Earlier this year, I had plans to run the 3M half marathon for the 4th time. It's a mostly downhill race and very fast, and I trained hard for 3 months to run it at 1:31 pace. This was the most consistent that I've ever been in following a training plan, and while I skipped some of the easy runs, I did almost all of the hard runs (3 per week) and long runs (1 per week). (Without getting an injury! Yay!!)
And then, the week before the race, I came down with the flu (even though I'd gotten a flu shot!) and I was so exhausted that I could barely walk or stand up for longer than 30 minutes at a time on race day, much less run. ARRRGH. I was pretty disappointed (okay, very disappointed) for a couple of days, and then I got over it and signed up for the Austin half marathon, which was about 4 weeks later. The only difference is that the 3M course is flat and gradual downhill, with one short but steep hill, and the Austin half marathon course is hilly the entire way! I knew I wasn't going to get a personal best, but I was going to try to do my best anyway. My goal was to finish under 1:40, but aim for 1:37 or faster.
The morning of the race, I drove downtown with a friend who was also running the half marathon -- which was awesome since she used to work downtown and knew exactly where to park and where the race started. We parked away from the crowds, and only a couple of blocks from the finish line, so we'd be able to leave downtown before the crowds. We walked to the start line and lined up just in time for the national anthem.
The race started and the hills started almost right away! The first 1/2 mile or so was flat, but then the first couple of short, rolling hills started, and it was all downhill (figuratively, not literally!) from there. :-) I took the first few miles very easy since I knew that miles 3-6 were one big uphill climb and I wanted to make it to the 10k mark with some energy left for the last half of the race. Thankfully, miles 6-9 were mostly downhill! I don't know what my splits were since I missed some of the mile markers, I do remember that I went through the first 5k around 23 minutes and my time at mile 10 was 1:16:xx.
It was around mile 10 that the half marathoners split off from the marathoners, and I was ecstatic that the big hills were over (or so I thought!) and only had another 5k left to run. But then, if I'd looked at the entire elevation map of the course (which I didn't!) I would have noticed the several short, but steep hills clustered between miles 10-12. The hill at mile 11.5 or so was particularly steep and my body gave me the choice of 1) walking or 2) passing out. I chose the former. ;-)
I finished the race in 1:41:49, which is 7:44 pace. I didn't come close to my 3M goal of 1:31, but I did run the flat parts of the race around 7:00-7:10 pace, even at the end when my legs were just done.
Next up, a grassy, rolling hill 5k, and a flat 10 mile race. No more big hills for me any time soon!
Showing posts with label race report. Show all posts
Showing posts with label race report. Show all posts
Friday, February 22, 2013
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Reindeer Run 5k race report
A couple of weekends ago, I ran a 5k at a local park. It was a night race, running under Christmas light displays that have been set up in the park for the holidays.
I didn't taper for the race since my goal race is getting closer and I don't want to take any more time off, but I was still hoping to get that elusive sub 20 time. The race was at 6pm, and since I usually run better in the afternoons than in the mornings, I figured that one day of rest, plus a whole morning of rest, would equal a fast time. :-)
Well, I didn't count on the weather...at the race start, it was just under 80 degrees, with 80% humidity. I was dripping with sweat after jogging next to Buttercup in the kids' race, so I changed my goal and aimed to just run as fast as I could. I didn't wear my Garmin because I felt like I was going to run around 21:30 or slower, and I didn't want to see my pace while I was running!
The race started, and I was behind one woman right in front of me (we were literally rubbing elbows at one point since she was drafting off of me -- annoying!!), but since it was dark I couldn't tell if there were any other women in front.
We ran through the lights and, aside from the drafting that was going on, the first half was fine. I felt good, my legs were nice and loose, I wasn't breathing too hard, etc. The only thing was, there were no mile markers and no crowd support (except at the one water stop at the halfway point) -- 2 things that you don't realize you'll miss until they're not there! And then, at one point I finally got so annoyed with the woman drafting that I ran behind her and on the other side of the road, just to get away from her! It's hard enough running through blindingly bright lights, in the dark, with speed bumps, without having someone breathing down your neck the whole time. :-P
The course was very quiet, except for the sound of the runners' breathing and feet hitting the pavement. Then up ahead I could hear the announcer at the turn-around point, then I could actually see the turn-around. As the front runners passed me on their way back to the finish line, I saw a woman running with the lead pack of guys, so that meant that I was currently in 3rd place (Drafting Woman was a couple of seconds ahead).
I passed the halfway point at 10:30 something, which made me feel better, since I felt a little off without my Garmin. I had no clue what my pace was, or if I had gone out too fast, but I was trusting myself to listen to my body and I felt like I was running a consistent pace.
The second half of the race was also uneventful. I did the math in my head and assumed that I would run a low 21 race, which I was okay with! It was much warmer and more humid than I prefer for running, and I'd had a big week of running, so at that point I was happy with whatever I got. :-)
I had about 1/2 mile left to run, when I ran under the last big light display. It was a tunnel of flashing lights, and right when I got to the end of the tunnel, the lights went out at my end! As if that wasn't bad enough, the race photographer took my picture right at that moment, so I was blinded from the flash for about 5 seconds. :-P
Finally, I had just a tiny hill and then about 1/4 mile left to go. I knew there were 2 women in front of me (one whom I could possibly catch, one whom I couldn't), and I didn't even try to catch the woman in front of me since there was no chance of coming in first anyway. Then I got passed by a high school girl, who then passed the woman right in front of me!
I finished in 20:53, which means I ran a negative split in a hot race! That's 6:43 pace, which isn't too bad. :-) And, according to the race results, I came in 3rd overall (not 4th, like I'd thought)...not sure what happened to the first woman I'd seen at the turn-around!
According to race calculators, a 20:53 5k predicts a 1:36 1/2 marathon...which would be an improvement over this year's time (1:46, ugh!) but would not be a PR, nor is the time that I've been training for. However, the 5k would have been faster with cooler weather, so Lord willing, the weather will be nice and chilly the morning of my goal race! If not, hopefully I won't run another personal worst. ;-)
I didn't taper for the race since my goal race is getting closer and I don't want to take any more time off, but I was still hoping to get that elusive sub 20 time. The race was at 6pm, and since I usually run better in the afternoons than in the mornings, I figured that one day of rest, plus a whole morning of rest, would equal a fast time. :-)
Well, I didn't count on the weather...at the race start, it was just under 80 degrees, with 80% humidity. I was dripping with sweat after jogging next to Buttercup in the kids' race, so I changed my goal and aimed to just run as fast as I could. I didn't wear my Garmin because I felt like I was going to run around 21:30 or slower, and I didn't want to see my pace while I was running!
The race started, and I was behind one woman right in front of me (we were literally rubbing elbows at one point since she was drafting off of me -- annoying!!), but since it was dark I couldn't tell if there were any other women in front.
We ran through the lights and, aside from the drafting that was going on, the first half was fine. I felt good, my legs were nice and loose, I wasn't breathing too hard, etc. The only thing was, there were no mile markers and no crowd support (except at the one water stop at the halfway point) -- 2 things that you don't realize you'll miss until they're not there! And then, at one point I finally got so annoyed with the woman drafting that I ran behind her and on the other side of the road, just to get away from her! It's hard enough running through blindingly bright lights, in the dark, with speed bumps, without having someone breathing down your neck the whole time. :-P
The course was very quiet, except for the sound of the runners' breathing and feet hitting the pavement. Then up ahead I could hear the announcer at the turn-around point, then I could actually see the turn-around. As the front runners passed me on their way back to the finish line, I saw a woman running with the lead pack of guys, so that meant that I was currently in 3rd place (Drafting Woman was a couple of seconds ahead).
