TurkeyDay 5K Race Report: Not bad for my first run after a half-marathon

I ran a half-marathon 12 days ago. After a tough recovery,  I went out once last week - and got lost, turning my 3 mile walk into a 5 mile walk.  I then spent the next 3 days standing on a pool deck as a swimming official.  Where I caught a cold.  So I haven't run since my half-marathon. But I signed up for the TurkeyDay 5K - in Reston, at my kids' (former) high school. I couldn't pass it up.

It snowed yesterday.  We all wondered if the race through the woods would happen.  I was really worried about the big hill at the beginning and end of the course.  But the snow had been cleared.  It was about 37 degrees at the start, well above freezing.

I arrived about 10 minutes before the start, stretched, found my friend Lisa and got ready for the start.  Hubby went to park the car and then came back in time to take pictures.  So thanks, hubby for these pix!

Then the start went off.  We never heard a gun or an announcement,  we just started running.

 Once we left the stadium, the path got really crowded.  I had to keep pace with those around me, or I would be run over by those behind me.  So I went fast down the hill and through the tunnel.  Then I was finally able to settle into my pace.  But the first mile came in really fast.  We went through the second tunnel, followed the course marshalls, and realized that this course was hillier than I remembered. (Every. Single. Time.)  I looked down at my heart rate and it was really high.  I tried to walk more to get my heartrate under control, but it didn't work so well.  I ran/walked the rest of the race, wondering if I could get a time under 40:00.  (spoiler: I didn't.)  The course was a "lollipop" route - out, around a loop and back the way we came.  By the time I was headed through the second tunnel, the race leader (and eventual winner) was coming back.  I walked most of the big hill behind the school, but then decided to just run the rest of the way so I did.

While Hubby was waiting for me, he took some pictures for "best costume":

And this toddler gets an "A" for Adorable!

Finally, I came around the hill back into the stadium:

And crossed the finish line

My official time was 42:24, a 13:41 pace. (Although my Nike watch showed a 13:11 pace).  I am pretty pleased with that, since I've spent a few years struggling to get under 15 minutes.  Hopefully then new fitness level will continue to help me drop time in these races.  AND I came in 387/472 among the women ... many times I remember being last or close to it.  So not last today!  Although I look a little tired, hanging on the fence and talking to Lisa and her family afterwards. 

A Big Thank You to PRRaces for getting a Thanksgiving Day race in Reston.  I've been going to the Life with Cancer race down in Centreville the last few years, and I love running close to home. 

How was your turkey trot?

Thankful Thursday

I've been reflecting on my journey to..and through... the Richmond Half-Marathon last weekend.  I began to write a "Top 10" list of thankfulness, but got stumped, mostly because I am grateful to God, for everything, not just giving me a body that can still move and keeping me here on earth this long. There is NO WAY to put Him in a list.  So thankful to Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega of my life.

Having said that, I am truly thankful for:

8. Running friends - I want to give a big shout-out to everyone who has run with me once or twice, who helped me deal with long runs that didn't work into the training plan, and who cheered me up and encouraged me along the way.  Especially Kristine who walked while I ran the miles in September, and Robert, who signed me up for my first half with TNT.  And Marlesa, Rose and Toly. 

Running buddies, Marlesa and Rose at the Susco 8K 2013

7. Enell - Let's face it.  Big girls like me wouldn't be out there without the "support" of an Enell running bra!  For someone that has trouble finding everyday bras in her size, Enell is a godsend.  I won't run without it.

#noselfie

6. Precision Nutrition (PN) - this past year I've participated in PN's "lean eating for women".  (another blog on that later). I had a lot of information in my head, but it wasn't working for me.  Working with PN's daily lessons and weekly challenges, I've learned so much about what it takes to keep my body and soul running at its best.

5. Reston VA and Fairfax County, VA  I can run because I have a place to run.  For the last half century, people had a vision for Reston that included walking trails, the W&OD trail, sidewalks in my neighborhood, and trails throughout Fairfax County.  All of these trails not only make it possible to run, but they are really pretty places to get outside and reconnect with nature while running.

