ReeseStrong 5K Recap ...

Location: Mechanicsville, VA
Date: 9/17/11
Temperature: 55 degrees
Official Time: 22:04 (7:07 pace), 2:05 minute PR
Place in Age Group (25-29): 1/12
Place in Gender: 3/123
Overall Place: 23/234

As of Friday afternoon, this race was NOT on my schedule. Since I am currently in the middle of marathon training, it can be hard to fit in a 5K. But, due to the fact that a couple of my runs went over mileage earlier in the week, I only needed 5 miles on Saturday. I knew Earth Momma Mer was running a 5K and in the morning and I also knew the weather was going to be perfect for running fast. So, at 8 p.m. on Friday, I decided to race. The next morning, I woke up and headed over to the event to register, ran a one mile warmup and raced my tail off.

The Good:

The Course: The mostly flat course started with a slight downhill into a residential neighborhood that I have been fortunate enough to run in before. I had a rough idea of what to expect, including the quarter mile climb back to the finish.

My Pace: My goal for this race was to run around 7:30 per mile for the duration of the race. I had run a 7:41 pace for 4.14 miles at Hood to Coast, on little sleep and food, so it seemed simple enough. Right around the one mile mark, I glimpsed down at my watch and saw that I was at a 7:10 pace and that there were only 3 or 4 women ahead of me. At that point I decided that instead of watching the clock, I would listen to my body. If I felt like I could push it, I would. If I needed to back off, I'd do that. As long as no one with a ponytail passed me, it was all good.

The strategy worked. I hit my goal and I didn't check my watch until the finish.

My Placing: 3rd woman overall. 1st in the 25-29 age group. Pretty much the coolest thing ever.

The Outfit: I have to admit that when I got to the start in my new Lululemon skirt and purple SwiftSocks, the other people at the front of the pack looked at me like, "This is a joke, right? She can't possibly run fast enough to be standing with us." (Note the dude in the orange cap giving us the crazy eyes)

It was either that, or they were jealous of "The Quads." Not really sure, but either way, I think I proved that fashion and speed are not mutually exclusive.


My Finishing Kick: When I turned the corner into the finishing chute, I could see that the clock still read, 21:xx. A sub-22 was within my grasp, I kicked it into overdrive and my last .1 was at a 5:36 pace. That is just insane.

The Weather: 55 degrees. Overcast. Light winds. A runner's heaven.

The Bad:

Tired Legs: Since I didn't decide to run this race until 8 p.m. the night before, I hadn't had a rest day in the 5 days prior. And I was just 24 hours off a quick 9 miler. I had run 34 miles in the four days. I have to wonder if fresh legs would have made a difference between 22:04 and sub-22.

The Ugly:

Let's be honest, there was no ugly.

potential ...

In case you didn't realize, I live in a sauna. A sauna named Virginia. It is at least somewhat warm, year-round. In fact, as long as you are running during daylight hours, it's very likely that you don't need to own a pair of running tights.

In some ways, this is awesome. I can almost always get outside for a run. I'm never afraid that I am going to get frostbite and if I time my runs correctly, there is almost no chance of heat stroke. (Unfortunately, it can be really challenging to run at 3 a.m.)

The major problem with the warmth of the area is that I never get an accurate gauge of my running "potential."

Think about it. Numerous studies have shown that runners perform best when the temperatures are between 41 and 55 degrees. Do you know how many days fall in that range in Virginia? About 6.

Thus, I have run very few times in "ideal" conditions. In fact, it's rare that I race when it is cooler than 60 degrees. The two times I did in recent history, I ran wicked fast. Like a 33:50 marathon PR fast.

Recently, though, I have felt like I just can't find my speed. I am currently training for a sub-4 marathon, but most days I struggle to hold a pace that would just give me a PR. I know that this is mostly due to the fact that the average temperature when I run is around 78 degrees with 70% humidity. That take a toll on your pace. And your confidence.

Honestly, I was feeling unsure about my ability to run strong during Hood to Coast. My final leg is the longest of any on the course (8.09 miles) and I will be running it alone. Without an iPod. On close to no sleep. And above all, I don't want to let my teammates down.

So, yesterday, I set out on a run in Rhode Island. 6 miles in much cooler temperatures with little humidity. I left the iPod at home and hoped to mimic what my Hood to Coast legs will be like.

Mile 1 felt easy. 9:24.
Mile 2, I knew I was going to run 8 instead of 6. 9:05.
Miles 3 and 4, piece of cake. 9:01. 8:49.
Turnaround, then mile 5. 8:50.
Mile 6, couldn't believe there were only 2 miles left. 9:00.
Mile 7, Spotted a deer, a fox and DEM. 8:51
Mile 8, I so have this. 8:50.

