catching up

Where did January go? I feel like I ask myself that question at the end (or beginning) of every month these days. It's been almost a month since I've posted anything, so here's a little recap of the year so far. 

January started off well. I was getting through most of my workouts and hitting the planned paces. I was feeling stronger and ready to race a 10k on the 25th. We had gotten some snow in the days leading up to the race, so the plan was to see what the conditions were like and if it was safe I was gunning for that PR. I got to the race early enough to get my bib and run a 1-2 mile warm up. The roads were a little slushy, but didn't seem icy. My legs and mind were in the right place and I was ready to go. 

go time

The plan was to go out for the first couple miles around 7:50-8. Then to work my way down from there. I felt strong from the start and miles were flying by. 

Mile 1: 7:50

Miles 2: 8:01

Mile 3: 7:52

When I approached the mile marker for mile 3 I noticed it said mile 4. Obviously I was confused. I assumed there must have just been some mistake and I tried not to focus on it too much. But then when I got to mile 4, the marker said 5. Now I was really unsure of what was going on. There had been no indication that the course had been changed. I knew I hadn't made a wrong turn so I had no idea what to think or what to do. So I kept running. 

Mile 4: 7:54

Mile 5: 7:40

A woman was standing near the mile marker at mile 5, which actually said mile 6. She yelled to me that I was almost to the finish. I asked her if they had changed the course and she put her hands up and said no, the finish is right up there. At this point I was frustrated, but still really confused. As I turned the last corner a guy who had finished was walking towards me and said something like you can give it all you got, the finish is right there. I could tell there was some frustration in his voice and expression as well. 

the finish line in sight...a mile sooner than expected

Final 0.2: 1:13 (7:11 pace) 

Finish time: 40:30 for 5.2 miles

When I crossed the finish line I could hear others who had finished before me questioning what happened.  The volunteers seemed clueless as well. I honestly thought there had somehow been an error when measuring the course and somehow an entire mile was missed. I couldn't think of any other explanation since no one had said anything about a change, and no once seemed to have any insight. I left feeling extremely annoyed because based on my time I was well within reach of a big 10k PR (current PR is 49:08). I was also frustrated because had I known I would only have been running 5.2 miles that day I would have changed my race plan accordingly and probably could have had a much better result. 

clearly annoyed

I emailed the race director when I got home, which I never do but I wanted her to be aware of what happened if she didn't know, and also wanted to know what the hell happened if she did! She informed me that apparently the police had changed the course at the very last minute due to icy conditions. I understand safety is number one, but it's really unfortunate that no one bothered to tell the runners at any point. It's still a bit of a sore spot for me. I'll definitely be looking for another 10k this spring so I can get my redemption. 

Since that race I've had a few setbacks that include something funky happening to my back after getting off the couch during the first of many snow storms we've been pummeled with in Boston. The other fun setback has been the snow. After taking a few extra days off to let my back get its shit together I spent a couple days running in the snow before breaking down and getting a gym membership so I could have access to a treadmill. 

had to put the snow tires on my Hokas

the first snow storm was fun...
every foot of snow since then, not so much

So I guess that about sums up the past few weeks. It looks like Boston will be under a blanket of snow for months to come at this point, so I'm trying to enjoy get through the treadmill runs until it's safe enough to return to the roads. 

Is it spring yet? 

BAA 10K

This morning I ran my first BAA race, the 10K. It was an absolutely beautiful sunny summer morning in Boston. I went to the race and ran it alone. I signed up a couple months ago because I wanted to do another 10K and running in Boston is something I love very much. It was a race a really wanted to do, even if it meant going solo.

