Race Report: Braves 5K

Saturday
Braves 5K

Goals
10% - PR
50% - Repeat PR of 26:46
90% - Under 30


Result

Wahoooooooo!  (Official: 26:25 / 8:30 average pace)

About this run
I didn't know how to feel in the morning.  The "Con" weighing heaviest on my mind was last Thursday's 5K at Pubix/Westside with Kyle.  I kept that short run "easy" at ~10:00, with very little 'racing' / hard effort.  It didn't FEEL easy or by choice, though, because of the hills and 85+ degree weather!  When Kyle pushed at the end for a fast finish, I didn't even bat an eyelash; just kept that steady pace right to the end.  Usually, a little sparing will get me going.  Not this time.

The other fact that kept popping into my brain : my last 5K resulted in a SERIOUS PR, and that required a pacer (what my friends have since labelled an: illegal drug. lol).  Could I come even CLOSE to that time by myself???

One thing that calmed me was hearing someone else put the feeling to words.  I asked how she was doing this morning.  She said:  "I'm nervous."  Plain and simple.  Yes, we know we're not winning, yes we know its silly, but point blank, we get nervous anyway.  It happens, and I can acknowledge it and move on without needing to dwell on it.  So I too accept it.  It means I care.

The wait is over!  Time to boogie!  More and more often, without planning for it, I am surrounded by friends and familiar faces at the start corrals.   So awesome.

This race went by QUICK!  In part, I can thank the person right behind me in the picture up above.  She ran real steady (but fast steady) out of the corral, and before I knew it, I was on her left hip.  This did wonders for me.  For a moment, I wondered what the etiquette on this is .. are you allowed to just pick someone to stay with / draft off without arrangement, lol?? or are you just annoying them and killing their own race vibes?  But as soon as she noticed I was sticking with her, she gave me a few tips of encouragement, and I could feel the love. :) I kept her comment of: "you're holding this pace great" with me for a good long time after we parted ways closer to mile 2.  The first time I thought to seriously look at my watch, I was already at .68.  For a 5K, that's like .. almost there, baby!

I knew the second half of this race was tougher, and for me the middle mile(s) of any race are all about steady hard effort.  Luckily, even after I lost the side-by-side companion, I had the "out in front of me" companion/target for maybe another mile or so.  That was focus, for sure.

Unfortunately, something I did on the hydration/fuel front was MAJORLY off.  I don't carry hydration for races this short, and had been instead sipping gator-aide all morning.  It should have been fine.  But right around this point, my tongue turned into a caterpillar. Fortunately, one: I was up in B corral to start, where people congestion at stops is lower, and runners are pretty efficient at the grab and go, if they even grab anything.  And, two: I had read an article that just a small swig of water, while it can't "correct" de-hydration, can at least stave off the body's effects, by telling the brain something like: its okay, we're okay, we're going to get water, see?  No problems swishing around enough water in my mouth to knock the problem out for the whole rest of the race.  Elephant's feather or not, it worked.

Someone had told me they'd probably be pacing this positive-ish.  For me, the pacing strategy on a 5K is almost always: fast, steady, fast:

I'm getting better at this pacing thing! ;)

The middle miles seemed to have a bit less sun protection, and more quick hills thrown in the mix.  It was MUCH better than running at, say, 11 am.  But 7:45 was for sure hinting at the 90+ degree weather to come.  That said, compared to everything else I'd been putting myself through these last weeks, the course itself seemed like cake, even in the 2nd half.

The one scare came when I got a stitch in my chest at almost mile 3.  It lasted for maybe 10-20 seconds.  It wasn't painful enough that I couldn't run through it; just enough pain to hint at the possibility of something scary.  I focused on my breathing.  Devil Judy said: you'll be that person that didn't listen, and ended up running herself into a heart attack.  Angel Judy said:  focus on your breathing.  Calm down, and see if its a momentary thing.  Don't be the melodramatic girl who stops to walk, and then nothing comes of it, and you have to be all about the excuses like: I had to stop ... I thought I was having a heart attack .. for real guys.  (Lol, yes, this is what goes on in my brain while I run).

Angel Judy was right.  It was a momentary stitch, went away after a moment of thinking calm thoughts, and focusing on the breathing.  Good Judy.

