Distance running and I celebrated our 10th anniversary when I ran the BAA Half Marathon this morning. In the summer of 2001, a coworker told me about this new half marathon in Boston that would take place Columbus Day weekend. I had been running a bit and decided training for this would be a good goal. Mind you, I had never run more than 7 or 8 miles before. But, why not?
Since then, my relationship with running has been one of the most consistent things in my life. We've had some rough patches - a stress fracture in my foot in 2007 and the torn labrum in my hip that had us together and apart for over a year and a half. But we have survived.
And there have been plenty of good times too - now 3 fantastic Reach the Beach relays, the 2008 Boston Marathon PR and last year's return to racing at the 2010 BAA Half Marathon to name a few. Running has also introduced me to many great friends and has shaped many important memories from the last 10 years for me. We spend more time together every week than I do with just about anyone else on a regular basis, except maybe my office mate, Maya, who gets to see me for the better part of 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.
Recalling this anniversary has also helped me get over a bit of a disappointing race today. I had trained and felt pretty well prepared to run what I hoped would be a PR today. I started off feeling good, running my goal pace comfortably for the first 6 miles. I'm not sure what happened at mile 7, but I started to slip and slowly lost a bit of time with each subsequent mile. I hung in there but just could not pick it up enough, for a long enough stretch of time, to get me closer to my goal. I finished 3 seconds slower than last year, and over 3 minutes slower than I had been hoping for this year's race.
I'm still frustrated and need to think over a bit more what I could have done differently and what I need to work on going forward. But, I did realize as I sat down to write tonight that in my first 1/2 marathon, 10 years ago, my goal was to finish, and secondly to try to finish in 2 hours. I ran that race in 2:01.
This afternoon, I sat on the couch and questioned myself and whether or not I was meant to run any faster than I had this morning...maybe today's race was a accurate reflection of all I have. Ten years ago I never could have imagined I would run a half marathon at a sub-8 minute/mile pace. While I couldn't do it today, I did accomplish this earlier this year. It was a reminder that with motivation and preparation, I have made it this far. I'm not ready to be satisfied with my time today as the best I can do. I'm pretty sure I have some motivation and preparation left in me to show myself I don't have to be.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
My belated Reach the Beach post
It's shocking, I know, but sleeping 3 hours in a van last Friday REALLY hit me hard this week. I have not been so tired, maybe ever. Really. I just could not get going at all. I tried every night to get to bed as early as I possibly could (which was never that early given other commitments),and sadly, I just could not manage to make the time to write.
But aside from the sleep deprivation...what an amazing weekend! As I mentioned briefly in my last post, Reach the Beach, is an approximately 200 mile team relay race. Between 6-12 teammates run 36 consecutive, predetermined legs. For my team of 12, that meant running 3 times over the course of what would end up being approximately 28 hours. It means running through the night with headlamps, sleeping on van seats and sealing my sweaty clothes in zip lock bags to keep the rest of my gear dry and odor-free. I have been fortunate enough to run the race with many of the same people from the Run for the Memory program the previous 2 times I have participated. We also use the event as a fundraiser. (You can still make a donation by clicking here!)
This year, I was excited to have Brenna, Laura, Dale, Dale and Scott in my van. I have shared a van with "the Dales" for all 3 of my RTBs and I couldn't imagine it any other way. Dale Bob implemented a rule years ago that each runner has to do push ups after completing his/her leg. And we're all crazy enough to oblige. Do you get the idea of what our van was like?
I was a bit disappointed earlier in the week to learn Hurricane Irene made part of the course un-runnable and the re-routing cut my first leg of the run by over 6 miles. My cumulative total for the race which was supposed to be just under 16 miles, would instead be just under 9. As she has many times, Laura came to my rescue. She was looking to shorten her run for the weekend and volunteered to trade legs. I was pleased to now be running 15.8 miles for the race, but upon looking at the elevation maps for my legs, reassessed my excitement. Ah well, the entire course is hilly. It's not really possible to escape a few good climbs, and plus it makes all the regular hills I run at home seem like speed bumps.
Our team took off just before 10:00am on Friday morning. I have never left Cannon Mountain for the start of this race while the sun was shining and this year was no different, alternating between rain and mist. I was runner #4 and had some time to prep before it was my turn. My first run was 3.8 miles. The first 3 were fine, some hills, but nothing ridiculous. The last .8 was the exact opposite. Short, steep climbs that I could not see because they were around corners. And on grass. Wet grass. That last .8 was considerably slower than the rest of my run. Still, I passed 2 people.