BAA had mailed out bibs, and even though I informed them of my recent address change, I didn't receive mine before the race. So I left my house an hour an a half before the start so I could hopefully find a place to park and pick up a new bib. I was kind of bummed I didn't get to have my name on my bib, but I guess there could've been a lot worse things to happen. It took less than 20 minutes to get to the city (have I mentioned how much I love living here?!). I was planning to pay and park in a parking garage, but instead I scored a free spot on the street. I walked over to the common to get my bib and scope out the scene. There weren't many people there yet, so I took advantage, grabbed my tshirt and used the porta potty while there was no line. I still had about an hour to kill, so I figured I would walk back to my car and drop off most of my stuff. I wanted to keep moving my legs so they didn't get stiff.

Feeling like a tourist taking all the pictures. I just love Boston. 

walking down Commonwealth Ave,
my favorite street, and part of the course 

After dropping most of my stuff off, I went back to the common to check the rest of my gear, use the porta potty again, and get ready to line up at the start. Side note: finally a race with enough porta potties for the amount of people! 8,000 runners and I don't think I waited in line more than a minute. Well done, BAA. Shortly after I returned, there was an announcement that we should start lining up in the corral based on our projected paces. They had a pulsed start, where each different pace group started a couple of minutes apart. The 8:00 and under started at 8:03, and then the 8-9 min group at 8:07, and so on. There were actually people with ropes separating the different paces. I thought this was great, although of course not everyone complied. I had to dodge a few walkers within the first mile. 

my nameless bib

another view down Comm Ave
the course went down one side and back on the other

Leading up to this race I was pretty anxious for a couple of reasons. I didn't have the best of weeks last week. I was sick last weekend, missed a long run, and felt off while running for the first half of the week. Because of that I had no idea what to expect from this race, but I knew I would give it my all regardless. The second reason was that my favorite west coaster convinced me to run the race without my watch. While I enjoy some long runs without my garmin, I haven't raced without one in years. It scared the hell out of me. But I made a promise, and we agreed that this was the time to do it since I really didn't know what state my body would be in. I knew there would be clocks at every mile, but I didn't know at what time I crossed the starting line. I ran based on how my body felt, not constrained by the numbers on my watch. It was scary, but an eye opening experience.

We started on Charles St in between the common and the public garden, headed down Commonwealth Ave, passed Boston University, then up a couple (bigger than I was expecting) hills, did a U turn, and ran back on the other side of the road, finishing where we started. I loved it. I'm pretty sure this is the first race I have ran with elite runners leading the field. Stephen Sambu (27:25...holy crap!) of Kenya and Mamitu Daska (31:04...holy crap!) of Ethiopia both won for the second year in a row and ran the fastest times in the world this year. It was so fun seeing them on the other side of the road flying by me. Seeing their pain faces and realizing everyone hurts while running a race gave me the strength to keep pushing forward. 

The last mile was definitely a struggle. It was hot. I walked through a couple water stops to drink some water and dump some on my head. I reminded myself not to fight the pain but to embrace it. The last mile felt like forever. I kept pushing with everything I had at that point. When I crossed the finish line I saw 50:49 on the clock. I knew that wasn't my official time, but I had no idea how much under that I would be. I went in to this race originally hoping to finish under 49 minutes, but with the events of the week prior, I would have been happy with anything close to my PR at the time. I thought it would be close, but really I had no idea.

not the elusive unicorn medal,
but my first unicorn medal nonetheless 

After the race I wandered around for a bit looking for the results. I was told they would be posted online. I decided to go back to my car and attempt to change my clothes. Thanks to Ragnar Cape Cod, I am now a pro at stealthily changing in the car. I managed to do just that in the middle of Boston (sorry mom). I walked back to the common, watched the awards, and then wandered around the city for a while. I should mention I was also obsessively checking my phone to see if the results had been posted. They hadn't. 

this just never gets old (for me at least)