(I'll be watching this carefully, though;  I'm not an idiot)

Approaching the 3 mile mark, and Turner Field, I didn't think I'd have access to that "other gear."  Its never guaranteed, and you always want to write it off with an: I paced well and left it all on the course before this, so no need.  WRONG!  Finish kick is like dessert stomach.  Its real.  haha.  You just have to talk yourself into getting a bit more uncomfortable.  The light went off in my brain not right at seeing Turner Field, because Brain remembered it was still a good 800-1000 m to the finish from here, and it didn't want to be tricked.  For Brain, kick is visual.  See finish, run hard.  But Brain lost to Heart when I heard a "Go Judy" shout from Coach Amy!  Dude, I dare you not to run with heart when an Olympian cheers you on!  #runcelebritycrush much. ;) Perfect product placement.  I'm buying. :) :) :)

Just after that straight away, there is one more to-do: get EVEN MORE uncomfortable.  Thoughts rattling in my brain:  I think I have a PR, but never trust on-the-race math, and especially math that requires being accurate to the second.  So I'm thinking both: you got it, so don't kill yourself, and you'll be SAD if you miss it by a few seconds, and could have given more.  Also, 8:30 or better average pace would be RIDICULOUS, right?? .. and what about under 26:30.  That COULD happen.   These thoughts are all waging war against the constant that is: or I could JUST STOP ..DUH!

Then .. another perfect product placement in the form of Coach Enrique at the gate to the warning track, reminding me that I had done all of the speedwork for this.  2nd wake up call =  can't stop, won't stop mode!  In fact, I AM going to RACE it in, and try to check off one or two people on the warning track!  Go, Judy, go.  Through the finish with PR and under 26:30 .. Like. A. Boss. *^_^*

I had no idea where the other two triplets were the whole race.  I didn't think I'd seen them go by, but that first mile, I was 110% focused on Carol, so who knew.  Later Kyle said he could see me, and was trying to catch me.  He set a new PR, and broke my Singleton time!  We really do run like twins.  Just depends on the day.  We have our specialty distances, though, it seems.  In hindsight, just glad I didn't 'take it easy' for a second anywhere along the hot spots mentioned above! K-man was coming!! lol.  *^_^*

And then, after the race, it's the after party!!

DoOOOOooon't Stooooopppppp Beliiiiiiiieviiiiing!

Of course, the person I was needing to find was my illegal drug pictured above, Coach Jerry.  After months of gunning for it, he earned himself a seat at the under 20 minute club! ***whoa***  We HAD TO celebrate that!! Plus, I had to share with him my incredible feat of running a 5K PR without his illegal help.  (and then *whisper* beating Kyle, haha).  His reaction was pretty much priceless, and I think the moments of sharing and celebrating with him, Angelina, Brandi, M & K, and the rest of the crew are by far my favorites.  Again, I say: if you think running is a solo sport, you're probably doing it wrong.  Just count the names of all the people I mention throughout, and every time I do something I'm proud of!!

So .. we hate the hours leading up to the gun, we both adore and hate the running, and then live for basking in the glory the rest of the day!  haha.  Plus, we thank running when we hop on the scale later. ;)  All in all, it seems like a fair trade.

What's Next?
Good question.  26:30 was the 2016 year end goal for 5K!  But we still have a really nice, fast course in the form of Atlanta's Finest to come in August.  It seems obvious that gunning for under 26 by then could be a 10% reach goal.  Especially if I continue to drop a lb here and a lb there prior to.  BUT .. A PR with a 25 in front of it sounds like COMPLETE INSANITY and scares the BAJEEZUS outta me!!! So I don't even want to type it today as a goal.  Maybe next week. ;)

Tomorrow, we run long.  New mileage in the form of a first 15!  After that, the focus shifts to 10K, and my not-so-secret secret race.  Goals for the Possum Run are just: 10% - run 9:08 pace, and 50% / 90% - don't.

Week 4 Chicago Marathon Training / Freedom Run Race Report

Sunday
XT at Cycle Bar in Dunwoody

Continuing to get more and more legit at this. ;)  All stats better the third time!