Do you know what my goal marathon pace is?

8:50.

Do you know what 8:50 felt like?

Conversational pace.

Confidence restored.

untapped speed ...

On Sunday, I was supposed to run my last race of 2010 - a 5K. I was super excited for it. After a fantastic 8K PR in November and a strong base established, I was primed to run fast. Plus, the 5K is a distance that I LOVE, but never seem to build into my race schedule.

So, I was all set. Uber-cute outfit picked out. Mental game on point. And despite running 24 miles in the two days prior, I felt strong. I was going to crush my PR (24:09). But then, it snowed.

And for the first time in a VERY long time, I wasn't a "runner first, logical thinker second." J didn't want me to drive to the race (honestly, the roads were bad) and I actually listened to him - taking my first DNS EVER.

I was totally bummed. I wanted, no, NEEDED to know how fast I could run. So, I put on my uber-cute outfit and hit the treadmill for my own Christmas 5K.

I set the treadmill incline to 1%. I hit the button for the pace I was hoping to run (7:30) and I was off. The first mile was comfortable, so I pushed it a little. But still, mile two seemed to fly by, so I sped up again. And when I finished, the display looked like this ...

Yeah, that's right. 22:55 (7:23 pace). A 1:14 improvement over my 5K PR from May. And then I started thinking that maybe Mel's right. I might have some untapped speed in me after all ...

speed and support ...

Earlier this week, Mrs. D (who I am training for her first 5K after a long hiatus) asked if I would join her for some of her longer runs. She was having a hard time pushing herself mentally. And I guess she thought I wouldn't let her quit. (which is true). Anyway, since I am pacing J tomorrow, I planned to meet her this morning. But before she showed up, I decided to sneak in a two mile time trial.

The last time I ran two miles all out was in February. I finished in 14:50. Today, I headed out into the heat and humidity on very tired legs (thanks P90X) and clocked a 14:46! Four seconds faster! I think I might be overly excited about this. But I am really pumped.

Shortly after finishing, Mrs. D arrived and we headed out for three miles. I told her to set the pace and I started talking and talking and talking (trying to distract her from the running). She did great. Yes, she tried to get me to let her stop. Yes, she probably wanted to hit me on more than on occasion. Yes, she questioned my methods. But, despite her doubts, she finished. And she rocked it. I'm so proud of her for pushing past her mental block. And I am even prouder that she is staying focused on her training even when life gets in the way. And because I know you all love pictures, here we are post run (I think her smile is fake. I'm not sure she had forgiven me yet)

RoadID. More than just ID?

Last night, while waiting a painfully long time for the girls to finish their dinner, Doodle and I had a conversation. It went a little something like this ...

Doodle: (noticing my new purple RoadID) "Why'd you get a purple one? Why'd you want all the colors?" (Yes, I have multiple RoadIDs).

Me: "Because I thought that it was pretty."

Doodle: "I want a purple one too. I want to match you. When are you getting me one?"

Me: "I don't know. Maybe next week."

Doodle: "THAT'S TOO LONG! Get it in ONE WEEK!"

Me: "Doodle, we'll see. Why do you need one?"

Doodle: "To run."

Me: "Well, Daddy has a black one. Do you want a black one to match him or a purple one to match me?"

Doodle: "I want a purple one so I can run really faster than Daddy."

Huh? So apparently, a RoadID is more than just safety gear. It also functions as a turbo-booster.

March Rewind ...

It happened again. I blinked and suddenly another month has passed. Three months into the year and I am well on my way to FINALLY hitting 1000 miles. This is Dilly and I after yesterday run (miles 301.5-305.85). I'm rocking my new RunningSkirts headband and Dilly wasn't quite ready for the camera.

When you extrapolate it out, I am actually on target to hit 1200, which would be almost 300 miles further than I have ever run in one year. That would be SWEET. Speaking of mileage, I realized this morning that during the 305 miles I have run in 2010, I have burned over 35000 calories. That's over 10 pounds. Wow! I should be 10 lbs lighter than on January 1. But I am not. Instead, I weigh exactly the same. So that also means I ate 35000 calories that I probably didn't need ...

Anyway, here's my recap of March 2010 ...

Miles Planned/Ran: 103.1/103.31 (just shy of a mile more than last month)

Rest Days Planned/Taken: 13/12

Highest Mileage Week: 3/15-3/21: 24.46 miles

Long Runs Planned/Run: 4/5

Donuts Earned: 69.11 (good, considering that I ate four HUGE cupcakes last week ...)

Current Book: OK. I know you are going to be shocked but, I actually read a book this month. I know. Pick your jaw up off the floor. It was Run Like A Mother. And whether you are a mother or not, you need to read this book. And so does your significant other.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Did you see my mention of the HUGE and absolutely delicious cupcakes? How about the part where I said I ate FOUR last week alone? Enough said.

