As of yesterday, I can now check off my 101 in 1001 goal of running a half marathon! Woohoo!
Aside from some strong wind gusts (including pretty much the entire last mile, where I think I may have been moving backwards at some point), the weather for the race was perfect. 50 degrees, slightly cloudy, no humidity. I didn't even finish my entire water bottle and I felt fine! I brought two packets of sports beans with me and probably only ate one of them (I combined them, so I don't know exactly), but I never hit that "wall."
The first half of the race went great. I ran with my friend Carolyn and our half split was 1:09:25, which was 10:36 pace. Right around that time, my knees started to feel really tight, and at about mile 7.5, I had to stop and walk. Carolyn went on ahead and finished the whole race without walking! (Yay Carolyn! You rock!) I knew I was going to need some walking breaks in order to finish (they usually help my legs recharge and I go faster during my running intervals than I would if I ran straight through), so my goal was just to finish in 2.5 hours.
I kept alternating running with a few short walk breaks until I got to mile 10. By that time, my left knee felt really tight. It felt okay while I was walking, but when I tried to run (or, more accurately at that point, to shuffle), it did not feel good. I finished the 10 miles just two minutes slower than I ran the GW Parkway Classic two weeks before, so I was pretty sure my goal of 2.5 hours was within reach... I just needed to cover the last three miles in about 13 minute pace.
By this time, I was definitely walking more than running, but I tried pumping my arms during my running stretches as much as I could to go faster. I wasn't feeling completely exhausted, which surprised me... it really was my knee that was holding me back. I'd try to jog a little bit for a few minutes at a time and then basically power-walk in between. But when 17 minutes had passed and I hadn't seen the mile 11 marker yet, I figured I didn't have a shot at making my goal. There was no way I'd be able to run the last two miles at a fast enough pace to make it. I started extending my walking intervals.
And then...
I happened upon the mile 12 marker. (Note: neither Carolyn nor Adam had seen the 11 marker either. I'm guessing the wind had knocked it down.) But by then, I'd slowed down enough I knew I really couldn't do it. I think if I'd seen the mile 11 marker, I may have been able to push myself fast enough to make it in under 2.5 hours, but I ended up crossing the finish line at 2:32:35. I may not have met my time goal, but I did finish a half marathon and did it in under 12 minute pace. (Actually, prior to running the GW Parkway Classic, my goal was just to go under 12 minute mile pace... I didn't move up my time goal to 2.5 hours until after I did that race at sub-11 minute pace.)
I don't think my knees are seriously injured (my left one was tight and sore by the end too), but just a little overworked. I think it's a stabilizing muscle issue, not tendons or ligaments or anything serious. I'm going to give my legs some time off, and I'm going to train a little differently for my next half marathon. (Yes, I definitely plan on running another one.) In the training program I used, the longest training run was 10 miles. The theory is that the excitement and adrenaline will take you the rest of the way, and yes... I finished, which was the point, but I wanted to finish stronger than that. The training program was for beginners and really is intended only to get you to the finish line, and encourages walking. Next time, I am going to try a more advanced training program that has longer training distances and some speedwork. (Uhhh, I also didn't do any of my training runs between the 10 mile race and the half marathon, except for one 5K race... I'm sure giving my legs that much time off didn't help matters either.)
Distance: 13.1 miles
Time: 2:32:35
Pace: 11:39/mile (sub-12!!!)
This past Sunday, we drove out to Silver Spring for the Earth Day 5K. We rarely drive to morning races (we're lucky that so many start within walking distance of our place), so we had to get up extra early to get out there. We checked the weather before we left and it was 50 degrees, so I decided to wear my running capris, a tech tee, and a running jacket.
When we got to the race, it was cold. Adam checked the temperature on his phone and it said it was 40 degrees! Brr! Somehow we drove 9 miles and it got 10 degrees colder! We (along with a few dozen others) hung out in a parking garage until just before the race start.
Because we hadn't gotten a ton of sleep the night before (we went to a late dinner with my mom and aunt, who were visiting), and we'd run a race just 38 hours before, we decided we weren't going to push ourselves too hard. In fact, Adam actually ran with me! It's been a long time since he's done that. I kept telling him he could run ahead if he was getting bored with my slow pace, but he said he didn't mind. So, he had an easy run... and I still managed to finish in 30:30, which was even faster than my race on Friday! After these last three races, I think I can safely say that my 5K pace is officially under a 10-minute mile.
Distance: 5K/3.1 miles
Time: 30:30
Pace: 9:49/mile
Next race: Fourth 5K Friday. I can't believe we're more than halfway done with them already! I am going to try not too push too hard, because we do have a 10 mile race on Sunday, but I think I can still do 10 minute pace without doing any damage for Sunday's race.
It was humid, hot and sticky for the 5K race this Friday. The skies threatened rain, which I would have actually welcomed during the race to cool off, but didn't start until after I'd finished. I'd had a bad week of training (or, more accurately, not training) and my legs felt heavy. I was hoping to (a) not walk, and (b) finish under 31:00 (10 minute pace). It was a bit of a struggle, but I managed to accomplish both of those goals.
My mom and my aunt were down for a visit this weekend, so they came out to the race to cheer us on. I think it was the first race either of them had ever been to. I'm sure the first photo they took of me (smiling and waving at the halfway point) looks a lot better than the second (struggling the last quarter mile to the finish, not even looking at the camera).
Distance: 5K/3.1 miles
Time: 30:38
Pace: 9:52/mile
Next race: Earth Day 5K.
I said after the last race that I might be able to finish in 31:00 (10 minute mile pace) this time, and I knew it shouldn't be too hard to do (I only had to drop 10 seconds off my total time). But then Friday came and it was super windy, and with an out and back course, you are running into the wind for about half of the race, so I figured I'd cut myself some slack if I didn't break 31:00 for the 5K this time.