CLASS RANK

13 / 33

---

CALORIES BURNED*

584

*estimated

---

AVERAGE/MAX RPMs

82 / 143

---

AVERAGE/MAX WATTS

127 / 302

 

Lavender towels on our heads .. that's how we roll. :)

In the afternoon, the gang met up for some other-than-running fun.  Yup, we do that too, some times.  Gotta keep it happy!  Unfortunately, I didn't get Kyle drunk; a must if I were really wanting to safe guard my top 5K PR standing tomorrow.  Haha.

Monday

Memorial Day Freedom Run - Cumming, GA

Distance: 6.22 and 8 miles

50% goal - sub PR - Hit

Pro Tip:    KNOW THY COURSE!

Oh. Em. Gee.  I bet no one else knows that there is a dessert-like mountain-ish gateway to the pits of Hell in Cumming, GA!  Lol.  So much for hokey little small race in the middle of nowhere that will land us some prime running.  The scale on our ad hoc elevation for this one was WAY OFF.  BY FAR, some of the hilliest running I've **ever** raced.  It reminded me of Martin's Landing near Riverside.  Slapped on top of that: NO sun protection what-so-ever in about 85+ degree sun-blaring conditions.  I did not even come close to the 10% goal, but 2 miles in, I was uncertain about the 90% goal, so to have taken a PR (50% goal) was a definite win!  Two things kept me going: 1. Michele and her friend, Tom, were a stone's throw up front the entire time, and 2. at a small race like this, even if you are sucking, maybe everyone else in your age group is sucking a little harder?  Too early, that 9:08 average pace said good bye.  It was hard not to just ditch it and walk up the never-ending mountains after that.  But I kept watching Michele and Tom, and kept thinking that, if nothing else, steady-pacing it out was a great accomplishment and good training.  I was rewarded for the effort when .. BOOM!: 3rd in Age Group! :) 

 My only regret:  I waited too long to try and catch Tom and Michele.  I had it at the end, but didn't have enough course left.  Plus, rotten Kyle tipped them off with a "she's coming" in the finish shoot.  Bahaha. I ended up 58:20 , she at 58:14.  A 3-way tie would have been ideal.  Not important for anything goal-wise (Kyle has the 10K top PR from a month or two ago, and ran the 5K this race), but still, I could have, so I wish I would have. ... of course, if I had sooner, she might have bested 58:14, so um .. woulda, shoulda.  ;)  It was the only minute or so in the whole morning where I had gas in the tank to spend actually racing.

Immediately following the race and awards, we hopped in the cars, and hit Fowler for the remaining 8 miles on the calendar.  The going was GRUELING!  By the time we got done, it was NOON, and like 90 degrees.  I had trouble with an 11 minute pace!  I kept making deals with myself:  get to mile 4 (aka mile 10), and then run walk 3-1s from there back if you need to.  Then at 10 miles, I told myself: if you were down at Riverside with Harley, or TJ, or Angelina, you would not walk, and you'd be pushing 10-10:30s.  Don't walk.  Only later did Harley comment: "I did 14 too. Lots of walk breaks because of heat and hills. Need to keep up with you !"

<3 my tribe. :)  So nice to know I am not the only mortal one. Anyone who thinks that running is a solo sport is clearly doing it wrong in my opinion.  Hopefully this run will be a one-off, and not indicative of the entire marathon training cycle.  Fingers crossed!  Must find cooler temperatures, even if it means .. eeep .. headlamps. ;) 

Tuesday

Distance: REST

I am enjoying the blogging.  Each year, I am going to try to keep picking a different challenge.  Last year, it was 100 selfies, this year, its keeping this blog, next year, maybe something else.  It helps me not inundate social media with run posts, and to chronicle a fun time in my life.  Pretty sure I am the only one who really reads these so far, but that's just as well.  I like being inside my head.  If I ever goal viral, I'd have to sensor myself, lol. 