Current Colors: Lime green. I'm rocking lime green socks and tanks and headbands. The color makes me happy!

Current Obsessions: Running skirts. I got two new ones this week. Someone needs to block that website on my computer.

Current Drink: Diet Dr. Pepper. There is a TON left over from J's surprise party.

Current Song: The Script - Breakeven

Current Need: Some self-restraint. It's been a rough few weeks.

Current Triumph: My speed. I set new PRs in the 5K (24:09), 10K (50:36) and half marathon (2:01:36) this month.

Current Bane of My Existence: My lack of self-restraint.

Current Goal: My next race is a 10 miler. My first race of that distance. I want to, no wait, I am going to run it in 1:25.

Current Indulgence: What haven't I indulged on this month? Seriously, are you not getting the lack of self-restraint thing?

Current Blessing: That after 16 years, I finally have even legs. No more limping for me.

flipping the switch ...

Christina from Lazy Bones Running asked the following question this morning: "How or when did you know you caught the running bug?"

At first, I considered commenting. But then I realized that I can be kind of long winded (shocker, I know) and this question really deserved a post. So, here it goes.

I first started running when Doodle was four months old. I saw it as a way to drop the baby weight without obsessing over the scale. I knew that running would help me fit into my old clothes and if that happened, the number on the scale didn't really matter. And you know what? It worked. I dropped every last pound I had put on during my pregnancy and was actually wearing a size smaller than I did before having children (two years and another kid later, I'm even smaller than that.) But (and this is a big but) I pretty much HATED every minute of it. Running was not something I enjoyed. It was something I did. I ran to fight the "fat demons." I trained for my first marathon with this mentality. Whenever I was asked my opinion on running, I would reply with a big resounding "I run, but I still hate it."

I was in a negative running place. I couldn't see the joy in just running. It was a constant competition for me. I hated that I wasn't faster. I hated that I wasn't able to beat my friends. I hated how I trained and trained and didn't get the results that I wanted (I think all of this has contributed to my horrible racing techniques). But then something changed. I found out I was pregnant with Dilly. Instantly, I could run without worrying who I was faster than or hitting another PR. No one expected a pregnant woman to run. And they definitely didn't expect a pregnant woman to run fast. I started to take pride in the fact that I was a runner. A runner who was determined to show people that you can be strong and fit and pregnant at the same time.

Speed began to matter less to me. Beating my friends lost it's importance. I learned to love running for what it is. I began to enjoy the run, not just the satisfaction of finishing. Sure, I'm still competitive (we all know that) and it's fun to go against my teammates, but now I focus on beating me. The me I used to be. I'm constantly striving to become a stronger runner. To go longer and faster. And I know that with time and training that will happen.

How did you catch the bug?

And in case you wanted to see what a pregnant runner who has caught the bug looks like. Here you go:

17 weeks at Rock and Roll Half Marathon

34 weeks after a 4 mile training run (yeah, I was huge)

35 weeks before the New Year's Day 10K

determination ...

"I ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never give up, no matter what else happened," - Wilma Rudolph

After writing about pushing my ginormous triple stroller on my runs, I got a comment that read, "The things you do to get your runs in are amazing." It really got me thinking. I think the things I do to get my runs in are just the things that NEED to be done to get my runs in. Nothing amazing (although, I do LOVE complements). For me, they have become commonplace. Running is not a choice. It is a crucial part of my life. 5 runs a week, sometimes more, NEVER EVER less. Missing a run is not an option.

Now, I know that skipping a workout or cutting a run short isn't the end of the world. It's not going to make a lick of difference on race day, just like finishing every last mile on my training plan isn't going to get me a BQ. But I have made a commitment to myself. A commitment to be the best me every single day. On every single run. So, if that means pushing a 140+ pound stroller, exchanging sleeping in for early morning long runs or logging 22 miles on the treadmill, well then that's what has to get done.

It's just about determination. The determination to always strive to be better than you were yesterday. The determination to show your children that you can get pure joy out of something, even if you NEVER walk away as the champion. The determination to prove everyone who has ever doubted you wrong, even if that means proving yourself wrong as well. And although, it may not be the reason I started running, it is without a doubt this determination that keeps me running.

I may never run a five minute mile. Or log 70 miles a week. I'm not going to win a race or even beat all of my friends. But none of that matters. Running is my passion. A passion I want to share with others. It is more than just a hobby. It is a force that has forever changed my life. Running has allowed me to be the best mom and wife and me that I can possibly be. It's not a chore. Or a job (because I am WAY TOO SLOW for that). Or even a requirement. It is just the simple act of placing one foot in front of the other. A simple act that helps define me ...