I finally made my way back home, and over 3 hrs after I finished running, the results were finally posted. Official result: 49:08 and a new PR! Naturally, my first instinct was to be annoyed I was so close to breaking 49 minutes and didn't. The walks through the water stops popped in to my head. If only I hadn't done this or that, or maybe I could have pushed a little more... But I had to stop myself. In all honestly, I wasn't expecting to PR today with the way I was feeling last weekend and throughout most of the week. I went out there and I ran as hard as I could, without a watch, and put my heart in to it. There were many places where I started to doubt myself and I felt like I wanted to walk or slow down more, and I didn't. I pushed myself. I honestly feel like I gave it all I had in that race... So really, what more could I have asked of myself today? I'd say the BAA 10K was a success and I'm proud of the way that I ran. 

a new 10k PR

On Sunday, April 6, I ran only my second 10k.  I've decided really love this distance and want to find more 10k's to run asap.  I'm pretty sure about an hour after the race I was already saying I want to run another one NOW.  I had been looking forward to this race because I ran it last year and, in all honesty, I was excited to try to beat my time.  I had a pretty disastrous first race  of 2014, so I was ready for redemption.  Training had been feeling much stronger lately than at the start of the year, and I was ready to give it my all.

The race didn't start until 1pm.  It's always strange not racing first thing in the morning, but I enjoyed knowing I could sleep without an alarm set, and being able to take my time getting ready.  Plus an added bonus was that my super speedy friend, Monica, on the west coast was also running a 10k that started at 10am.

10am west coast = 1pm east coast.  Perfect!

Sunday morning started just like any other race morning.  Get up, make coffee, make Nuun, sit on the couch, drink said coffee and Nuun, catch up on twitter, make breakfast consisting of a gluten free bagel w/ peanut butter, nutella, and a banana on top, sit on the couch some more, stretch, foam roll, and make multiple bathroom trips in between.  Around 11:45 I was ready to head to race with my chauffeur and head cheerleader, Ryan. 

<3

We headed out the door with what I thought was everything I needed.  I made the comment, I need to be there by 12:30 to get my number so...uh...step on it.  A few minutes later it hit me.  I forgot my watch.  Cue freakout.  OMG I forgot my watch, I need my watch, what am I going to do, tears, AHH.  Ryan was on it, we got off the highway, banged a u-turn and were on our way back.  I grabbed my watch and we were on our way again.  Deep breaths.  Ryan helped me calm down and refocus.  Everything would be fine.

We got to the race at exactly 12:30.  Ryan dropped me off so I could grab my number and he went to park the car.  I got my number, found Ryan, and had plenty of time to spare.  Few.  My mom and brother also came down to cheer me on.  We found them and it was time to go shortly after.  I lined up somewhere between the front and the middle of the pack.  There was a 5k and 10k option for this race (as well as walkers), so I was trying to decide where to go so I could pace myself for the 10k but also not get trapped somewhere in the back.  

 being weird as usual

I was really hoping to finish this race under 49 min.  I felt like I was capable (and still do).  I started out strong and on pace to finish where I had hoped.  I felt strong through the first half and was ready to fight for it.  Unfortunately, the last mile decided to give me a good kick in the butt.  The wind was strong and the hills slowly wore me down.  

Mile 1: 7:44

Mile 2: 7:50

Mile 3: 8:02

Mile 4: 7:56

Mile 5: 8:02

Mile 6: 8:16

Last 0.2: no idea, I forgot to stop my watch when I crossed finish line.  This is becoming a bad habit. 

I crossed the finish line at 49:32.  I didn't break 49 that day, but I did finish with a new PR.  

I think it's easier to be disappointed with yourself than it is to be proud.  Initially was I disappointed?  Sure.  I so wanted to cross that finish line and see 48:xx.  But I didn't.  Instead I saw 49:32, which was 17 seconds fast than last year.  Yes, I wanted more, but ultimately I wanted to run faster than I did last year, and I did.  I am proud of myself for that.  I am making progress, and I know I still have the potential to run faster.  