Wednesday

Distance: 1 mi WU, 6 x 800, .5 CD, plus 6 laps

Indicator time suggests about a 4:06 for these.  We were headed down to Riverside, but ended up rained out.  Option #2 was back up to LA Fitness for some treadmill intervals.  Michele doesn't run on a treadmill at all.  So it took us time to get used to the mechanics.  (For example, that the speed won't immediately kick up to 7.4, even when you are ready to start there).  The 1st one was at 4:15, second at 4:08, and from there all but the last were between 4:02 and 4:04.  The last one was 3:50.  If I use my 5K PR rather than my indicator
time, these should be at 4 on the dot, so by any account, we put in good effort! :)

Since we were at LA F., might as well hit the pool, too.  I could have gone on, but I do these much slower than M, and she skipped her cool down mile (not important if swim cools you down; important if you don't count swim as miles), so I was already ten minutes behind.  By the time I hit 6, she was at 12 and ready to hot tub.  Who can argue with hot tub?? :)

Thursday
Distance: XT

Best intentions. :/  This whole summer thing is really going to bust my bubble.  Oldest needed the car to take to work.  Luckily, I can just ride in with hubby.  But that means nothing on the stop-at-LAF front before/after work front.  I contemplated a quickie 5K after Ashley got out of work, but honest engine, I was beat.  And sore.  I started this 30-day core challenge.  I am always surprised when something basic like that tires out my legs.  But apparently there are still muscles in there that squats will get, but running 14 miles won't.  So I gave myself a pass.  On the one hand, I feel justified, since that is the 'plan.'  Up the long run, but don't completely start a 7 day marathon training program until after Peachtree.  On the other hand, that scares me a bit.  What if I can't get out of that mindset when the time comes?  What if I keep blowing off mid-week work outs?  Meh. :/



Friday
XT

Saturday
Distance: 3.1 + 7.5 + 4

This one was better, but not perfect.  The heat, and stops and starts are really draining.  That said, we hit 14.5!  Getting half of the extra distance in before training was very helpful, weather wise.  Not worrying about pace at all yet is really helping, too.  I have to thank the participants for that.  Blaming them makes it easier on the ego. ;)

Total - 34.1

Chicago Marathon Training: Week 3

Sunday
Distance: 13.1
Pace: 10:10

Great run!

I am enjoying Sunday mornings at Riverside in Roswell sooOOOOOoooo much.  It's beautiful, its chock full of familiar faces, and varying paces.  Bummer ATC no longer runs out of this location.  Happy its back on my schedule of run commitments, at least.

This run felt a bit harder than last week's.  Saturday was another night where sleep was messed with.  (Two nights in a row for those of ya keeping track).  Surprising enough, though, I was 110% sure I was going to REALLY TANK this one..  and by tank I mean 13+ if I could even maintain that (not to be pacist .. that's just my particular definition of tank right for me right this second).  Anyhoo .. I was surprised to find that I think we were a little more eager in the earlier miles than I should have been!  Right at under 10 all the way to the bathrooms at the 1/2 way point.  It wasn't until about mile 12ish that it all caught up to me, and come 13, I for sure did not have the Judy express kick in the reserve tank that I pulled out last Sunday.  As soon as 'beating last week's pace' went out the window, slugging it out to the moment I could stop was the only motivator!  But sheesh, so okay with that.  10:10 on 13.1 for a training run .. yes, please!

The only problem .. by October, this would be the HALF WAY POINT.  Seriously unable to even imagine.  *commence panic mode again* :)

The rest of Sunday was all about napping, pedicures / massage chairs, and prepping food and laundry for the week ahead.

Happy camper.

Monday
Rest

Let myself off the hook and got the sleep I was needing. No swim this AM .. maybe tonight, or Tuesday morning.  2 mile walk with Bill around the hilly neighborhood in the evening after dinner.  Fitbit steps for the win!

Tuesday
AM workout

16 laps in the pool.  Swim PR.  Boom!

Plus .. someone asked me where I got my really cute all-white suit, and said it looked really good on my tanned skin.  Compliment.  About me.  In a swim suit. Double boom!

Tonight is the 2nd All Comer Track & Field event associated with the Grand Prix, (a grouping of about 12 ATC races each year where participants earn points for both how well they do, and how many events they attend.  So far, I am at 100% attendance, and with the 5th place AG placing at Singleton and 4th at the last All Comer, I even have a few extra points!  I am 9th of 50 women 35-39.  Never-the-less, I am feeling motivated, but calm.  I don't have a goal time.  If I place 5th or better, that would be awesome.  But I am going to try and chill about that.  The mile PR I took last time more than covers everything I could have ever hoped to get out of both these events!! :) Four of us are going to dress in similar shirts, and do another relay.  Having fun with the squad there is #1 goal. (Lets see if I can manage to stay that way when/if they send out names / heat line ups. giggle).

