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.  

  

Applecrest Half Marathon

This morning I ran the Applecrest Half Marathon.  It was a perfect fall day for a race.  The course started and finished at Applecrest Farm, which was beautiful.  I am so excited fall is here.  It's my favorite season by far.

goofy face. trying to pin my number on.
one of the hardest parts of racing.

PUMPKINS!

Where's waldo? 

Honestly, I didn't have much of a plan for this race.  I didn't have a goal time in mind.  I didn't have paces running through my head I wanted to see.  I just wanted to run the race for the experience and to enjoy it.  I have been racing a lot lately, including a hilly 10 miler last weekend.  I was hoping my legs would be recovered enough for what I thought was a flat course.  I guess I missed this on the website:

"The course is moderately hilly but doable for just about any runner or walker."  ooops!  No clue where I got the idea that this course was flat.  I was in for a rude awakening when I started running.

What I looked at on the website and thought...that doesn't look bad.

What I should have looked at.  Good old New England. 

Had I expected a hilly course I would have approached the race a little differently.  My small goal was to keep a consistent pace and not crash at the end.  Spoiler alert, I crashed on the last 3 miles.  Usually, no matter how much I struggle during a race, I am able to push for the last half mile or so for a strong finish.  The finish line for this course was at the top of a very unwelcomed hill.  There was no pushing.  Only dragging my feet.  BUT I did better than my last disaster of a half marathon, which was also a small goal for today, so I have to be happy with that.

I know I have said this a few times before, but this all is really still very much a learning process for me.  I have been able to take something good away from every race, even if the race itself wasn't the best.  Today I learned that my legs aren't ready to handle two hilly distance races two weekends in a row.  I felt the best I have felt in a long time during last weekend's 10 miler.  However, this weekend was a different story.  My legs just weren't having it after 8 miles.

Official time: 1:53:57.  

Not close to a PR, but not close to my worst either.  It was a beautiful day, a beautiful course, and I have a lot to take away and think about from today.  I'd say that's a win in my mind.  

love me some pumpkins

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Jamestown Half Marathon Recap

The Good

The race was in Rhode Island, which meant I was able to drive down the night before and stay with my dad and stepmom who I haven't seen in a while.  Friday afternoon I packed my bags and headed down to RI.  I stopped and picked up my number before going to my dad's house.  They cooked a delicious dinner of gluten free spaghetti and meatballs.

When I don't know what to wear,
I bring almost my entire wardrobe.

missed it 

The start time.  The race started, or was supposed to start at 6:30am.  The temperature at that time was around 70 degrees or a little under.  With the heat we've been having in NH, this sounded like a welcomed change.

The location.  The race was on an island off of Newport.  It started and finished with views of the water and one of the many bridges in RI.  

taken from the window of the bus

Thanks, dad, wasn't quite ready.
Not sure what my hand is doing.

crappy picture,
but this is where we lined up for the start

The first 6 miles.  I felt good for about the first 6 miles.  I was running between an 8 and 8:15 pace, which I was happy with.  I was even complimented by a man for how good my form was and that I "made it look effortless."  I didn't quite feel that way, but it's the first time anyone has commented on the way that I run.  Thanks, dude!

The Bad

Poor organization.  Parking was not allowed on the island where the race was, so we had to park in a large parking lot just over the bridge and were shuttled over to the start of the race.  Thank God I picked up my number the night before, because when we arrived just before 6am, there was a line of at least 100 people waiting to get theirs.  There was also a very large line for the porta potties.  Over 1500 runners = more porta potties...always more porta potties.    

Late start.  The last shuttle was supposed to leave at 6:15, and the race was supposed to start at 6:30.  Well, at 6:15 there was still a very large number of people waiting in line for their numbers.  When I arrived at the start before 6:30, there was an announcement that we needed to wait for a few more busses and the race would start about 10-15 minutes late.  A half hour later, the gun went off right around 7:00.  

Water please?! When I crossed the finish line of the race, dying of thirst, I expected there to be a nice person standing there with a water bottle for me to take.  Yeah, no, not exactly.  Instead I had to continue to walk through the sea of people searching for some water to drink.  Finally, maybe 50 yards passed the finish line I found some on the side of the road under a tent.  Later while waiting in line for the busses to go back to the parking lot, I hear 2 girls behind me commenting on their same annoying search for a bottle of water.  

The Ugly

The humidity.  I hate to keep talking about this, but it's something that really affects me, and has all my life.  I sweat a lot on a cool, dry day...never mind a hot and humid day.  Even though the temperature throughout the race remained in the low 70's, the humidity was between 90-95%.  I felt the effects of this pretty quickly.  I usually don't need to stop at many water stops, if any, during a half marathon.  I stopped at almost every one during this race.

The awkward smirk is because I saw my dad and stepmom.
In my head I was thinking when the hell is this going to end?! 

The hills.  For some reason when I looked at the elevation chart, I didn't think it would be to bad.  I was wrong.  Very, very wrong.  I mean, it looks hilly, but it only goes up about 100ft total...so I thought no big deal.  It was a big deal.  Those hills were not a good time.  That one big lump around mile 6 is what did me in.  Then, from about mile 9.5-11.5 I repeated the words "are you f'ing kidding me" in my head many times.  It sucked.  I was not prepared for a course that hilly.  

I left this race feeling pretty defeated.  My time was over 12 min slower than my last half marathon.  I walked.  I wanted to scream.  It was not ideal.  But after having a couple of days to digest what happened, I am once again determined and ready to do better at the next one.  There are many what's ifs about this race that I'll never know the answer to.  So, maybe that means it's not worth getting upset over.  

If nothing else, I have another half marathon to add to the list.  I'm happy I did the race, and that should be what matters.  This race definitely was not about the time, it was about the experience, and what I can learn from it.