I passed the halfway point at 10:30 something, which made me feel better, since I felt a little off without my Garmin. I had no clue what my pace was, or if I had gone out too fast, but I was trusting myself to listen to my body and I felt like I was running a consistent pace.
The second half of the race was also uneventful. I did the math in my head and assumed that I would run a low 21 race, which I was okay with! It was much warmer and more humid than I prefer for running, and I'd had a big week of running, so at that point I was happy with whatever I got. :-)
I had about 1/2 mile left to run, when I ran under the last big light display. It was a tunnel of flashing lights, and right when I got to the end of the tunnel, the lights went out at my end! As if that wasn't bad enough, the race photographer took my picture right at that moment, so I was blinded from the flash for about 5 seconds. :-P
Finally, I had just a tiny hill and then about 1/4 mile left to go. I knew there were 2 women in front of me (one whom I could possibly catch, one whom I couldn't), and I didn't even try to catch the woman in front of me since there was no chance of coming in first anyway. Then I got passed by a high school girl, who then passed the woman right in front of me!
I finished in 20:53, which means I ran a negative split in a hot race! That's 6:43 pace, which isn't too bad. :-) And, according to the race results, I came in 3rd overall (not 4th, like I'd thought)...not sure what happened to the first woman I'd seen at the turn-around!
According to race calculators, a 20:53 5k predicts a 1:36 1/2 marathon...which would be an improvement over this year's time (1:46, ugh!) but would not be a PR, nor is the time that I've been training for. However, the 5k would have been faster with cooler weather, so Lord willing, the weather will be nice and chilly the morning of my goal race! If not, hopefully I won't run another personal worst. ;-)
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Thundercloud Subs Turkey Trot 5 miler race report
I have time to blog today! I was originally planning on putting up a bunch of beautiful pictures from our post-Thanksgiving hike last week, but I still have to get the pictures from my hubby's computer to my computer, so . . . instead you get an awesome race report. Ha ha ha ha ha.
Every Thanksgiving, there's a 5 mile race downtown. I'd never run it before (and never planned to run it, since downtown Austin is nothing but hills and I hate running on hills!), but a good friend of mine recently started running races, and she talked me into running it with her. Another good friend signed up, too, and our kids were all signed up for the kids' race, so it looked like it was going to be a fun morning!
I decided to skip a couple of easy runs that week so I would have 2 days off before the race. I also decided to use the race as my hill workout for that week. :-) Going in to the race, I was hoping to run under 35 minutes. However, that goal quickly went out the window since it was a warm morning, and because of the HILLS! Oh my word, the 3rd hill in particular was so difficult. I don't understand why so many people sign up for the Austin Marathon -- I could hardly do 5 miles on those hills, much less 26.2!
Anyway! My goal was sub 7 minute pace, but I didn't meet my goal. I did, however, finish in 36:39, which got me 9th place in my age group (I think that is my best placement in a big Austin race!) and was also about 30 seconds per mile faster than my pace in the Statesman Capitol 10k in March. :-) Whoo hoo!
My splits were pretty even:
Mile 1: 7:15
Mile 2: 7:33
Mile 3: 7:18
Mile 4: 7:08
Mile 5: 7:13
Overall, it was a really fun race, and a great way to start the Thanksgiving holiday! Here are some pictures from the race (Theodore was home with Aunt Anna and Granddaddy):
Every Thanksgiving, there's a 5 mile race downtown. I'd never run it before (and never planned to run it, since downtown Austin is nothing but hills and I hate running on hills!), but a good friend of mine recently started running races, and she talked me into running it with her. Another good friend signed up, too, and our kids were all signed up for the kids' race, so it looked like it was going to be a fun morning!
I decided to skip a couple of easy runs that week so I would have 2 days off before the race. I also decided to use the race as my hill workout for that week. :-) Going in to the race, I was hoping to run under 35 minutes. However, that goal quickly went out the window since it was a warm morning, and because of the HILLS! Oh my word, the 3rd hill in particular was so difficult. I don't understand why so many people sign up for the Austin Marathon -- I could hardly do 5 miles on those hills, much less 26.2!
Anyway! My goal was sub 7 minute pace, but I didn't meet my goal. I did, however, finish in 36:39, which got me 9th place in my age group (I think that is my best placement in a big Austin race!) and was also about 30 seconds per mile faster than my pace in the Statesman Capitol 10k in March. :-) Whoo hoo!
My splits were pretty even:
Mile 1: 7:15
Mile 2: 7:33
Mile 3: 7:18
Mile 4: 7:08
Mile 5: 7:13
Overall, it was a really fun race, and a great way to start the Thanksgiving holiday! Here are some pictures from the race (Theodore was home with Aunt Anna and Granddaddy):
Friday, October 12, 2012
IBM Uptown Classic race report
This past weekend I ran the IBM Uptown Classic 10k. I ran it for the first time 3 years ago in 43:07 and had really good memories of the race, so I was looking forward to running it again. I started training specifically for this race around the end of June with the hopes of getting a new PR, and I had 3 months of solid running, with several good long runs and speedy runs. I decided to do a real taper for the race, and everything was going great, and then I ended up having some random knee/calf pain last week (during my lowest mileage week in months!!!). I'd heard of runners getting weird pains during their taper weeks, but this is the first time it happened to me. I took an extra day before the race off to rest my knee, but it was still bugging me the morning of the race, so I decided to forget about trying for a PR and just run it at a pace that made my knee feel the most comfortable.
I ended up running it in 45:16, which is a little over 2 minutes slower than my PR, but is also 3 minutes faster than the 10k I ran in March. :-) I also ran at a consistent pace, which is something I've always struggled with (part of the reason why I love running on the treadmill!). My knee did bug me during the race, but thankfully it's just fine now. :-)
Splits from the race:
7:31
7:18
7:16
7:22
7:11
7:17
Oh, and this was the first race where Oliver and Buttercup both got to do the kids' run. They ran a 1k, which is just about 3/4 mile. :-) Here are some pictures of them before their run! Way to go, guys!!
I ended up running it in 45:16, which is a little over 2 minutes slower than my PR, but is also 3 minutes faster than the 10k I ran in March. :-) I also ran at a consistent pace, which is something I've always struggled with (part of the reason why I love running on the treadmill!). My knee did bug me during the race, but thankfully it's just fine now. :-)
Splits from the race:
7:31
7:18
7:16
7:22
7:11
7:17
Oh, and this was the first race where Oliver and Buttercup both got to do the kids' run. They ran a 1k, which is just about 3/4 mile. :-) Here are some pictures of them before their run! Way to go, guys!!
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Also not a personal worst -- Agape 5k race report
This morning I ran a small (very small), local 5k. I don't really like 5ks because I'm not much on sprinting, but I do like that they're over fairly quickly! All five of us went since it was close to our house and at a park with a playground. Oliver and Buttercup were super excited about watching another race, and Buttercup told me repeatedly what she's going to wear when she runs her first race (a kids' run that's part of a 10k I'm running in October). :-)
I'd hoped to run anything under 22:00, but didn't factor in the course. I assumed it would be mostly on flat trails, but we ran partially on trails, grass, big rocks, hills, asphalt, everything. Not to mention the 20mph headwind on the way back. I didn't meet my goal, but I did finish in 22:10, which was good enough for first place and a couple of gift cards!
