt, asics backpack (which is surprisingly nice) and a poster.  This race wins for the best swag! The waterstops were really good.  They were every mile.  My favorite was a high school football team.  They were very spirited and entertaining. 

During the race we swore we wouldn't attempt such a crazy thing as two halfs in one weekend again, but within 15 minutes of finishing we had decided we might try it again.  There are several things I will do differently next time.  But it was a great experience, and I'm very glad we did it.  Sometime during yesterday's half, I realized today's race would be my 10th half marathon.  All 10 have been completed in the last 15 months.  Wow!   If you had told me 2 years ago, I would be finishing my 10th half marathon today, I would have laughed. 

For my next running adventure, Mark and I will be training and fundraising for the full marathon in Dublin, Ireland (I don't usually say Ireland, but someone thought I was talking about Ohio when I mentioned it the other day) with Team in Training.  I'll have a blog with more information about it very soon.

Derby Festival Minimarathon or Race 1 of 2

This was a really great race!  The course was beautiful and had very little elevation changes.  I highly recommend adding this race to your list of races to run.  There was pretty good crowd support at the beginning, middle and end.  The temperature outside was cool when we started and warmed up, but it never felt too hot (there was a nice, light breeze most of the race).

The very best part of the race was running through Churchill Downs.  It was amazing to get to run through there.  We stayed on pavement and not the horse track, but it was awesome.  Horses were running and were beautiful.  There were also lots of available bathrooms, which couldn't have come at a better time! Mark (who didn't get to run due to an injury) was waiting on us as we exited Churchill downs. It was a great time to him and motivated me for a couple miles.

Gail, Chrystyna, Victoria and I ran together the whole race.  We probably started off just a little too fast.  But we felt really good most of the race. Hopefully, we didn't jinx tomorrow's run. 

As we were running today, I kept thinking about how far we've come in the last year.  I felt really good today.  It never really felt like I was going to die (extreme, I know, but I really felt that way a couple times last year) or that I wouldn't be able to finish.  Feeling so good today, makes me really excited to see where I'll be as a runner this time next year.

The finish of the race was really well done.  They kept the festival theme going and had carnival rides and some food stands where you could purchase carnival food.  They also gave out lots and a variety of snacks to finishers.  The best part of the finish was the small cartons of chocolate milk (yes, I had 2, don't judge).

Though overall the race was really fabulous, there are a few places I think they could really improve.  The first is the water stops.  They were laid out well, but the majority of them gave out small bottles of water, which in theory sounds like a good idea, but didn't work out too well.  First you had to open them.  And it created twice as much work for the clean up crew as most people tossed the lids and bottle separately.  Second, they didn't offer a sports drink until around mile 10.  I could have used it much sooner.

The race (and company of course) was really good.  I'm a little sad I didn't get to see my training group finish the Country Music Half, but I'm sure they were all outstanding!  Now it's time for an ice (or maybe just cold water) soak and to head to Cincinnati for tomorrow's race!

Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon

*originally posted on nashvilleandbeyond.com

Can you feel the energy in the air in Nashville? Extra excitement is buzzing around town. In case you’ve been living under a rock – I mean in case you didn’t already know – this Saturday is the Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon.

Even if you aren’t a runner, you can find a reason to be excited about the race. It’s easily one of the top 10 road races in the country based on attendance. Over 35,000 of your closest friends will lace up their shoes to run. Many of those people will come in from out of state, which gives us a great opportunity to showcase our fabulous city.

If you are running the race – best of luck to you! It’s a great race and an awesome experience. Running a race is one of my favorite ways to see a city. If you aren’t running the race consider volunteering or cheering the runners on. Having participated in the half last year, I can say it makes a huge difference to those of us running to have people cheering along the route. If you are feeling creative make a sign, most runners welcome the distraction and enjoy reading your sign!

For the last 4 months I’ve been pacing a group of runners for Fleet Feet Nashville’s training program for this race. Every Saturday morning instead of sleeping in, we’ve been up early to train. This is going to be the first half marathon most of them will complete. It’s been a truly amazing experience to watch each of them grow and prepare for a goal as big as running 13.1 miles.


If you want to feel inspired or encouraged, find yourself a place near LP Field (the finish line) and watch thousands of people meet their goals on Saturday morning. Each of those finishers has been training for months. They’ve gotten up extra early in the morning or stayed up late at night to get in their miles. They’ve been training in both freezing and hot temperatures, the rain, the snow and the sun. No matter how hard or easy the race has been for them, you will see each of them break into a huge smile as they cross the finish line. The feeling in the air will be joy, exhaustion, elation, but most of all, accomplishment.


For more information on the race, road closures, volunteering, being a spectator and much more check out http://nashville.competitor.com/.

Double, Double, Toil and 2 Fabulous Races

First things first, good luck to all the runners I've trained with for the Country Music Half. You all are more than ready. You will rock the race. I can't wait to hear all the details about how fantastic you did. I'm so proud of all of you! I wish I could be there to run with you or cheer you on, but I'll be there in spirit!