Lake Thoreau in Reston, one of our favorite trail runs.

4. PR Training Programs -  I showed up for Running 101 in the fall of 2008 unable to run 1/4 mile without stopping.  Somehow I managed to learn to run/walk... and to believe I could call myself a runner.  I am still a back-of-the-pack runner - I am in Wave K, for crying out loud.  But I am out there running a half-marathon, mostly through training with these guys.

3. All the Coaches - I've been through 2 coaches with the Run-to-Coffee ladies - Chip taught me to run, got my form in shape and kept me going.  Joe also gave great insight into my running mechanics and had the magic ability to push me when I needed pushing, and holding me back when I needed to learn control.  Through the years I ran with training groups from Potomac River Running and Team in Training, both are first-class outfits.  Shannon and Meghan and Adam coached this summer and fall.  I remember Caitlyn as my first long-distance coach years ago, who was full of enthusiasm.  But really there are too many to count.

2. Run-to-Coffee Ladies.  This group was named by a former running coach who noticed that for some of us it was more about the coffee afterwards than the run.  But these ladies have run with me, walked with me when I couldn't run, entered races so we could run together, and shared more laughter and tears over coffee than I can name.  Kelly, Linda, and Lisa thank you!  You all are fun to run with.

Lisa, Chris and Linda all bundled up. We missed you Kelly

1. Frank - we could just start and end there.  He is my husband, my partner in life, and my biggest cheerleader.  He (usually) pushes me out of bed on Saturday mornings so I can get to the training group.  He makes me breakfast when I get home.   He doesn't complain when I have more running clothes than "real" clothes.  And he supports any crazy notion I get, like a half-marathon, for example.

I know that I can't do this running thing alone.  I need people around me who are supportive.  I hope to keep running, whatever that looks like.

Who and what are you thankful for today?

I Left it All...and then some...on the Streets of Richmond. American Family Fitness Half Marathon Recap.

This was my "goal race".  I hadn't really planned to run a half-marathon this year, but I was dissappointed that I couldn't run the GW 10-miler in the spring due to a back injury.  When I looked at my fall calendar and cross-referenced between my husband's work schedule, and my travel schedule to see my son at college, this was the race that popped up.  So I jumped in with both feet.

I signed up to train with Potomac River Running's Distance Training Program on Saturdays from the Reston Store.  Unfortunately (and I knew this going in), I only made it to about half of the sessions.  But PRTraining gives you the entire plan on paper (well, in a PDF in an email) so I was able to run on my own on the weeks I missed the group due to my travel schedule or volunteer commitments. I managed to get those runs in this time!  The training plan was great, and I followed it more closely than the other times I've run with the DTP. One disadvantage to the training plan was that it was geared to earlier races, so the long runs became shorter earlier than necessary for my race.  I tried to adjust, but it was too tempting to "slack" and follow the plan for the earlier race.

Two weeks before the race, I had a back spasm.  I just moved funny and boom - could barely stand up.  Fortunately it only lasted a couple of days, and my Running Buddies (the infamous Run To Coffee ladies) were great about just walking with me instead of running.  But I used it as an "extreme taper" - getting less mileage in than I should the last few weeks before a race.  I knew I didn't want to push it.  And that little voice in my head repeated what Coach Caitlyn (of PRR's Cherry Blossom training group a few years back) said "its better to undertrain than to overtrain".

So following the "extreme taper" I was feeling pretty good this week - my legs wanted to run and I felt strong.  I felt my food and hydration were right - and I was hoping for a PR.  Sadly, that didn't happen.

You may have seen the weather for this weekend was COLD.  It was a balmy 26 at the start.  Which meant that I stood outside for an hour in 26 degree weather before running.  The trash bag was warm, but not warm enough.  I had hotties for my hands, but I left them at the hotel. (Note to self: ALWAYS zip all pockets closed before you leave!)  I threw some winter tights in the suitcase at the last minute, and I am SO GLAD I had them!  I had to buy a hat at the expo.