I feel like I'm getting some pep in my legs again and that my workouts are paying off! Now I just need to work on my kick and being more consistent about getting all of my workouts in. :-)
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Not a personal worst! Statesman Capitol 10,000 race report
This morning I ran a local 10k race. It's one of the biggest races in Texas (supposedly!) and is the biggest race in Austin! It looks like a fun race, but I've never run it before because it's a hilly course, and I don't do well on hills. (Probably because I don't train on hills . . . but I digress.) This year I decided to do it because 1) I felt like I needed a confidence boost after that half marathon in January, 2) I've been using a new training plan and I wanted to see if it's really working, and 3) I was just ready to run another race! :-)
I didn't really taper last week. I did my regular speed work and long run last week, but I cut one of my easy runs in half and skipped my usual easy run on Saturday. On second thought, it looks like I kind of did taper . . . just a mini-taper and not a full one. ;-)
Because of the hills, I wasn't sure what time to aim for. I felt confident that I could pull off 7:15-7:20 pace on a flattish course, but was pretty sure that was out of the question on a hilly course. So I decided to aim for 46:30ish, but mainly I wanted to 1) not go out too fast, and 2) keep my pace consistent. Oh, and not finish slower than my personal worst of 48:44.
This morning we all went to the race and I jogged down to my corral and was ready to go with about 15 minutes to spare before the gun went off. Whoo hoo!
As the race started and I waited to cross the start line, I prayed that I would run the race with the right attitude (both during and after), run a consistent pace and finish strong.
Then we were off! The course was flat for about 1/2 a mile, and then I hit the first hill. It wasn't too bad, and I made sure that I was going slow enough that I wouldn't feel like I was dying after the next one. Even though it was a warm morning and the hills kept coming, I felt really good and strong.
Immediately after mile 2, there was a steep downhill. I mean, steep. I wasn't expecting it, either! I had just gone up a hill, and then when I got to the top there was nothing but a steep drop. It was fun running down it though, and I was thisclose to running under 6:00 pace for a brief second.
Around mile 3, I was still feeling strong, but was starting to get really hot. Fortunately, a water stop was right ahead, so I ran to it and grabbed a cup of water, drank some, then dumped the rest down my shirt and on my head. Felt much better after that! Unfortunately, the mile 3 marker came up shortly after and my time was 23:3x . . . which meant I needed to run a negative split to make my 46:30 goal. And I didn't see that happening!
Thankfully, the first half of the race was the hilly part, so as I got closer to mile 4 the course was mostly flat with a few gently rolling hills. Whew! I was still hot and getting hotter, so I jogged through every water stop and drank a little bit of water and dumped the rest on my head.
Shortly after mile 5, I started to feel discouraged. I glanced at my Garmin to check my time and it was just over 39 minutes! Ugh, definitely not what I wanted to see. I had about 1 1/4 miles left, and I would have to run something like 6:00 pace to meet my time goal. I felt like stopping, but God was there with me! It was only another mile, with a little bit extra. No big deal. Besides, I was getting closer to the finish line, and I didn't want my kids to see me walking!! I was able to pick up the pace a little bit, but only through God's help. :-)
Finally, I was close enough to the finish line that I could hear the announcer. Yay! My Garmin said that I'd run 6 miles in 45:2x. I was ecstatic. I could maybe (I'm horrible at math, especially while running), finish close to my goal! (Or not, like I said, I'm horrible at math.) Or, at the very least, run under 47 minutes??
And then, then, then, then. Then. Up ahead I saw the actual mile 6 marker. Which meant I'd run a little bit extra on the course, and there was no way I was going to run under 47 minutes. Because I passed the mile 6 marker at 46:xx. Wah. Oh well!
I had enough gas left in the tank to sprint up the bridge, down the road, and cross the finish line in 48:15. For a 6.2 mile pace of 7:46, and a 6.39 mile (the distance I actually ran!) pace of 7:38. I'm going with my Garmin on this one! Ha ha.
Here are my splits:
miles 1-3 (I forgot to push the lap button): 23:35 (7:43 pace)
mile 4: 31:16 (7:38 pace)
mile 5: 38:57 (7:35 pace)
mile 6: 46:47 (7:40 pace)
0.2: 1:28 (6:45 pace)
So obviously, God completely answered my prayers for this race! I ran it for Him and not myself, I couldn't have had a more consistent pace, and I absolutely finished strong. I felt so strong during the entire race, and I'm so thankful to Him that I am able to enjoy running and racing again! I'm looking forward to testing out my 5k pace sometime in the early summer, and in the fall I'm aiming for (Lord willing!) a 10k PR -- on a flat course. :-)
Oh, and in case you're wondering, I finished 900-something out of over 23,000 runners, and was 30-something in my age group out of over 800 ladies. That is a whole lot of people! Oh, and Buttercup and Oliver both really liked getting to watch some fast people run this morning. First man ran under 30, and the first woman was 35:xx. :-)
Monday, January 30, 2012
A personal worst . . . and some post-baby personal bests! 3M half marathon race report
Yesterday morning I ran my 4th half marathon. I'm so thankful to be able to run, and after tackling the distance again, I'm in even more awe of ultrarunners who run so much farther than 13.1 or 26.2 miles!
This was my 3rd time running this race, and although I hadn't put as much effort into training for it as before (only running 15-20 miles per week this time around, as opposed to 35-45 in previous years, and not doing any speedwork this time around), I felt fairly confident that I'd either be able to finish under 1:40, or at least under 1:44 (8:00 minute pace). At any rate, I was 100% sure that I would not be any slower than my first half marathon (1:44:26). (Famous last words!)
I was so nervous when I woke up, and I didn't feel like eating anything but nibbled on a Clif bar before I left the house so my stomach wouldn't be totally empty. I also grabbed an extra energy gel to take before the race in case I felt like it, but my stomach was so tied up in knots that just the thought of eating it made me feel like puking!
The race started out really well. I felt good (although I was still a bundle of nerves!) and the weather was perfect (high 30s, dry, no wind). I started just in front of the 1:40 pace group, intending to hang near them for the race so I'd meet my goal.
Mile 1: 7:58 . . . dodging runners in front of me
Mile 2: 15:26 . . . big downhill
Mile 3: 23:xx . . . starting to feel warmed up
Mile 4: 30:47 . . . feeling like I was hitting my stride, although I was starting to get a little hungry
Mile 5: 38:18 . . . still feeling good, but definitely needing some energy and in desperate need of water
Mile 6: 46:xx
Mile 6 was where the wheels started to come off. I stopped at a water stop to drink a cup of Gatorade and eat my first gel (I am not coordinated enough to do either of those while running), and my right hamstring was so tight when I started running again. :-( I stopped briefly to stretch it, but it never loosened up again during the race, so I wasn't able to get my stride back. I was still a minute or so under 8:00 pace though, so I felt like I could make it.
Mile 7: I missed the mile marker, so I don't know what my time was. I do remember that this was around the point that the 1:40 pace group blew by me like I was standing still. Whoops!
Mile 8: 1:02:xx . . . only 5 miles left to go, and I was starting to feel pretty tired but could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I walked through another water stop. Still under 8:00 pace!
Mile 9: 1:10:56 . . . I was praying all through mile 8 that I would make it to the mile 9 marker before 1:11! :-)
Mile 10: 1:18:xx . . . I was definitely tired of running at this point. I felt like I needed my last energy gel, but I didn't feel like eating it at all. A cup of Gatorade helped me feel better, but my hamstring was really bugging me and I gave up on running and walked for about a minute before running again. About 100 people passed me while I was walking.
Mile 11: 1:28:xx . . . I just wanted it to be over! My hamstring was hurting, I couldn't extend my leg, and all I could think about was how 2 years ago I had less than a mile left at that time, and this time around I still had a little over 2 miles left. I was d-o-n-e and couldn't even remember why I liked running in the first place. I started walking again and was immediately passed by 25-50 people. Every time someone passed me, I felt a little more annoyed with myself for walking and could just see my finishing time sink lower and lower on the list of results. Right about that time, a tall woman with a pink shirt and bright green knee socks ran up behind me, slapped me on the back and told me to keep going. I was grumpy and really didn't want to start running again, but I could see her ponytail bobbing above everyone in front of me, and figured I might as well try to keep up, because at least then I'd be finished faster than if I kept on walking. :-)
Mile 12: 1:37:xx . . . I started feeling better and better, and my hamstring even started to feel not quite as tight, so I was able to run a little bit faster. And there were more and more spectators cheering the runners on, which also helped! Finally, finally, finally there was the last turn and the finish line was up ahead.