2009 review and 2010 goals

It's been a big year in our house. We had our third (and last) child. We bought a new house, one which we hope to live in for a VERY LONG TIME. J started a new job. I started my own business. We've watched our children grow and flourish. We've watched them frustrate (both us and themselves). Things have been good. We are blessed. And happy.

It's also been a big year on the running front. It started with me all huge and waddling. Running at the end of a pregnancy is a rather awkward thing (but I would highly recommend sticking with it if you can). Once Dilly arrived, I was forced to take a three week hiatus. I did. Then returned to running (and racing) 23 days after Dilly's birth. I ran the Youngblood 5K, which I finished in 27:35 and somehow placed 3rd in my age group. Yes, there were only nine people in my age group, but I still beat six of them!

I used the rest of the spring to build my speed before marathon training began. I ran two 10K, an 8k and two 5Ks between April 1st and May 31st. By the end of May, I had gained back most of the speed I had lost during my pregnancy. I even set a new 5K PR of 25:19. Definitely the highlight of the year.

June 1st started half-marathon training, which led right into marathon training. Over the next 24 weeks, I logged almost 600 miles. In that same time, I PR'd at the Patrick Henry Half in a time of 2:18:18. That same day I suffered severe dehydration and was inches away from heat stroke. Not my best running moment. But at least it taught me to NEVER run another half marathon in the middle of summer in the South. Seems so obvious now ...

After that half, marathon training went well. Until four weeks out. My ankle started acting up. I had to back off on mileage. And then I fell down the stairs and hurt my other foot. It was rough. I did almost no running in the last three weeks of training. But on race day, I was standing at the start line ready to go. Before the race was half over, my ankle gave out. I didn't know at the time but it was severely sprained. I finished, slower than I had hoped, but amazingly I loved every moment of it.

I would have to take the next three weeks off due to that injury. But after a cast and a dose of cortisone, I came back, perhaps stronger than before. Today, I logged my last run of 2009. And while I missed my goal of 1000 miles, I am rather happy with what I did accomplish. And very hopeful for 2010. So here they are, my 2009 totals and 2010 goals:

2009:
921.35 miles run
110,562 calories burned
3 PRs set
at least 50 cupcakes eaten

2010 goals:
run 1000 miles
run a 2 hour half marathon
run a sub-25 5K
run a sub 7:10 mile
eat less than 50 cupcakes

What will you do in 2010?

Virtual Winter Misery One Miler ...

I partook in my first virtual race today - The Winter Misery One Miler hosted by RunningLaur. I had never heard of this "virtual race" thing before but instantly wanted to be a part of it. I was totally psyched about the distance. I have been itching to do a mile time trial, but have been putting it off. Now I had the perfect reason to try.

So this afternoon, I headed outside (for the first time in ... well too long). The temperature was 34 which contributed to some dicey conditions. The roads are still rather icy from last weekend's storm and I found myself dodging black ice and shortening my stride to keep myself from falling. I ran as hard as I possibly could without wiping out and never looked at my watch. There were moments when I thought I might die. But I didn't. I finished. And rather quickly (for me anyway) ...

McMillian says that based on my 5K time, I should be able to do a mile in 7:18. I think that is pretty dead on given ideal conditions (ice is not ideal). Perhaps another goal for 2010 ...

holy snow ...

It doesn't snow in Richmond. But somehow, it has snowed twice this calendar year. And last night, it snowed huge (10"). And more is expected this afternoon. This is a good and a bad thing. The girls LOVE the snow. I generally like the snow for a day or two, but then I am over it. That's pretty much the end of the good.

Since it NEVER snows here, everyone is ill-equipped. The snow doesn't really get plowed. And if it does, it's poorly. No one has snow clothes. AND NO ONE CAN DRIVE IN IT. It's sad. I used to live where there was lake-effect snow 345 days a year. I can drive in snow. This fact was proven last night when I was driving home during the first two hours of the storm. I was going 45 on a major interstate. The speed limit was 65. I was passing EVERYONE. It only got worse on the local roads. 15 mph was pushing it. I really think the best part of the night was when I stopped for gas. I had about 60 miles to empty so I stopped to fill up. It was a madhouse. Everyone of Wawa's 24 pumps had lines three cars deep. People were filling up gas containers. You would have thought it was the end of the world. All I could do was laugh and think, "Seriously?"

All joking aside, I think my least favorite part of the snow is that it puts a damper on my running plans. I really wanted to get outside and run this weekend. I was even thinking of going on a short run last night while the snow was falling just so I could say I was that hardcore. I didn't. My brain (which was too afraid I might hurt the ankle) won out and I ended up on the treadmill. For eight miles. At an 8:45 average pace. With negative splits. A minute and fifteen seconds faster than I averaged during marathon training. Hmmm ...