PM workout

4 x 400 and 800 meters (3:36)

The pictures are going to have to speak for the night:

So much energy! :)


Team 'We've Got the Blues" :)
On that 4 x 400, by the time I got on the track, ALL of the other teams were FINISHED.  I had to run one hard lap BY MY SELFIE! Guess that's just the attention seeker type of girl I am. LOL!


This little picture right here is me learning a valuable lesson. ;) (and possibly hooking me on another "thing" about running that is probably more important in short distance).  For the Grand Prix, doesn't matter.  In a large road race, doesn't matter.  But on a track, lane by lane, it MATTERS who sprints to the finish line first, and who doesn't!  That girl in the blue?  If I had had ANY idea that she was there, fighting to catch me, .. oh boy, it'd have been on.  But no, I had no clue .. so we ended up crossing like at the same moment, or maybe even with her in front by a nose.  In the words of Peter Griffin: doesn't that just grind your gears??? lol. Self: welcome to track! Haha.

Barring that faux pas, extremely pleased with the time, and the night!  5th place in my AG!  Party time. *^_^*

This might just be my favorite group of non-blood related people ever. <3

And then ... some how .. THIS happened!!! Holy f$$^&**&# s&^##(t!!!!!!!!!!!!!  3rd in Grand Prix standings for my age group.  Someone get me an oxygen mask!  I'm going to hyperventilate.  Lol.  I kid that this is just the standings for the best of the mediocre women of a certain age willing to attend many, many ATC events (and it is), but it still tickles me to all get out to be where I am!!!! *^_^*

Unfortunately, I took a peak at what passes for good at the next event (a 4 miler), and for 2015, that was: 29:36 for 5th place. Bahahahahahahaha.  That's a 7:25 pace .. for 4 miles.  So basically, I am going to throw a grand prix 3rd place standing celebration now, so that I can enjoy myself while I have it, and wave good bye to it shortly with dignity and grace!! haha.  But for this month .. BOOM! :)

Wednesday
Woo!  Finally, a speed work evening that did not send me home, tail tucked between legs, wondering if I shouldn't just quit now and take up salsa dancing or the clarinet or something.

Distance: 1 WU, 10-12 400m repeats, .5 CD
Goal: 2:02
Temperature: 345 degrees, I'm sure.

HIT!  HIT 11 times!!! Hit by pacing myself and SLOWING myself DOWN a good bit of the first 6, to have just enough energy to finish ALL of them right under 2.  Doing as I am told to a tee?  How 'bout them apples?!! *^_^*  Only the last one was balls-to-the-wall (and by 11th, balls to the wall ended up being 1:45).

Why did we do 11, you ask?  Besides because we are rebels and Level 2.5 just what works for us? Lol.  No.  Well, I was counting .. but I was also counting my watch workouts.  For each 200, I stopped and started again.  (I am sure their are fancier ways to split 400s, but this works just fine for me).. EXCEPT that my watch can only show me the last 10 workouts, and I already have two "saved" slots for races I want to use as "race this" times.  Sooooo ... when we hit 8, I thought we had done 8.  When I thought we had done 9, I looked at watch (and counted like 30 times), and it said 8.  Brain drained that I was, I said to M and Enrique, oh damn, I thought we were at 9, but sorry, we're at 8.  So we did two more.  And I look down .. and that's when it dawns on me .. because we are still at 8 laps.  Ooooooops!  Sorry, M!

Thursday
Rest

Really wanted to make it to swim, but fell a bit short on time.  Boo.  Will try for tomorrow.

Feeling a little guilty that this week will fall very short of 30+, but also recognizing that the track meet took up a good bit of time, for very little mileage.  (both in that I didn't want to wear the legs before, and in that the late night threw me off schedule, etc., for all of 1 mile).  And that this Monday, I am caring at least a little bit about the Memorial day freedom 10k, so slight taper would be much better than either a Friday run, or tacking on miles Saturday.  Especially with spin on Sunday .. that will be plenty of shake out.

Friday
Swim

Saturday
Distance - 7 miles easy

I'll come back to update this one. :)

Upcoming
Memorial Day Freedom Run 10k, Cumming.