My second leg began at 11:00pm. Wearing my fancy new headlamp, I still hate running in the middle of the night. But it makes me run faster (the dark, not the headlamp). I guess that's good because this was also my hilliest run. 6.5 miles with 2 hills approximately a mile long and steep with some smaller hills in between. I knew they were coming though and got through them. It was by far my slowest run, but not bad given even mountain goats were having trouble with the course. Passed 6, passed by 1.
Leg 3 was by far my favorite. Yes, it was mostly downhill, but after 20+ hours in the van, I was stiff, tired and recovering from an earlier unhappy stomach. But somehow, I felt great as I left the starting area at about 10:00am. 5.5 miles and I was actually running, not jogging or shuffling! I finished with my fastest pace, passing 8 along the way and getting passed twice. After my van finished running, we drove to Hampton Beach to meet our final runner from Van 2, Nicolle as she scorched the sand and crossed the finish line together as a team.
While the weekend may sound crazy, even to me, it continues to be, by far one of the most fun events in which I take part. I continue to laugh at the jokes that took place in the van and along the sides of the road, and shared in a few follow up emails among my teammates this past week. Maybe I miss the team sports I participated in all through high school and college. Or maybe I just am lucky to be stuck in a van for 28 hours with some really great folks,doing what we love and making a few more great memories along the way.
But aside from the sleep deprivation...what an amazing weekend! As I mentioned briefly in my last post, Reach the Beach, is an approximately 200 mile team relay race. Between 6-12 teammates run 36 consecutive, predetermined legs. For my team of 12, that meant running 3 times over the course of what would end up being approximately 28 hours. It means running through the night with headlamps, sleeping on van seats and sealing my sweaty clothes in zip lock bags to keep the rest of my gear dry and odor-free. I have been fortunate enough to run the race with many of the same people from the Run for the Memory program the previous 2 times I have participated. We also use the event as a fundraiser. (You can still make a donation by clicking here!)
This year, I was excited to have Brenna, Laura, Dale, Dale and Scott in my van. I have shared a van with "the Dales" for all 3 of my RTBs and I couldn't imagine it any other way. Dale Bob implemented a rule years ago that each runner has to do push ups after completing his/her leg. And we're all crazy enough to oblige. Do you get the idea of what our van was like?
I was a bit disappointed earlier in the week to learn Hurricane Irene made part of the course un-runnable and the re-routing cut my first leg of the run by over 6 miles. My cumulative total for the race which was supposed to be just under 16 miles, would instead be just under 9. As she has many times, Laura came to my rescue. She was looking to shorten her run for the weekend and volunteered to trade legs. I was pleased to now be running 15.8 miles for the race, but upon looking at the elevation maps for my legs, reassessed my excitement. Ah well, the entire course is hilly. It's not really possible to escape a few good climbs, and plus it makes all the regular hills I run at home seem like speed bumps.
Our team took off just before 10:00am on Friday morning. I have never left Cannon Mountain for the start of this race while the sun was shining and this year was no different, alternating between rain and mist. I was runner #4 and had some time to prep before it was my turn. My first run was 3.8 miles. The first 3 were fine, some hills, but nothing ridiculous. The last .8 was the exact opposite. Short, steep climbs that I could not see because they were around corners. And on grass. Wet grass. That last .8 was considerably slower than the rest of my run. Still, I passed 2 people.
My second leg began at 11:00pm. Wearing my fancy new headlamp, I still hate running in the middle of the night. But it makes me run faster (the dark, not the headlamp). I guess that's good because this was also my hilliest run. 6.5 miles with 2 hills approximately a mile long and steep with some smaller hills in between. I knew they were coming though and got through them. It was by far my slowest run, but not bad given even mountain goats were having trouble with the course. Passed 6, passed by 1.
Leg 3 was by far my favorite. Yes, it was mostly downhill, but after 20+ hours in the van, I was stiff, tired and recovering from an earlier unhappy stomach. But somehow, I felt great as I left the starting area at about 10:00am. 5.5 miles and I was actually running, not jogging or shuffling! I finished with my fastest pace, passing 8 along the way and getting passed twice. After my van finished running, we drove to Hampton Beach to meet our final runner from Van 2, Nicolle as she scorched the sand and crossed the finish line together as a team.