Mile 13.1: 1:46:03 (official time) Whew, I was SO GLAD TO STOP RUNNING, ha ha ha!
So, I didn't meet any of my goals, and I also ended up with a new personal worst, which I was least expecting! But what's really great is that I am just so thankful for being able to run, and that is such an answer to prayer. I'd much rather have a slow time or a bad race and end up with the right attitude, than be the way I used to be. God is so good! :-)
And, while I had a personal worst finishing time, I ended up running the race at 8:06 pace -- which is about 15 seconds per mile faster than any of my long runs in the past 18 months. :-) I will admit though, I was pretty disappointed with my time at first and was expecting a time much closer to my previous race times. But for those races, my babies were older (and sleeping through the night!!), and I only had 1 or 2 babies and could take them out in the running stroller whenever I felt like it. That makes a big difference!
I'm looking forward to taking a couple of days off of running, but I'm also already looking forward to next year's race!
This was my 3rd time running this race, and although I hadn't put as much effort into training for it as before (only running 15-20 miles per week this time around, as opposed to 35-45 in previous years, and not doing any speedwork this time around), I felt fairly confident that I'd either be able to finish under 1:40, or at least under 1:44 (8:00 minute pace). At any rate, I was 100% sure that I would not be any slower than my first half marathon (1:44:26). (Famous last words!)
I was so nervous when I woke up, and I didn't feel like eating anything but nibbled on a Clif bar before I left the house so my stomach wouldn't be totally empty. I also grabbed an extra energy gel to take before the race in case I felt like it, but my stomach was so tied up in knots that just the thought of eating it made me feel like puking!
The race started out really well. I felt good (although I was still a bundle of nerves!) and the weather was perfect (high 30s, dry, no wind). I started just in front of the 1:40 pace group, intending to hang near them for the race so I'd meet my goal.
Mile 1: 7:58 . . . dodging runners in front of me
Mile 2: 15:26 . . . big downhill
Mile 3: 23:xx . . . starting to feel warmed up
Mile 4: 30:47 . . . feeling like I was hitting my stride, although I was starting to get a little hungry
Mile 5: 38:18 . . . still feeling good, but definitely needing some energy and in desperate need of water
Mile 6: 46:xx
Mile 6 was where the wheels started to come off. I stopped at a water stop to drink a cup of Gatorade and eat my first gel (I am not coordinated enough to do either of those while running), and my right hamstring was so tight when I started running again. :-( I stopped briefly to stretch it, but it never loosened up again during the race, so I wasn't able to get my stride back. I was still a minute or so under 8:00 pace though, so I felt like I could make it.
Mile 7: I missed the mile marker, so I don't know what my time was. I do remember that this was around the point that the 1:40 pace group blew by me like I was standing still. Whoops!
Mile 8: 1:02:xx . . . only 5 miles left to go, and I was starting to feel pretty tired but could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I walked through another water stop. Still under 8:00 pace!
Mile 9: 1:10:56 . . . I was praying all through mile 8 that I would make it to the mile 9 marker before 1:11! :-)
Mile 10: 1:18:xx . . . I was definitely tired of running at this point. I felt like I needed my last energy gel, but I didn't feel like eating it at all. A cup of Gatorade helped me feel better, but my hamstring was really bugging me and I gave up on running and walked for about a minute before running again. About 100 people passed me while I was walking.
Mile 11: 1:28:xx . . . I just wanted it to be over! My hamstring was hurting, I couldn't extend my leg, and all I could think about was how 2 years ago I had less than a mile left at that time, and this time around I still had a little over 2 miles left. I was d-o-n-e and couldn't even remember why I liked running in the first place. I started walking again and was immediately passed by 25-50 people. Every time someone passed me, I felt a little more annoyed with myself for walking and could just see my finishing time sink lower and lower on the list of results. Right about that time, a tall woman with a pink shirt and bright green knee socks ran up behind me, slapped me on the back and told me to keep going. I was grumpy and really didn't want to start running again, but I could see her ponytail bobbing above everyone in front of me, and figured I might as well try to keep up, because at least then I'd be finished faster than if I kept on walking. :-)
Mile 12: 1:37:xx . . . I started feeling better and better, and my hamstring even started to feel not quite as tight, so I was able to run a little bit faster. And there were more and more spectators cheering the runners on, which also helped! Finally, finally, finally there was the last turn and the finish line was up ahead.
Mile 13.1: 1:46:03 (official time) Whew, I was SO GLAD TO STOP RUNNING, ha ha ha!
So, I didn't meet any of my goals, and I also ended up with a new personal worst, which I was least expecting! But what's really great is that I am just so thankful for being able to run, and that is such an answer to prayer. I'd much rather have a slow time or a bad race and end up with the right attitude, than be the way I used to be. God is so good! :-)
And, while I had a personal worst finishing time, I ended up running the race at 8:06 pace -- which is about 15 seconds per mile faster than any of my long runs in the past 18 months. :-) I will admit though, I was pretty disappointed with my time at first and was expecting a time much closer to my previous race times. But for those races, my babies were older (and sleeping through the night!!), and I only had 1 or 2 babies and could take them out in the running stroller whenever I felt like it. That makes a big difference!
I'm looking forward to taking a couple of days off of running, but I'm also already looking forward to next year's race!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
One of my worst -- Vern's 5k #15 race report
First woman overall, finishing time: 21:51.
My time goal, as usual, was to finish this 5k in under 20 minutes. I have been chasing this goal ever since I started running 7 years ago. I ran 3.1 miles in 19:56 during a pace run about 4 1/2 years ago, but I don't think that time counts since it wasn't in a race! I got very close to my goal last month, and I was confident that it was in the bag for today's race. Ha!
I didn't sleep very well last night, and when I woke up this morning I had that weird, shaky, nauseous feeling that I get when I don't get enough sleep. Before the race started, I did a short warmup and for some reason my legs were just really tired and heavy. I was jogging at a slow pace, but it felt like way too much effort for that pace. I tried a few strides to loosen my legs, but that didn't help at all.
The race started, and I went out at 6:25 pace and managed to sustain that for the first mile. I wasn't actually feeling too bad at that point. But as I got halfway into mile 2, my legs started to get SO tired. Running at 6:30ish pace felt like a sprint and I just could not do it anymore. I gave up and walked for a little bit before trying to run again. I managed to stay under 7:30 pace. In mile 3, I stopped at a water stop to dump a cup of water on my head. That helped cool me off, and I was able to run at close to 7:00 pace for the rest of that mile.
Finished as the first woman in 21:51. It was one of my worst races, but a good learning experience. It's normal to have an "off" day. And I still believe that I will someday run a sub 20 5k!!! :-)
And the most fun part of the morning? Exploring the park with my sister, Oliver, and Buttercup! Although eating ice cold watermelon at the race finish was pretty nice, too. :-)
My time goal, as usual, was to finish this 5k in under 20 minutes. I have been chasing this goal ever since I started running 7 years ago. I ran 3.1 miles in 19:56 during a pace run about 4 1/2 years ago, but I don't think that time counts since it wasn't in a race! I got very close to my goal last month, and I was confident that it was in the bag for today's race. Ha!
I didn't sleep very well last night, and when I woke up this morning I had that weird, shaky, nauseous feeling that I get when I don't get enough sleep. Before the race started, I did a short warmup and for some reason my legs were just really tired and heavy. I was jogging at a slow pace, but it felt like way too much effort for that pace. I tried a few strides to loosen my legs, but that didn't help at all.