I really wish I had asked someone to pace me this coming Monday.  I do so much better when I have that additional motivation.  9s for a 10k is in my wheelhouse; I know it.  But it's just on the OUTSKIRTS of that "universe-of-possible."  I'll really have to fight for anything under 58, I am sure.  Just don't know if I have it in me without the 'elephant's feather.'  Why don't I find a pacer, then? .. well, the logic on that is kinda like tidying for the cleaning lady.  Lol.  I don't want to let a pacer down.  So I want to be REALLY comfortable that I can hit the goal I say I want.  (yes, so that means that when I get to that point, why do I need the pacer??  silly logic.  Judy logic. lol).

So its just M and I, running like the wind.  (hopefully!) And here are the goals:

90% - Under 60
50% - PR of anything under 58:42
10% - 56:45 (Maintain 1:59:59 1/2 pace for 6.22 / 9:08 pace)

Also up coming:  on Monday, after the race, we'll try to tack on enough mileage to total our first 14 miler.  Sounds tiny compared to 26.2, but it officially puts us on the path to big distance!  It won't be a continuous run; we'll have awards, and driving to a more familiar location.  Not ideal for a first conquering of a distance mental game wise.. (does that really count as 14, etc) .. but .. good for easing in, and also offset by the fact that first 6.2 will be run at 10k race pace.

Total - 25.1

FRI. DAY. !!!

Tuesday
Distance: 6.2 (#10kTuesday late shift)
Avg Pace: 10:09

This week, we spent a lot of time asking ourselves:  why do we even do this?  Its hard to justify the maybe 'middle' (?) of a running career.  Just a beginner is way long gone.  With it goes the satisfaction of exponential growth.

I am happy with this run, mainly because ...

Fact: Westside is hilly.
Fact: 70+ degrees is not the same as 50 and below
Fact: Milk is not a friend.

But to entertain myself, and really give myself perspective, I scrolled through some history for 6.2 training runs: (and Westside course especially)

10/2014 - 11:31
to
10/6/15 - 10:04
one year = at least 1:30 min per mile shaved

10/13/15 - 10:08
11/10/15 - 12:30 - in pain
12/10/15 - 10:26
12/29/15 - 9:58
2/02/16 - 10:17
2/09/16 - 10:22
04/13/16 - 10:09
6 addt'l months = flat lining

At the very least, proof that I haven't gotten super faster, but I haven't really gotten slower, either.

The difficulty is that my brain discounts anything that isn't major progress.  If I can run sub 10 min pace for 13.1, and continue to shave time off of that distance with each training at races, why can't I consistently keep a high 9 for something as short as 6.2 now?  Or can I, but am I not choosing to?

I think the truth is that I can; I just need to want to.  And it might be going against the "easy" plan for a Tuesday or two, but maybe that's how you get faster?  With a little more push?

I look forward to seeing how/if this mental prep gives me any more or less juice next Tuesday!


Wednesday
Distance: 1/2 WU, 5 x 600s

Meh, the distance was short.  And I didn't think to account for it until after I finished.  (If I would have done the math, and figured out that we were supposed to be at .37, I could have adjusted and run by watch, but it didn't dawn on me).  I ended up at .33 for each '600.'  All of the slight downhill lengths were about 2:20 - 2:37, all of the slight uphill intervals, closer to 2:46 - 2:50.  (More on that when I actually retrieve my watch.)  Pretty confident I could have hit the goal of under 3 minutes, as per indicator chart, for all of these.

Next time, I will double check Mr. Enrique with a warm up GPS-tracked interval. ;)

Now I just need to decide which is better: Riverside or Gwinette.  I think the drive is similar.  The number of participants is similar.  When we have a track at Gwinette, that will be a plus.  When we get kicked to the sidewalk without notice, (like last night), that will be a big con.  I think there are faster people at Riverside (Enrique didn't actually run speed work, so I'd venture to guess Michele and I were it as far as speed work - speed work people).  Riverside is gravely, and scary, but not when its light out, like from now until July.  Miss Jerry, Kyle, Birgit .. and selfies! No major picture takers among the Wed. crowd. Lol.

There are other shenanigans that will play into this decision .. but lets keep it classy! Ha ha. Lets just say I don't know if I can handle the giggle-fest that is Michele + Pam + Me in N. Gwinette.  Bahahaha.

Thursday
Thursday is now a rest day.  Weird.

Friday
I rested this day, too.  Just cuz.