While the weekend may sound crazy, even to me, it continues to be, by far one of the most fun events in which I take part. I continue to laugh at the jokes that took place in the van and along the sides of the road, and shared in a few follow up emails among my teammates this past week. Maybe I miss the team sports I participated in all through high school and college. Or maybe I just am lucky to be stuck in a van for 28 hours with some really great folks,doing what we love and making a few more great memories along the way.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
A+ Training week
I'm not one to brag, but this week was probably the best training week I have had, maybe ever. Really. I think the holiday last Monday put things off to a good start. It all began with a track workout where I managed to hit all my splits, despite dancing around an unusually large number of geese who periodically wandered off the infield and onto the track. I ran home only to take a quick shower, that was pretty pointless and go sweat it out a bit at yoga. It was a nice treat to make it to the 9:30 class led by my favorite omgal, Rebecca.
After some cross training on Tuesday, Wednesday's plan was for a 6 mile fartlek workout. Pressed for time and with rain pouring outside, I admit I did this workout on the treadmill. It was no less painful, I promise. But 48 minutes later, I had done it. I stuck to my paces and did not get thrown from the treadmill trying. Success! I also identified my new least favorite workout.
Thursday was an easy 6 miler. I'm sad our days are so much shorter now. Seeing the darkness outside my window when my alarm goes off makes it a bit tougher to get up now. But I made it, and to my pleasant surprise, it had stopped raining. Or so I thought. By the end of my first mile it was drizzling and by the end of 2, it was full out raining. By mile 4, I'd call it pouring. But it was actually kind of fun, and at that point, I really didn't have much choice but to run home. Later that night, I was fortunate to be able to make it home in time for my second yoga class of the week that night, stretching out all that was still tight and sore from that darn fartlek run.
Saturday was a short long run with the last 8 at my half marathon race pace. Running with pal Brenna, we changed up all our usual routes, starting in Cambridge, heading to the Charles and then running up Comm Ave, through the Boston Common and back. It was quite a pretty run, and not nearly as crowded along the sidewalks as I would have imagined. My legs felt really heavy to start, and never felt great, but I hit my 8 miles at race pace much more comfortably than I had run 6 miles at this pace a few weeks back.
The BAA Half Marathon is now less than 4 weeks away. This week was a huge confidence builder that I can run this race well and I'm really looking forward to it. Before that though is Reach the Beach next weekend, where I'll run approximately 15 miles over 28 or so hours, fueled by peanut butter and jelly and little to no sleep. Once again, I'll be running with a team of friends from the Run for the Memory program, and raising money and awareness for the Alzheimer's Association. My goal is to raise $400 for this event, and if you'd like to help me reach this goal, you can donate here.
After some cross training on Tuesday, Wednesday's plan was for a 6 mile fartlek workout. Pressed for time and with rain pouring outside, I admit I did this workout on the treadmill. It was no less painful, I promise. But 48 minutes later, I had done it. I stuck to my paces and did not get thrown from the treadmill trying. Success! I also identified my new least favorite workout.
Thursday was an easy 6 miler. I'm sad our days are so much shorter now. Seeing the darkness outside my window when my alarm goes off makes it a bit tougher to get up now. But I made it, and to my pleasant surprise, it had stopped raining. Or so I thought. By the end of my first mile it was drizzling and by the end of 2, it was full out raining. By mile 4, I'd call it pouring. But it was actually kind of fun, and at that point, I really didn't have much choice but to run home. Later that night, I was fortunate to be able to make it home in time for my second yoga class of the week that night, stretching out all that was still tight and sore from that darn fartlek run.
Saturday was a short long run with the last 8 at my half marathon race pace. Running with pal Brenna, we changed up all our usual routes, starting in Cambridge, heading to the Charles and then running up Comm Ave, through the Boston Common and back. It was quite a pretty run, and not nearly as crowded along the sidewalks as I would have imagined. My legs felt really heavy to start, and never felt great, but I hit my 8 miles at race pace much more comfortably than I had run 6 miles at this pace a few weeks back.
The BAA Half Marathon is now less than 4 weeks away. This week was a huge confidence builder that I can run this race well and I'm really looking forward to it. Before that though is Reach the Beach next weekend, where I'll run approximately 15 miles over 28 or so hours, fueled by peanut butter and jelly and little to no sleep. Once again, I'll be running with a team of friends from the Run for the Memory program, and raising money and awareness for the Alzheimer's Association. My goal is to raise $400 for this event, and if you'd like to help me reach this goal, you can donate here.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Hello old friend, it's been a while...