The race started, and I went out at 6:25 pace and managed to sustain that for the first mile. I wasn't actually feeling too bad at that point. But as I got halfway into mile 2, my legs started to get SO tired. Running at 6:30ish pace felt like a sprint and I just could not do it anymore. I gave up and walked for a little bit before trying to run again. I managed to stay under 7:30 pace. In mile 3, I stopped at a water stop to dump a cup of water on my head. That helped cool me off, and I was able to run at close to 7:00 pace for the rest of that mile.
Finished as the first woman in 21:51. It was one of my worst races, but a good learning experience. It's normal to have an "off" day. And I still believe that I will someday run a sub 20 5k!!! :-)
And the most fun part of the morning? Exploring the park with my sister, Oliver, and Buttercup! Although eating ice cold watermelon at the race finish was pretty nice, too. :-)
Saturday, May 8, 2010
The PR that almost didn't happen -- Wellness for Life 5k race report
Hebrews 12:1b, 2a
Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus . . .
This morning I raced my first 5k in Baton Rouge in over 4 years. I found the race online a couple of weeks ago, and decided to run it to test my speed. (There are NO hills in Baton Rouge!) :-) But as the week wore on, I started to talk myself out of it. "Too much of a hassle," "legs feeling sluggish," and "I'm tired," were a few of my complaints. But, my biggest cheerleader (thanks, Mom!) talked me into it yesterday morning. "I really want to be there to see you run," she said. And after I tried a couple of speedy intervals on the treadmill, I figured that my legs were up to the challenge, and I decided to do it. It was going to be fun! And the weather was supposed to be nice, and the kids would have fun looking at the trains, seeing the old State Capitol, and watching the fountains at the Shaw building.
I did not sleep well at all last night and woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck, and my legs felt really stiff. But I was ready to not only beat my 5-year-old PR (20:30), but try to finish under 20 minutes. Eeek! [FYI: a sub 20 5k = running 6:26 minute miles back-to-back for 3.1 miles. And speediness is not my strong point. It was going to hurt!] But, above all, my goal was to run the best that I could and have a good time!
Mom and I got the kids up early and they ate their breakfast in the car on the way to the race. I missed pre-registration yesterday (oops!) so I left the kids and Mom and jogged down to the registration booth. This was an inaugural race, so there were very few people there. I got my race number, and found Mom and the kiddos. Buttercup is teething and doesn't like being separated from me, so Mom whisked her and Oliver off to look at the freight train car on the Capitol grounds while I did my warm up. It was a very humid morning (Texas summers have made me weak!), so I picked up a water bottle to carry with me and splash on my face while I was running.
Then I looked around, ready to go, and . . . there was no activity anywhere indicating that there was going to be a race any time soon. I talked to another woman near where I was stretching, and she said she didn't know when the race was starting, what the course was, or where the finish line was. So we chatted until one of the runners said, "Hey, runners, over here!" and motioned for the crowd to follow him. There were only 4 people lined up in the front -- an old guy, a man in his 40s wearing bike shorts, a college-age guy with an iPod, and me. Then someone said, "Okay . . . runners, GO!" And we were off.
My first goal was to not go out too fast. I wanted to PR, and, as I've discovered through trial and error, the best way to not PR is to try to run with the big boys for the first mile of the race. However, this race was so small that I was one of the big boys, LOL! Bike Shorts Guy was in the lead by several seconds, and I ended up in step with iPod Guy. Old Guy dropped back immediately. I kept my eyes glued to my Garmin to make sure that my pace stayed around 6:25-6:30. I felt like I wasn't going too fast, which seemed about right, because I knew that I would definitely be feeling the pace in the next mile! There was a slight incline at the end of mile 1. I was the first woman and third runner overall at this point.
Mile 1: 6:36
My second goal was to keep my pace consistent. In other 5ks, mile 2 has been the toughest. But in this race, we had a slight downhill in mile 2, which helped me make up some time. IPod Guy dropped back around the middle of mile 2, so I was the second runner overall. The guy on the lead bicycle started cycling around me, giving me pointers and encouragement. At this point, I kind of thought that I could not only get a sub 20 5k, but I might also be able to beat Bike Shorts Guy and win the race overall.
Mile 2: 6:06
My third goal was to finish under 20 minutes. But, I think I went through mile 2 too fast and my legs were just d-o-n-e. And I was h-o-t. Bike Shorts Guy was picking up speed, and I was slowing down. The guy on the lead bicycle noticed me falling behind, and he said, "Hey, hand me that water bottle! Use your arms!" He grabbed my water bottle and I started working my arms, hoping their momentum would pull me faster across the finish line. But I was tired, and I gave up. The guy on the bicycle said, "Okay, half a mile left, you can do it! Here's your water!" and then he dumped the rest of the water bottle on me, LOL! It was hilarious because I was expecting him to hand me the bottle, not dump the water on me. But it was definitely what I needed at that moment!
Mile 3.1: 7:31
Finish time: 20:13. First woman overall, 2nd runner overall. So, I didn't get my sub 20, but I have a new official PR!!!! For the first time in over 5 years!!!! Thank you, God!
And thanks, Mom, for motivating me to run this morning!
Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus . . .
This morning I raced my first 5k in Baton Rouge in over 4 years. I found the race online a couple of weeks ago, and decided to run it to test my speed. (There are NO hills in Baton Rouge!) :-) But as the week wore on, I started to talk myself out of it. "Too much of a hassle," "legs feeling sluggish," and "I'm tired," were a few of my complaints. But, my biggest cheerleader (thanks, Mom!) talked me into it yesterday morning. "I really want to be there to see you run," she said. And after I tried a couple of speedy intervals on the treadmill, I figured that my legs were up to the challenge, and I decided to do it. It was going to be fun! And the weather was supposed to be nice, and the kids would have fun looking at the trains, seeing the old State Capitol, and watching the fountains at the Shaw building.
I did not sleep well at all last night and woke up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck, and my legs felt really stiff. But I was ready to not only beat my 5-year-old PR (20:30), but try to finish under 20 minutes. Eeek! [FYI: a sub 20 5k = running 6:26 minute miles back-to-back for 3.1 miles. And speediness is not my strong point. It was going to hurt!] But, above all, my goal was to run the best that I could and have a good time!
Mom and I got the kids up early and they ate their breakfast in the car on the way to the race. I missed pre-registration yesterday (oops!) so I left the kids and Mom and jogged down to the registration booth. This was an inaugural race, so there were very few people there. I got my race number, and found Mom and the kiddos. Buttercup is teething and doesn't like being separated from me, so Mom whisked her and Oliver off to look at the freight train car on the Capitol grounds while I did my warm up. It was a very humid morning (Texas summers have made me weak!), so I picked up a water bottle to carry with me and splash on my face while I was running.
Then I looked around, ready to go, and . . . there was no activity anywhere indicating that there was going to be a race any time soon. I talked to another woman near where I was stretching, and she said she didn't know when the race was starting, what the course was, or where the finish line was. So we chatted until one of the runners said, "Hey, runners, over here!" and motioned for the crowd to follow him. There were only 4 people lined up in the front -- an old guy, a man in his 40s wearing bike shorts, a college-age guy with an iPod, and me. Then someone said, "Okay . . . runners, GO!" And we were off.
My first goal was to not go out too fast. I wanted to PR, and, as I've discovered through trial and error, the best way to not PR is to try to run with the big boys for the first mile of the race. However, this race was so small that I was one of the big boys, LOL! Bike Shorts Guy was in the lead by several seconds, and I ended up in step with iPod Guy. Old Guy dropped back immediately. I kept my eyes glued to my Garmin to make sure that my pace stayed around 6:25-6:30. I felt like I wasn't going too fast, which seemed about right, because I knew that I would definitely be feeling the pace in the next mile! There was a slight incline at the end of mile 1. I was the first woman and third runner overall at this point.