Weekend: The 'Other Race' Recap

Saturday & Sunday

Women's 5K
Distance: 3.1
Avg Pace: 9:40

How best to describe this race: womp, womp!

There was just NO motivation what-so-ever to kick hill butt.  For what?  Better than last year's 33?  Under 30, which I have hit consistently for over 6 months?  A PR being out, I just sandbagged.  Hard core sandbagged.  I didn't find any trainees to pace, so I started with Brandi and a trainee running for under 30.  These two, Birgit and Michele really ran to bank time in mile one, though.  Or at least it felt like it to me .. the girl who hadn't run a mile since Tuesday.  I let it go and just ran for good fun after falling back from them a little bit.  (At the end, I finished closer to Michele than expected; I should have tried to be a better friend and stay with her .. but who knows when she'll have a 29 day, and when she'll have a 26 day.).  I even walked for a minute.  That is the first race I've allowed myself to just toss in the towel and walk a little on in AGES.  (Probably not since this race last year).  To put it in real perspective, I ran faster dressed in a tutu and earmuffs last December.  I ran faster two days later this Monday at the kick off for Alpharetta Peachtree training (9:35 avg pace, for 4 mi with plenty of elevation up and back on Westside).  

Fortunately, I had nothing ventured, so no temper tantrums. :)  The only inkling of regret was that in that it was such a wasted opportunity.  Brandi & Birgit were running slower than their usual, so I if I had been up for it, they really could have motivated me.  And the race was PACKED with spectators .. All the guys who couldn't run.  Last, my favorite part of the whole race:  Bianca ran me up the last hill!  A last hill like that deserved a great race to go with it!  But alas, too late.  All ready over.

  So what I do have to show for my morning is some serious girl bonding fun!!

#proud mama.  Emily has been running at least a couple of times a week for a few weeks now.  She didn't run this race completely intending to do her 1st 5k.  The real reason was that she wanted to get to a hair appointment, and logistically, it only worked if she was already with me.  Plus, we had a bib.  So proud of her though.  If you read between the lines of the snarky teenage-isms, I can tell she had a blast, and might have found another athletic interest! :)  In hind sight, I should have just run with her!!  She wants to do a color run next; I'll do that one along side her and her friends for sure. :) :) :)

What an amazing session!  This group rocks. <3

I LOVE this stinkin' picture!  Face is ridiculous, but look at my friggin legs!! :) Look at that A bib.  Lets not discuss fleeting outcomes.  Lets focus on long-term progress.  And long-progress equals 1st RACE IN SHORTS WITHOUT CHAFING BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL. 

March 26th: the day I finally feel like a runner!  Because shorts, yea! :)

Sunday
Sunday, Emily and I tackled a Jillian DVD together.  This spring break ready thing is giving me a lot of mileage outta her!  Woo.  and boy did that make me SORE!  (Its Wednesday as I write this, and I am still feeling the ass kicking!)  And we only got through HALF the tape.  Why can't I work out my core without using ANY of my legs???  Mtn climbers don't FEEL like core.  Meh!

Weekend: Publix Half-Marathon Race Report

Saturday
Distance: 3.1 and Expo with the run buds!
Course: Greenway
Avg Pace: 10:20 (10:48, 10:18, 9:51)
What hurt: Legs made of lead during; Serious 'Top of Foot' pain after.

The plan for the morning was that Kyle, Michele and I would meet up, do a quick 3 easy to keep loose, then drive to the expo, and finally do a course drive, maybe grab lunch.  Fun pre-race morning bonding time. :)

In hind sight, this little run served its purpose.  On Saturday, though, it scared the crap out of me! It was perfect weather, flat, and I was hangin' with my buds.  But while we set out to do a 'very easy' run just to keep things loose, I was actually SHOCKED that all my legs seemed like they COULD do was run an easy three! Eeeep.  Since when.  The legs just didn't want to turn over.  Michele and I stayed together, though, and that's always fun.  When we were done, as usual, the thoughts in our heads were along the lines of: I will never be able to run faster than this .. and for 10 MORE MILES???! Never.  But we got the run off our to-do, and next up .. off to my 1st Expo! :)

Jeff Galloway, the father of run/walk! :)

We're not mean to each other .. really! ;) But here's the story behind these pictures: .. someone started a thread on Facebook about accountability, and goals for the Publix Half/Full Marathon.  I had very modest expectations.  We've spent months hearing about how hill-a-cious this course is, and not much has really changed from this session since the last in terms of overall speed for me, such that I could concretely say I'd banked a PR.  (Not like, say, from half-marathon #1 to half-marathon #2 one year, and 15 lbs later .. I didn't count on shaving 40+ minutes, but I knew I'd PR last Fall, right?).  This go around, not so much.  So, my PR is 2:14 and something seconds ..  comment Judy: 2:13:59.  