The race got off to a fast start. I finished the first mile in 9:07 and thought, "Eff, that is way too fast. I'm not even going to be able to run this whole race now without walking."
I didn't want to burn out, so I slowed down the pace a little bit, and got to the two mile marker at 18:54... closer to the 10 minute mile pace I was used to. I kept cruising along at that pace for the next half mile or so and then realized my legs were feeling good. Really good. Strong. Not at all tired. I picked up the pace a bit.
I got to the three mile marker at 28:40, and then busted it out to the finish line.
29:28
Oh. My. Lord.
I dropped a minute and a half off my 5K PR. I ran the race in 9:29 pace. And I felt good. Adam (again) missed me running by him before the final turn, because I was ahead of where he thought I was. I finished the race, grabbed a bottle of water, then jogged up behind where he was standing on the sidelines and said, "Looking for me?"
Distance: 5K/3.1 miles
Time: 29:28
Pace: 9:29/mile
Next race: The third 5K Friday. Considering I already shattered my ultimate Friday 5K goal of going under 30 minutes, I am just going to have to try to better my time from last week.
Adam and I are doing the 5K Fridays again this year (hence, adding "2010" to the title of this post), and we've even managed to convince a few friends to join us. The first race was this past Friday and the turn out was much larger than last year. There were over 900 runners and walkers this time! (Last year, the first race had 338 runners and walkers.) I'm guessing there will be even more this weekend and as the weeks go on.
Our friends Carolyn and Nick ran the race with us. It was Carolyn's first race ever, but she's faster than I am so I had to keep up with her! Actually, I'm pretty sure she had to slow down to run with me... either way, it was the second fastest 5K race I've ever run. (I finished my first one ever in 31:00 - exactly 10:00/mile pace.) Carolyn and I caught up to Nick somewhere in mile 2, and he tried to sprint ahead of us towards the end, but Carolyn ended up catching him right at the finish line. (I was a few seconds behind them, getting boxed in behind a few people when I took the tight last turn of the race.) I'm pretty sure Carolyn's going to beat him next time.
(For those of you who are wondering, Adam kicked all of our asses by a good 8.5 minutes.)
Distance: 5K/3.1 miles
Time: 31:10
Pace: 10:02/mile
Next race: The second 5K Friday. Maybe I'll break 10 minute pace this time!
On March 13 (my 30th birthday!), I woke up to a pretty miserable day, weather-wise. (In fact, this terrible day really affected the whole weekend, which included a trip for what was supposed to be happy birthday fun times in NYC, but ended up being a lot of sitting on a delayed train, or being soaking wet and kind of miserable.) But! I love birthdays. Like, to an unreasonable degree. (Did you see the recent HIMYM with Lily's birthday? Yeah, that's me. But without the photographs.) And I was SO excited to run a race, in the rain, on my birthday. And no, I am not being at all sarcastic. I really was excited to kick off my 30s with the start of another race season.
(Like how I refer to it as "race season" as if I am fast, or something? I'm not. But it's still fun!)
When we walked up to the race start, which was at a local Irish bar, it was drizzling out. I wore my Army Ten Miler hat from last year's race, which was great at keeping the rain out of my eyes. I don't usually run with hats or sunglasses, but it was definitely needed on that day. While we were waiting for the race to start inside the bar, it started POURING outside. Buckets. Luckily, a few minutes before the race it let up and just was a steady drizzle throughout the race. I actually don't mind (and sometimes prefer, if it's summer) light rain during a race, because I tend to overheat very easily. I didn't have that problem at all this time, and only needed a little bit of water from the water station, instead of carrying my own 16oz water bottle for the race.
The course is an out-and-back, with about 1 mile of downhill to start, 2 flat miles in the middle, and 1 mile uphill to end. We've done a few races that cover some portion of this course and I love having the downhill to start, because it gives you a great first mile time. :-) I know that all I need to do is lengthen my stride and gravity does most of the work. I ran my first mile in 9:00!
The second and third miles are very flat. Because it was rainy out, there weren't many people on the streets watching. (Not that many people come out to watch a 5K, but sometimes there will be passersby that stop and watch on their way to wherever, or while waiting for an appropriate time to dash through the race and across the street.) I did the second mile in 10:07 and the third mile in 10:12. (This actually means it was my fastest race 5k ever!)
Then, came the uphill. Before starting the race, I was hoping for a 44 minute finish, which I was fairly certain I could beat. After the first three miles, with a time of 29:19, I thought maybe, just maybe I'd be able to finish under 40, which would be a TOTAL shock, and the fastest pace I'd ever run a race. (Well, over 200M, that is.)
I didn't make it. The first of the two big hills in that last mile did me in. I ran most of it, and then when this guy on the sideline said "You're almost done! It's all uphill from here," I started walking. I think at that point I was walking faster up the hill than I'd been running anyway, plus I was almost at the top of the first hill, but hearing that at that time was it. So I walked about 50 meters or so, if that, up the rest of the hill, and then ran the rest of the race. I finished in 40:54! In fact, I finished so far ahead of where I expected, Adam didn't even see me finish because he wasn't looking for me yet. :-) While it wasn't under 40, I still crushed my original expectations of 44 minutes.
Here's one of the official race photos of me, coming up the last hill of the race, just before the finish line...
Distance: 4 Miles
Time: 40:54
Pace: 10:14/mile
Next race: the first of the 5K Fridays. My goal is to go under 31 minutes, but it's going to be 80 degrees and it's been a while since I've run in that heat. My friend Carolyn will be running with me... it's her first race, but she's faster than I am, so hopefully I can keep up with her and beat my goal.
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