Mile 1: 6:36
My second goal was to keep my pace consistent. In other 5ks, mile 2 has been the toughest. But in this race, we had a slight downhill in mile 2, which helped me make up some time. IPod Guy dropped back around the middle of mile 2, so I was the second runner overall. The guy on the lead bicycle started cycling around me, giving me pointers and encouragement. At this point, I kind of thought that I could not only get a sub 20 5k, but I might also be able to beat Bike Shorts Guy and win the race overall.
Mile 2: 6:06
My third goal was to finish under 20 minutes. But, I think I went through mile 2 too fast and my legs were just d-o-n-e. And I was h-o-t. Bike Shorts Guy was picking up speed, and I was slowing down. The guy on the lead bicycle noticed me falling behind, and he said, "Hey, hand me that water bottle! Use your arms!" He grabbed my water bottle and I started working my arms, hoping their momentum would pull me faster across the finish line. But I was tired, and I gave up. The guy on the bicycle said, "Okay, half a mile left, you can do it! Here's your water!" and then he dumped the rest of the water bottle on me, LOL! It was hilarious because I was expecting him to hand me the bottle, not dump the water on me. But it was definitely what I needed at that moment!
Mile 3.1: 7:31
Finish time: 20:13. First woman overall, 2nd runner overall. So, I didn't get my sub 20, but I have a new official PR!!!! For the first time in over 5 years!!!! Thank you, God!
And thanks, Mom, for motivating me to run this morning!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Feel Like Running Some Hills? Texas Round-Up race report
Official Results
Finish time: 44:27, 7:10 pace.
1st in age group (out of 86 women)
10th woman overall (out of 484 women)
67th runner overall (out of 1,001 runners)
The 10k (6.2 miles) is not my favorite race distance. I like it because it's not quite the lung- and leg-burning effort as the 5k (3.1 miles), but still it's not long enough to really get into a groove and run at a comfortable pace. In other words, you don't have to run as hard as in a 5k, but the hard running lasts for twice the distance. The first 3 miles are fine. I love the first 3 miles. I always feel strong and like I could run at that pace forever. It's the last 3 miles that are the problem! By that point, my legs are tired and I'm ready to slow down or quit, but there are still about 3 more miles to go.
My last 10k was in October, on a flat course. I had been doing (almost) weekly speed work at the track all summer, running about 35 miles per week, and finished the race in 43:07, which was a PR by over 2 minutes. Since the marathon I ran in February (2010), I have done speed work exactly 3 times -- once at the track alone, twice at the trail with a group of runners -- and my running mileage has topped out at 18 miles per week. But I've also been swimming laps 3 times per week, which I think has helped my fitness. I've been feeling faster and stronger on my runs, so I signed up for a 10k, partly to see how slow/fast I've gotten, and partly to see if I could PR again.
I chose the Texas Roundup 10k. Why? Because the timing was right. But . . . it's a hilly course. See how hilly? (blue = 5k, red = 10k)
And it was very hilly to me, because I'm used to mainly running on flat roads and trails. I haven't done any hill sprints or hill repeats or hill intervals or hill anything in over a year. Oh yes. The hills definitely got to me this morning.
We woke up early and I was pumped and ready to run fast. See that scary look in my eyes? That's determination. Or too much coffee, perhaps?
Oliver and Buttercup ate their breakfast on the way downtown. Oliver was adamant about bringing his binoculars along so he could look through them and watch me running. Such a cutie. I just love these kids!
Going into the race, I had a plan of averaging 6:45 min/miles for a 41:30 finish. I would run 6:45s on the flat parts, 7:00/7:15s on the uphills, and make up for lost time on the downhills. Sounds perfect, right?
The end result? I managed 6:40-6:50 pace on the flats, 6:10-6:20 pace on the downhills, and 8:30-9:00 pace on the steep uphills. OUCH.
What did I learn from this race?
- that I need to start doing some hill workouts;
- that I should probably be more consistent with speed workouts, too;
- that, surprisingly, I do have some self control and I was able to not go out too fast with the pack of 5k runners (this was a huge deal for me, because I have a major tendency to get caught up in the adrenaline rush and go out too fast!);
- that I might be capable of running a 6:45 pace 10k on a FLAT course.
All in all, I'm very pleased with the race from this morning. I ran relatively even splits (if you factor in the hills), I didn't go out too fast, and I finished feeling strong but that I gave it all I had. And -- even though I ended up almost 3 minutes over my goal time -- I still ran my 2nd fastest 10k road race this morning.
And the best part? My prayer was to run it to the best of my ability, have fun with it, and just enjoy the gift that God has given me. And that is exactly what happened. Praise His name! :-)
Official finish time: 44:27, 7:10 pace.
Splits:
- mile 1: 7:06
- mile 2: 6:38
- mile 3: 7:21
- mile 4: 6:59
- miles 5 and 6: 7:21 average (I was apparently working too hard going up another hill and didn't notice when I passed the mile 5 marker)
- final 0.21: 7:00
"Mom, I looked for you with my binoculars, but I couldn't see you." "Can you see me now?" "YES!"
Will I run this race again? Hmmm, maybe. But only if I do some hill training first. :-)
Finish time: 44:27, 7:10 pace.
1st in age group (out of 86 women)
10th woman overall (out of 484 women)
67th runner overall (out of 1,001 runners)
The 10k (6.2 miles) is not my favorite race distance. I like it because it's not quite the lung- and leg-burning effort as the 5k (3.1 miles), but still it's not long enough to really get into a groove and run at a comfortable pace. In other words, you don't have to run as hard as in a 5k, but the hard running lasts for twice the distance. The first 3 miles are fine. I love the first 3 miles. I always feel strong and like I could run at that pace forever. It's the last 3 miles that are the problem! By that point, my legs are tired and I'm ready to slow down or quit, but there are still about 3 more miles to go.
My last 10k was in October, on a flat course. I had been doing (almost) weekly speed work at the track all summer, running about 35 miles per week, and finished the race in 43:07, which was a PR by over 2 minutes. Since the marathon I ran in February (2010), I have done speed work exactly 3 times -- once at the track alone, twice at the trail with a group of runners -- and my running mileage has topped out at 18 miles per week. But I've also been swimming laps 3 times per week, which I think has helped my fitness. I've been feeling faster and stronger on my runs, so I signed up for a 10k, partly to see how slow/fast I've gotten, and partly to see if I could PR again.
I chose the Texas Roundup 10k. Why? Because the timing was right. But . . . it's a hilly course. See how hilly? (blue = 5k, red = 10k)
And it was very hilly to me, because I'm used to mainly running on flat roads and trails. I haven't done any hill sprints or hill repeats or hill intervals or hill anything in over a year. Oh yes. The hills definitely got to me this morning.
We woke up early and I was pumped and ready to run fast. See that scary look in my eyes? That's determination. Or too much coffee, perhaps?
Oliver and Buttercup ate their breakfast on the way downtown. Oliver was adamant about bringing his binoculars along so he could look through them and watch me running. Such a cutie. I just love these kids!
Going into the race, I had a plan of averaging 6:45 min/miles for a 41:30 finish. I would run 6:45s on the flat parts, 7:00/7:15s on the uphills, and make up for lost time on the downhills. Sounds perfect, right?
The end result? I managed 6:40-6:50 pace on the flats, 6:10-6:20 pace on the downhills, and 8:30-9:00 pace on the steep uphills. OUCH.
What did I learn from this race?
- that I need to start doing some hill workouts;
- that I should probably be more consistent with speed workouts, too;
- that, surprisingly, I do have some self control and I was able to not go out too fast with the pack of 5k runners (this was a huge deal for me, because I have a major tendency to get caught up in the adrenaline rush and go out too fast!);
- that I might be capable of running a 6:45 pace 10k on a FLAT course.