Today, I decided to run my long run on the hills of Newton along Comm Ave and Washington Street in Newton/Wellesley. I'm pretty sure I have not run these hills since the marathon. However, with the BAA Half Marathon and its rolling hills just 5 weeks away, it was time to stop running flatter courses.
I'm not sure why I decided today was a good day to come back to the hills. I had a 10 mile run with 6 miles at 10K pace in the middle. Sure, I'll run hills for the first time in months and it will be fine to run them harder than my typical long run pace. Good idea.
Actually, it wasn't so bad. It helped tremendously that the weather was um, awesome. Sunny, but a nice breeze that made even a headwind feel nice. It didn't stop me from sweating like a running faucet though.
Slightly intimidated by the tempo portion of my run, I did plan my route so that my first fast miles were down hill. Smart decision or not, I'm not sure. I felt great the first mile and good miles 2 and 3. Mile 4 was more difficult and Mile 5 landed me running up not-called-Grossman's-Hill-anymore hill.* I won't lie, I did not hit my split for that mile. But I'm glad I ran it because a) I have a pace to beat next time and b) I then got to run down it for my last fast mile.
I coasted back to my car for my last 2 miles at a very comfortable pace. I was happy to be done, sweaty, but not dead tired. This possibly means I could have run those middle miles a bit harder. But nonetheless, I ran the 10 miles faster than I would have for a training run, hopefully preparing me for the half in a few weeks.
While I may have needed a little space following the marathon, I think the hills and I can be friends again. See you next week, pal.
*Not-called-Grossman's-Hill-anymore hill is a .4 mile hill in Wellesley/Newton Lower Falls along Washington Street where Grossman's Lumber used to be. I've been corrected for still referring to it as Grossman's hill, but as it is still the way I identify that hill, I have altered it's name slightly until the construction of the new store in that location is completed.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Just breathe
If I can think of one good thing to say about winter, it's that it is better to get sick in the winter than the summer. OK, Christmas is pretty good too.
This week, I was hit with the dreadful "summer cold". It started with a tickle in my throat Monday night and by Wednesday I was at CVS stocking up on decongestants and cough drops. So it was unfortunate for me that I had the 4th Charles River summer series race Thursday night. I'd had a few good runs in a row earlier that week and was hopeful the race would go well.
As I've been having some issues with my Garmin recently, when it started to drizzle during my warm up, I decided to make a quick switch to my regular watch before the race began. In the past, when my Garmin has gotten wet, it has on occasion taken on a mind of its own, showing me the screens it wants, and often not the ones I want to see. So I opted for the sure thing. The miles aren't marked in this race, so I tried to listen for the sounds of Garmins around me to know when I hit approximately each mile.
Mile 1 went ok and I felt fine. Slowly, however, my breathing became labored and I felt like I was working harder, but running slower. My legs wanted to run faster, but I was sucking wind at the pace I was running. So I finished about a minute slower than last month, running 31:57 (which is somewhat debatable, given the back up of folks at the finish line). A bit disappointing, but without making excuses, I knew I didn't feel great that night.
Saturday was my next run. My schedule called for 14 miles - easy for the first 12 and then hard the last 2. I had started feeling better Friday night, so I hoped the cold was working its way out. But after 4 miles, I was feeling winded and I was running slower than I usually do. I made it through my easy 12. The last 2 miles were definitely difficult, but unfortunately, not because I was running all that fast. I still ran those last 2 miles about 1 minute/mile faster than the first 12, but my effort felt like I should have been running a lot faster. About 1/2 hour after my run, my legs did not feel very sore or tired at all, and I knew I could have run faster.
Sunday, hurricane/tropical storm Irene encouraged me to take a much needed couch day to recover from this cold and a busy few weeks in general. By the way, if you have not read Tina Fey's book, Bossypants, it is laugh-out-loud funny and part of the reason I stayed on the couch so long on Sunday. This morning I woke up and had a great run. I'm still a little "stuffy", but hopefully on my way to breathing through my nose again soon! I guess this week I needed to stop and catch my breath.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Right…so that’s what training feels like again…
I finally did it. It took me about 3 ½ months after training for Boston to feel ready to be on a real training schedule again. But last week I took the plunge and started back at it. The BAA Half Marathon on October 9 is my next long race and I’d rather be ready for it than not. So here we go again.