So on to the fun! Of course I was assigned to the Last Wave - in this case, Wave K.  It was five blocks back from the start, and the people were all friendly, if a bit frosted about the weather.  I used my strategy of jumping back out of the corral to use the bathroom at the start.  I was surprised with the long lines at the Porta-potties, but realized they were all full marathoners who hadn't started yet.  However, I made it through the line and back to the start corral well before Wave K crossed the start line.

 So when I got close to the start, I ditched my trash bag coverup. I finally got across the start line, then started running.  I knew Frank was out there on his bike somewhere near the start looking for me.  He found me here:

That was around mile one.  Mile 2 brought this beautiful sign:

Then at the first turn, I found Frank with Susie Austin, a dear friend who lives just off the Half-Marathon route (and on the Marathon Route):

My pace was blistering for the first two miles - I was well ahead of my 14:30-15:00 planned pace, and I was trying to slow down.   Frank and his bike kept showing up throughout the race.  I had some really good miles until I hit about mile 8.  That's when I felt a blister starting on my right foot, I felt tired, my hips hurt and I was feeling the heat in the sun, and the cold wind in the shadows.  About mile 10.5 I dropped my middle layer, but I never felt I had the layering right.

Here are a few photos from Frank:

You can see I have lost most of the crowd.  I like that about the back of the pack.  There is room to run.  Mile 9 was extremely hard.  In fact I tweeted at Mile 10 - Why?  Why am I doing this? 

But once I crossed the Mile 10 marker, I thought "OK, only 5K to go.  I can do this."  By that time the course had joined up with the marathon course so very fast runners were passing me.. and their cheering sections were out there giving me "pity cheers" as well.   Mile 10 also offered one of the more entertaining cheering sections:

And hubby thought this run/walker was especially stylin' in this handmade hat and scarf:

So now I've made it to mile 11, thinking I am almost there and may just make it, but feeling tired and achy.  Who shows up on the sidelines but Chip Hulbert, my first running coach ever, and coaching at Lifetime Fitness now.  He gives me some words of encouragement, a quick hug and sends me off to finish.  

The finish at Richmond is something everyone talks about.  I can't tell you how many times I said "Richmond Half-Marathon" and someone said "downhill finish" in response.  (Kind of like on Easter, we have a call-and-response at church - "He is Risen"  "He is Risen, indeed".  It feels like that to me...."Richmond" "Downhill Finish".)  My Tuesday coach, Joe, cautioned me to be careful about going too fast on the downhill.  Chip cautioned me about going too fast on the downhill right before I started into it. But just like the first mile, from mile 12.5 on, I threw caution to the wind!  I went as fast as I could on the downhill (and my Run To Coffee group will tell you I am really fast downhill!)  When I checked my Nike watch later in the day, that last half-mile was in the 10 minute pace.  I left it all out there! 

So my official time was 3:37:28.  Overall #8337 of 8452 finishers (10,500 "competitors" according to the race website)  In my age group #504 of 511.  So I finished.  Not last.

Afterwards I was completely exhausted.  I got my medal, my hat and my blanket, and headed over to bag pickup where I had a recovery drink waiting in my bag.  I was starving and I think I drank it too fast.  Frank met me and sat with me a few minutes, then decided to ride his bike back to the car and meet me at the start shuttle.  I headed to the pickup point for the shuttles, but had to sit down halfway.  I finally got to the shuttle pickup area and got sick.  Puked all over the streets of Richmond.  I decided to go to the medical tent to get checked out.  They were great, took my vitals and my temperature was 96. Hypothermic, maybe?  Blood pressure was fine.  I just felt weak and dizzy.  I hung out in the medical tent for about  1/2 hour and tried again to get to hubby.  This time I made it.  Back to the hotel for a hot bath and some food.  

We had dinner with the Austins that night, and although I couldn't eat much, I was grateful for the hospitality.  I was literally too sore to sit at the table, When we got home to the hotel, I told Frank, "Don't ever let me sign up for 13.1 again. Just tell me no if I even think about it."  He asked me this morning, "Well, are you thinking about it?"  Yes.