All in all, I'm very pleased with the race from this morning. I ran relatively even splits (if you factor in the hills), I didn't go out too fast, and I finished feeling strong but that I gave it all I had. And -- even though I ended up almost 3 minutes over my goal time -- I still ran my 2nd fastest 10k road race this morning.
And the best part? My prayer was to run it to the best of my ability, have fun with it, and just enjoy the gift that God has given me. And that is exactly what happened. Praise His name! :-)
Official finish time: 44:27, 7:10 pace.
Splits:
- mile 1: 7:06
- mile 2: 6:38
- mile 3: 7:21
- mile 4: 6:59
- miles 5 and 6: 7:21 average (I was apparently working too hard going up another hill and didn't notice when I passed the mile 5 marker)
- final 0.21: 7:00
"Mom, I looked for you with my binoculars, but I couldn't see you." "Can you see me now?" "YES!"
Will I run this race again? Hmmm, maybe. But only if I do some hill training first. :-)
Monday, March 1, 2010
My First Marathon!
Hebrews 12:1
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."
Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This weekend I ran my first marathon! And I absolutely could not have done it without God. My entire marathon training has been a lesson in God's will versus my own, and how to live my life and use my talents in a way to bring Him glory.
I started following a marathon training plan over the summer, with the (vain) hopes of blasting out a really fast race. Things appeared to be going well, but I found myself spending more of my solo running time focusing on myself and how fast I was going to run the race -- instead of spending that solo time praying and talking with God as I usually do. I also spent less of my time on Bible study and more time thinking and planning that week's runs. Tsk, tsk! But, as we Christians know, if God wants to teach you something, He'll find a way to do it. ;-)
Around the middle of December, I had finally gotten my weekly running mileage up to 48 miles per week. I ran an 8 mile pace run on Saturday, and a 17.5 mile long run the following Sunday. I was feeling pretty strong and sure of myself. Proverbs 16:18, anyone? :-) The following week, I was out for an easy 10 mile run and noticed that my left quad muscle felt weird. I didn't pay much attention to it and finished my run. The next morning, it still felt weird when I walked around, but I decided to try an 18 mile long run anyway. I only made it 6 miles before I had to limp back to the car. I took the rest of the week off and fortunately was able to get a week's worth of massages (from the best massage therapist in Red Stick!) and seemed to be on my way to recovery. But the next week I could barely make it through a 2 mile run without pain and had to take at least 1 day of rest between runs.
By this time, it was January 1 and I was signed up to run a half marathon at the end of the month. I was sure I wouldn't be able to do it! So I did what I should have been doing from the beginning -- I spent a lot of time in prayer, seeking God's forgiveness and guidance. I began slowly adding in longer runs, until I was able to get through an 8 mile run without pain. Then I tried a 14 mile run and I ended up having to walk back to the car in pain. The half marathon was in 6 days, and I couldn't even bend my leg because my knee hurt so much, and it even hurt to walk the next day! Thankfully, after stretching and rolling my leg, it felt good enough to run a little bit toward the end of that week, and I was able to run the 3M Half Marathon in 1:34:22.
After the half marathon, I had more knee pain, but it was gone 2 days after the race. The marathon was 4 weeks away! I was able to run 8 miles without pain, but still hadn't run further than a half marathon without pain in almost 2 months. I was afraid to try a longer run, but I had to do it if I wanted to try to run the full marathon. I was praying about it but still wasn't sure if it was God's will for me to run the half or full race. Then I realized that His will was done -- I was focusing on HIM and not the silly race! That was a great moment for me, and I feel like a fool for it taking so long to sink in. But that's what happens sometimes! I'm just thankful for such a merciful, loving God who cares so much to teach me these little lessons. :-)
Well, finally 3 weeks before the marathon, I did a fantastic 16 mile run on the trail near our house with absolutely no pain. Things were looking up! I was planning on a 19 mile run the following Sunday, but then . . . we all came down with a stomach virus and I couldn't even run 2.5 miles that weekend. I decided to defer to the half marathon instead because I was sure I wouldn't be able to run a marathon in 2 weeks with a recent long run of 16 miles and total weekly mileage of 20 miles per week!
But God kept speaking to me, and almost everyone I know kept telling me to just go for the marathon. So I decided to do it, and what do you know, I actually finished it!! I couldn't believe it. After mile 16, I was literally astonished at every mile that I was able to run. I had never run that far before, and I had a huge smile on my face! I was -- and still am! -- so thankful for a God who cares so much about me.
So my first marathon is done! A huge lesson learned, and 26.2 miles run. That is a really, really, really long way to run. I think I'll stick to 5ks and 10ks for a while. :-)
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."
Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This weekend I ran my first marathon! And I absolutely could not have done it without God. My entire marathon training has been a lesson in God's will versus my own, and how to live my life and use my talents in a way to bring Him glory.
I started following a marathon training plan over the summer, with the (vain) hopes of blasting out a really fast race. Things appeared to be going well, but I found myself spending more of my solo running time focusing on myself and how fast I was going to run the race -- instead of spending that solo time praying and talking with God as I usually do. I also spent less of my time on Bible study and more time thinking and planning that week's runs. Tsk, tsk! But, as we Christians know, if God wants to teach you something, He'll find a way to do it. ;-)
Around the middle of December, I had finally gotten my weekly running mileage up to 48 miles per week. I ran an 8 mile pace run on Saturday, and a 17.5 mile long run the following Sunday. I was feeling pretty strong and sure of myself. Proverbs 16:18, anyone? :-) The following week, I was out for an easy 10 mile run and noticed that my left quad muscle felt weird. I didn't pay much attention to it and finished my run. The next morning, it still felt weird when I walked around, but I decided to try an 18 mile long run anyway. I only made it 6 miles before I had to limp back to the car. I took the rest of the week off and fortunately was able to get a week's worth of massages (from the best massage therapist in Red Stick!) and seemed to be on my way to recovery. But the next week I could barely make it through a 2 mile run without pain and had to take at least 1 day of rest between runs.
By this time, it was January 1 and I was signed up to run a half marathon at the end of the month. I was sure I wouldn't be able to do it! So I did what I should have been doing from the beginning -- I spent a lot of time in prayer, seeking God's forgiveness and guidance. I began slowly adding in longer runs, until I was able to get through an 8 mile run without pain. Then I tried a 14 mile run and I ended up having to walk back to the car in pain. The half marathon was in 6 days, and I couldn't even bend my leg because my knee hurt so much, and it even hurt to walk the next day! Thankfully, after stretching and rolling my leg, it felt good enough to run a little bit toward the end of that week, and I was able to run the 3M Half Marathon in 1:34:22.
After the half marathon, I had more knee pain, but it was gone 2 days after the race. The marathon was 4 weeks away! I was able to run 8 miles without pain, but still hadn't run further than a half marathon without pain in almost 2 months. I was afraid to try a longer run, but I had to do it if I wanted to try to run the full marathon. I was praying about it but still wasn't sure if it was God's will for me to run the half or full race. Then I realized that His will was done -- I was focusing on HIM and not the silly race! That was a great moment for me, and I feel like a fool for it taking so long to sink in. But that's what happens sometimes! I'm just thankful for such a merciful, loving God who cares so much to teach me these little lessons. :-)
Well, finally 3 weeks before the marathon, I did a fantastic 16 mile run on the trail near our house with absolutely no pain. Things were looking up! I was planning on a 19 mile run the following Sunday, but then . . . we all came down with a stomach virus and I couldn't even run 2.5 miles that weekend. I decided to defer to the half marathon instead because I was sure I wouldn't be able to run a marathon in 2 weeks with a recent long run of 16 miles and total weekly mileage of 20 miles per week!