Some take aways from Sunday: 

• I didn't give up.  There was more than one time in that last mile or so that I wanted to stop.  I wanted to walk.  I was hurting.  Bad.  I didn't stop, I didn't give up, and I didn't walk.  I didn't finish it as fast as I had hoped, but I kept pushing even though I was in pain.  That in itself is a huge accomplishment for me. 
• I am not exactly in what I would consider the best shape.  I put on some lbs over the winter months that I am still struggling to get rid of.  Even with the added weight, I still managed to run faster than I did last year.
• Training over the past couple months has exactly been all rainbows and butterflies.  Only in the past few weeks have I really started to feel like myself again, which gives me hope that more good things are to come.  
• My average pace was 7:59.  If you had told me a year ago I would be running races of any distance with an average pace of 7:xx I probably wouldn't have believed you.  Now, my 5k and 10k PR average paces are under 8 min/mile.    
• I experienced a runners high on Sunday like I haven't felt in a while.  I walked away saying I love running and feeling like my race fire was re-ignited.  I felt like over the winter I lost it a little, but with the return of the warmer sunshine and a better race under my belt, my confidence and drive have been restored.

Most importantly, I must always remember this quote from Kara Goucher that I love so much and holds very true in this case.  "Don't try to rush progress.  Remember - a step forward, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction.  Keep believing."  

I am making progress, and I will keep believing that I can do great things.  

  

take me to the races

**First of all, I really want to sincerely thank everyone for their support and encouragement following my last post.  It really means so much to me and has given me extra motivation to keep training and believing.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.**

As I've said in a couple of my previous posts, my love for racing has grown tremendously this year.  I'm not sure what took me so long to catch the bug, but I'm glad I finally caught it.  I've been a competitive person my whole life.  I competed for 13 years in gymnastics, played softball throughout middle school and high school, played soccer, and even swam for a couple of summers.  I am a competitive person by nature wether it be in a sporting event, or a yard game while enjoying some cold beverages.  For some reason though, when I began running a few years ago, I never fully embraced the competitive aspect.  I enjoyed running a marathon, and a few half marathons, but that was about it.  I never ran races to prove anything.  I ran them just to run them.

Enter 2013.  I caught the bug.  Completely and totally 100%.  I love running races.  So far this year I have completed 4: the Merrimack Sparkler 5K , the Nashua Soup Kitchen 10K, Boston's Run to Remember Half Marathon, and the Jamestown Half Marathon.  I learned so much about what I am capable of (and not) from each one.  There were many ups and downs, but I left each one wanting more.  As of right now I have 4 more on the schedule for this year, but I have a feeling more will be added.

Thursday, August 8th, I am running my second 5K in Manchester, NH.  I'm not sure yet how I feel about the 5K.  I think I like it, but that opinion is based on only one 5K.  I finished the one I ran this year thinking I could run faster than 23:58.  On Thursday, my goal is a new PR.

August 18th I am going to test out my trail legs.  I am running my first trail race in Nashua, NH.  It's a 10 mile race on a trail I have casually run on a few times.  I am super excited to give this one a try.  My goal for this race is to make it to the finish without falling on my face, or in the water, multiple times.  Pretty high expectations, I think. 

September 8th I am running another half marathon in North Hampton, NH.  This will be my third half marathon of the year to bring the grand total to 8.  My most recent half last month was a bit of a disaster.  My goal is to not go out too fast, so I don't crash and burn at the end.

On October 13th I am running my second marathon in Newport, RI.  I am both nervous and extremely excited about this.  For a while I said I probably wouldn't run another full marathon.  When I ran the first one it was shortly after I began running and it was brutal.  It took a long time to forget the pain, and I happily settled on running half marathons.  I always said the half distance was enough to be a challenge, but not enough to kill you.  Well, I am now ready for the killer challenge again.  Ultimately my big goal is to BQ.  However, I think that might be a little ambitious for this year, which means I will be running more marathons in the future.  My goal for this marathon is to break 4 hrs.  Based on my training so far, I believe I can do it.    

So, that's what my race calendar looks like as of now for the rest of the year.  I'm looking forward to running each race, and seeing what happens!   

What races are on your schedule?