I'm not sure who thought it would be fun to run back to back half marathons, but I know I eagerly agreed. Today, I'm a little more apprehensive...it must be nerves. Tomorrow, is the Derby Festival Minimarathon (I don't actually think of 13.1 miles as a "mini") in Louisville. Sundy is the Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati. There are about 10 people from our running group doing Louisville, and 4 of us will be going on to Cincinnati.


The goal for both races is survival! I've been giving myself a pep talk and reminding myself this is not the time to set a PR. And the best part is, I will add two states in one weekend.


Look for blog updates after each race!

Ice Bath aka Torture

I've heard all of the benefits of the ice bath, but I tried it once and jumped out after about 15 seconds.  Holy crap, people willing do this?  I'm sure it would be an effective form of torture for our military. 

However, after hurting for nearly a week after the New Orleans half, I decided I would have to give it another try.  I'm proud to say I made it 15 minutes today!  Of course, I'd have gladly spent that 15 minutes running more, but I don't think it would have had the same effect. 

Here is my ice bath survival guide:

- A positive attitude - this is for your own good (definitely didn't have this on my first attempt)

- Warm clothes (t-shirt and my hoodie on top of it)

- Hot hands warming patch - ok this was probably overkill, but the first attempt was a disaster so this helped...it actually did a lot to keep my core warm

- Steaming hot drink - I chose pear tea...YUM

- Ipad and facebook (facebook could easily be substituted for Angry Birds)

I got in the tub with lukewarm water and gradually increased the water to all cold and started adding ice.  There is NO way I could get straight into an icy tub.  I stayed in for 15 minutes.  I've heard if you don't stay in a minimum of 10 minutes it's not doing you any good.  Since my first 2 minutes weren't really cold, I decided to stay 15 minutes. 

Now an hour later my hips, legs and feet are still cold despite being under a blanket for an hour.  I'm taking this as a good sign.  Hopefully, sore muscles are not in my future!

Tom King 2011

Tom King last year was my first ever half marathon.  I remember being so nervous and afraid of not being able to finish.  This year's race was my 8th half marathon.  I finished 5 minutes faster this year.

My goal in the race was just to finish faster than last year.  After setting a personal record in New Orleans less than a month ago, I knew it would be hard to do it again so soon, so I decided just to enjoy the run and beat last year's time. 

I feel like I've come so far since last year.  Last year I struggled, and by mile 10 I was sure I was never running again. This year I was calm and confident. I will probably never say running a half is easy...but it is definitely enjoyable.  I know I smiled ear to ear this race.  Why?  Because I can run.  Because I know I can finish. Because it encourages others.  Because even with the pain it's worth it.

So many of my friends ran this race and it was so good to see them before and during the race.  Two of my friends were even crazy enough to run the half and the 5k that was before it.  Pretty sure if the 5k was after the race no one would be running it.  

Mark at the finish! He had a hard run, but
I'm so proud of him for finishing strong!

The best water stop of the day was, of course the Fleet Feet/East Nasty stop at miles 1 and 12.  It is always so good to see smiling faces of people you know and hear them cheering for you!  

I think Tom King will be the one race I do every year...and hopefully, every year will be faster than the year before! 

Recovery

An alternate title for this blog post was going to be "How I Fell Off the 28 Day Challenge Wagon."  It's disappointing news I know.  And it KILLS me to tell you that I didn't make the 28 day challenge.  I did every day up to the Mardi Gras Half.  I even got in more than a mile walk the next day. 

So what stopped me from doing it the next day?  I was sore.  And not just a little sore. I've been sore lots of times, but never like this before.  I've been trying to figure out why since the race.  In addition to being sore, I was exhausted! 

This was the first race I've ever run that I feel like I treated it as a race.  Every other time, I feel like I've treated it as a training run with a medal at the end.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, I just wasn't prepared for the toll it would take on my body.  Usually during a race, I do exactly what I do during training runs. 

Not this time. I ran the half a minute faster a mile than I run my training runs.  I also ran a lot more than my intervals.  Frequently I skipped the walk interval or at least cut it short.  I think the additional running and speed (I have to laugh a little when I say speed, because I'm by no means fast!) made me really sore and tired.  Now I understand why you need rest days after a race.  The general rule is one day per mile.  I took about 10 rest days. 

Other contributing factors to my overly soreness:
- rough terrain - the last 2ish miles had lots of gravel on the road, essentially making it a run and a core workout
- lack of hydration - I was plenty hydrated before and during the race, my mistake was not hydrating properly after the race
- walking lots for 3 days before the race - I have no idea how much we walked but I would guess it was at least an equal distance to the race

After being so sore, I'm slightly worried about the back to back races I have planned (and already registered for) on April 30th and May 1st.  Hopefully, I've learned from my last race.  I won't be trying to set a PR at either race, so I'll have to tell myself to take it easy.  I'm also planning to try the feared ice bath and hope it helps. 

My next race is Tom King this Saturday.  I'm hoping I can stick to my plan and not be sore the next day.  I really need it to build my confidence for my back to back races.

I'm so proud of everyone who started the 28 day challenge and everyone who stuck with it and completed it, especially my little sister!