But God kept speaking to me, and almost everyone I know kept telling me to just go for the marathon. So I decided to do it, and what do you know, I actually finished it!! I couldn't believe it. After mile 16, I was literally astonished at every mile that I was able to run. I had never run that far before, and I had a huge smile on my face! I was -- and still am! -- so thankful for a God who cares so much about me.
So my first marathon is done! A huge lesson learned, and 26.2 miles run. That is a really, really, really long way to run. I think I'll stick to 5ks and 10ks for a while. :-)
Monday, January 25, 2010
Happy Birthday, Anna! and 3M Half Marathon report
We had a very busy and fun weekend! Sunday was Anna's birthday and also the day of the 3M Half Marathon. Anna and I spent most of Saturday afternoon together. We had so much fun hiking and throwing huge rocks in Barton Creek (shhh- don't tell Oliver about that!). After that, we ate dinner at California Pizza Kitchen, and watched a bunch of Friends episodes at her apartment.
The next morning (Anna's actual birthday) was the 3M Half Marathon. Anna very kindly woke up super early to make me coffee and drive me to the race start. She is an awesome sister and friend!
Turns out we didn't really need to get up quite so early though -- the race ended up being delayed for 45 minutes! The wind kept blowing barricades over and Austin PD had to weigh them down with sand bags before the race could start. While I was standing in line for 45 minutes, I started to think that maybe I shouldn't run the race after all . . . my knee hurt really badly during my long run the previous weekend, and although it was feeling okay the morning of the race, I wasn't quite sure I should run it. But I did anyway!
The wheelchair racers started first, then 2 minutes later our gun went off. I finally got to cross the start line, and I just felt really good, praise God! I love running races. :-) The first 2 miles of the race are flat, then miles 3 and 4 are mostly downhill, then the rest of the race is equal parts uphill and downhill, with a flat finish. I was anticipating that my knee would start to hurt during the downhills of the race, but thank God it was A-OK!
Finish time was 1:34:22, which beat my previous PR of 1:34:54.
Splits:
miles 1 & 2: 15:05 (I forgot to push the lap button when I reached mile 1). Still dodging people at this point.
mile 3: 7:07
mile 4: 6:54 <---- downhill
mile 5: 6:55 <---- downhill. I distinctly remember thinking, "Oh wow, this is so easy!" Yeah, right! I sure wasn't thinking that 30 minutes later!
mile 6: 7:02
mile 7: 7:13 <---- big uphill at the end of mile 6
mile 8: 7:21 <---- some uphill, starting to get tired
mile 9: 7:13
mile 10: 7:14 <---- really tired
mile 11: 7:04 <---- trying to convince myself to run a sub 21:00 5k to finish in 1:32
mile 12: 7:04 <---- downhill
mile 13: 7:03 <---- tiny downhill, mostly flat, but thankfully adrenaline kicked in! Overall, it was a great race and I'm looking forward to the next time I get to run it!
The next morning (Anna's actual birthday) was the 3M Half Marathon. Anna very kindly woke up super early to make me coffee and drive me to the race start. She is an awesome sister and friend!
Turns out we didn't really need to get up quite so early though -- the race ended up being delayed for 45 minutes! The wind kept blowing barricades over and Austin PD had to weigh them down with sand bags before the race could start. While I was standing in line for 45 minutes, I started to think that maybe I shouldn't run the race after all . . . my knee hurt really badly during my long run the previous weekend, and although it was feeling okay the morning of the race, I wasn't quite sure I should run it. But I did anyway!
The wheelchair racers started first, then 2 minutes later our gun went off. I finally got to cross the start line, and I just felt really good, praise God! I love running races. :-) The first 2 miles of the race are flat, then miles 3 and 4 are mostly downhill, then the rest of the race is equal parts uphill and downhill, with a flat finish. I was anticipating that my knee would start to hurt during the downhills of the race, but thank God it was A-OK!
Finish time was 1:34:22, which beat my previous PR of 1:34:54.
Splits:
miles 1 & 2: 15:05 (I forgot to push the lap button when I reached mile 1). Still dodging people at this point.
mile 3: 7:07
mile 4: 6:54 <---- downhill
mile 5: 6:55 <---- downhill. I distinctly remember thinking, "Oh wow, this is so easy!" Yeah, right! I sure wasn't thinking that 30 minutes later!
mile 6: 7:02
mile 7: 7:13 <---- big uphill at the end of mile 6
mile 8: 7:21 <---- some uphill, starting to get tired
mile 9: 7:13
mile 10: 7:14 <---- really tired
mile 11: 7:04 <---- trying to convince myself to run a sub 21:00 5k to finish in 1:32
mile 12: 7:04 <---- downhill
mile 13: 7:03 <---- tiny downhill, mostly flat, but thankfully adrenaline kicked in! Overall, it was a great race and I'm looking forward to the next time I get to run it!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Oliver's first race!
We had a very exciting weekend! Oliver and I ran a local race on Saturday morning. I ran the 10k and Oliver ran the kids' run (400m).
We woke Oliver up at 6:30am to get to the race site by 7:00. (Aunt Anna very kindly stayed at our house with baby Buttercup)
Oliver helped me stretch before my race
then he and Dennis cheered me on while I ran,
and passed the time by hanging out with the Chick-fil-A cows.
I ended up finishing first out of 104 women! Oliver helped me stretch again after my race.
Then it was time for the fun stuff . . . making a craft at the Home Depot booth! Oliver loves his new Home Depot Kids apron.
Then, the best part of the morning! Oliver had been asking for 2 hours if it was time to put his race number on. And finally, it was time!!!
He and I lined up at the start
then the gun went off! Oliver took off sprinting, but ran out of steam pretty quickly. Fortunately, the Chick-fil-A cows were there to save the day, and paced him for the remainder of the race!
"Just keep swimming, Cow!"
Almost there!!!
YAY! He did it!!! Oliver won a green finishers' ribbon!
But he didn't care about finishing, he just wanted to play with the cows some more.
After a good nap (for Oliver and Mommy), it was time to get to work fixing all of Oliver's cars. He even wore his new Home Depot apron. :-)
And, lest we forget about Princess Buttercup, here are some cute weekend photos of her.
Hanging out in a diaper box:
And lounging in the pool!
Here's a video of Oliver singing his made-up "Henry" song.
A little background: Henry is one of his beloved Thomas trains, and the lyrics are: Henry likes to drive on the track, Henry likes to drive on the track, Henry likes to drive on the track, etc.
We woke Oliver up at 6:30am to get to the race site by 7:00. (Aunt Anna very kindly stayed at our house with baby Buttercup)
Oliver helped me stretch before my race
then he and Dennis cheered me on while I ran,
and passed the time by hanging out with the Chick-fil-A cows.
I ended up finishing first out of 104 women! Oliver helped me stretch again after my race.
Then it was time for the fun stuff . . . making a craft at the Home Depot booth! Oliver loves his new Home Depot Kids apron.
Then, the best part of the morning! Oliver had been asking for 2 hours if it was time to put his race number on. And finally, it was time!!!
He and I lined up at the start
then the gun went off! Oliver took off sprinting, but ran out of steam pretty quickly. Fortunately, the Chick-fil-A cows were there to save the day, and paced him for the remainder of the race!
"Just keep swimming, Cow!"
Almost there!!!
YAY! He did it!!! Oliver won a green finishers' ribbon!
But he didn't care about finishing, he just wanted to play with the cows some more.
After a good nap (for Oliver and Mommy), it was time to get to work fixing all of Oliver's cars. He even wore his new Home Depot apron. :-)
And, lest we forget about Princess Buttercup, here are some cute weekend photos of her.
Hanging out in a diaper box:
And lounging in the pool!
Here's a video of Oliver singing his made-up "Henry" song.
A little background: Henry is one of his beloved Thomas trains, and the lyrics are: Henry likes to drive on the track, Henry likes to drive on the track, Henry likes to drive on the track, etc.
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