Hills, track workouts, goal pace runs. How did I feel this week? Well, tired, sore, frustrated, hungry, oh, and really sweaty during all these workouts. But also really proud after each one. I figured the first 2-3 weeks are going to be tough. OK, the next 7 weeks are going to be tough, who am I kidding. I’ve become really comfortable with my nice 8:20 pace. And that would be great if I was training for a marathon with a goal of running 3:40:00 this fall. But I’m not. And while it has been nice to run when and how I have wanted the last few months, I’m also getting a little bored.
Jumping right into runs with miles at 35-75 seconds faster than those previous runs takes some physical and mental adjustments. So I tried to cut myself some slack for not being where I want to be, while also pushing through each workout this week. And to be honest, for the most part, I met the goals of each run. Where I didn’t, I have something to aim for in the upcoming weeks.
Tonight was 6 miles with 12x400 on the track. Just the number 12 frightened me, never mind that it was to be run at 5K pace. I procrastinated starting my workout. I reset my alarm after it went off this morning, convincing myself that I'd run better in the evening, and I should get some extra sleep. I eventually made it out. The track is different at 6:30pm versus 6:30am. I dodged several scooters, dogs and footballs that made their way across the infield and onto the track. However, despite a bit of a slow warm-up, I actually did my 12x400, and a bit better than I had expected.
Last Wednesday, I also began a run club at the Whole Foods in Newtonville. As they prepare for their 5K on September 18, several mix1 has partnered with several Whole Foods locations to help folks train, or just find a new place and group to run with. Although the group was small, it was nice to run with some folks I have not seen in a while. A big thanks to Ellen and Amy for joining the run. I’m hoping over the next few Wednesdays a few more folks will be tempted to join me, either for the new route, good company, free mix1 or great prepared foods section at Whole Foods for a post-run dinner.
Monday, August 15, 2011
A good head on my shoulders
Well, not great, but not bad. I finished in 55:55, according to my watch and I'm pretty sure the race clock was not more than 16 seconds off. So I can say pretty confidently, at least unofficially, I did not beat my time from 2008.
The not great: I have felt really good the last 2 weeks and just expected I would feel good again yesterday. But even during my warm up, I felt a bit sluggish. I was just missing a "bounce" that I was hoping my excitement for the race itself would have helped foster. As a result, I just could not get my legs moving any faster than they were.
The not bad: Although it was not my fastest day, my race was not a total loss. The start was way more crowded than I had remembered and despite that I ran a 7:50 first mile. 7:48 was Mile 2 and I started to slow after that. After running 8:07 for Mile 5, I decided there was still time to salvage the race. Rather than throw in the towel, I picked it back up for 7:58 and 7:52 in the last 2 miles. My mid-run dip is always my challenge and so despite not having the legs I wanted yesterday, at least my head was there.
The good: The Run for the Memory Program is a charity partner with the New Balance Falmouth Road Race and we had 18 teammates running in purple singlets yesterday. I did not fundraise for the event, but those who did have raised almost $30,000 so far.
It was also great to see a few RaceMenu teammates, Greg at the start and Tyler at mile 6. And I swear the final "go Chrissy!" from Kathleen and Shannon just before the finish propelled me to run the last 1/10 of a mile at 6:08 pace (where were those legs earlier?!)
So I'm not super girl, and I can't run a PR every race this summer, just because I'm generally in better shape than a few years ago. But I'm working out those kinks. If in the meantime, I can also keep my head in the race when I need to, I'm achieving some new kinds of personal bests.
The not bad: Although it was not my fastest day, my race was not a total loss. The start was way more crowded than I had remembered and despite that I ran a 7:50 first mile. 7:48 was Mile 2 and I started to slow after that. After running 8:07 for Mile 5, I decided there was still time to salvage the race. Rather than throw in the towel, I picked it back up for 7:58 and 7:52 in the last 2 miles. My mid-run dip is always my challenge and so despite not having the legs I wanted yesterday, at least my head was there.
The good: The Run for the Memory Program is a charity partner with the New Balance Falmouth Road Race and we had 18 teammates running in purple singlets yesterday. I did not fundraise for the event, but those who did have raised almost $30,000 so far.
It was also great to see a few RaceMenu teammates, Greg at the start and Tyler at mile 6. And I swear the final "go Chrissy!" from Kathleen and Shannon just before the finish propelled me to run the last 1/10 of a mile at 6:08 pace (where were those legs earlier?!)
So I'm not super girl, and I can't run a PR every race this summer, just because I'm generally in better shape than a few years ago. But I'm working out those kinks. If in the meantime, I can also keep my head in the race when I need to, I'm achieving some new kinds of personal bests.
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