Enter Kyle comment: 2:13:58 for Michele and 2:13:57 me.

LMAO! Commence epic text / thread / picture shenanigans.  He swears that by setting a 2:13:59 goal, I was trying to take the lead 1/2 PR for our little mini group  (never mind that all our times were 2:14 and seconds.  I was surely thinking of breaking HIS PR and not MY PR when I made the comment.  LOL.)  Anyhoo, it was the big joke that got our minds off of the race.  #crushkyle hashtag is born.

Then, the story on this one goes like this... Michele and I are in B corral and Kyle is in C. Helpful Michele tells Kyle he needs to sign up at the 1:50 pace group to get into B so we can all start together. So he does. And now heeeee's baaaaack.  So I'm joking around that I don't want him anywhere near me.  This is a crush-off!  Haha.  She says "we would have to be at 1:45 to be in corral A". While we had no aspirations of being in that pace group, it was another perfect opportunity to tease Kyle. The take away for Kyle is, if you didn't keep stopping to buy stuff we wouldn't have had so many opportunities for mischievous pictures!!!

After the expo we decided to drive the course.  ALL 13.1 miles.  Boy was that torture.  BUT!  It helped A LOT with envisioning the elevation & route the next day.  

By the time we got to lunch, I was hobbling. :/  Top of foot pain.  After lunch, I decided to take a risk.  Pedicure with some foot massaging to make it all better?  Fingers crossed it didn't make it all worse!  Then I started up with Ibuprophen, and that through Saturday night and Sunday morning shut Top of Foot pain up good.  Hurrah!  

Me: Don't touch the callouses.  I need those. 

Wonder Woman fast!

I spent the rest of the day organizing .. pre-race gear, my run drawer, the laundry.  The cleaner my house, the calmer I stay.  Ultramarathon Man put me to sleep at the desired time, and pre-race day could not have gone any better!

Sunday
Course: Publix Half Marathon
Official Finish Time: ******* 2:10:12 *******
Avg Pace: 9:56 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall: 2708th of 5941
Female: 1080th of 3168
Female 35-39: 195th of 528

BOOM!

Oh the joy.  The sheer and absolute joy!  What a fantastic race!! :)  I was WAY early to carpool; oops.  But that ended up being the only mistake of the morning!  Yippy.  I started the race with familiar faces all about me.  I gave Michele my first mile and change, but she really took off from there.  Before I knew it, we were running under 9s before mile 3.  Time to say Good Bye to Ms. Michele already!  It was going to be too much of a risk to try and hold her pace, hoping she'd fall into something more reasonable sooner rather than later; I knew I couldn't bank on that.  So as much as I love running with her for more of the race, the only chance of it would be if I worked my way back up to her in the next 10 miles, after she'd finished her going out fast phase.  That ended up not being the case; she had the under 9 start under her belt solid.  And I never saw her again.  Woo, Craig!

Next was Kyle.  And oh dear, it only took me 2-3 more miles to say good bye to him also.  Can't even be mad at the dude. lol.  He knows his long-distance strengths, and boy has he sped up.  Much progress for me in that this didn't even phase me. :)   (No toddler tantrums in running. Haha)  I was actually completely confident in deciding to let each of them go; I had a race plan strategy of tightening up my pace delta / spread, and of running positive with fairly consistent splits, due to the lay out of the course.  If running with them didn't help me in that effort, I had to let it be.  

Marjorie (behind Michele and I in start picture) proved to be my best hang time bud.  We were together for about the entire thing, with her leading the way through maybe mile 8 or 9, and me out in front by a hair the rest.  In hindsight, I might have been able to give a little more in middle miles, but never having actually run this race, I would not have known how much would have been TOO much.  Too much would have meant a walk late in the race, and maybe forgoing my PR all together.  Couldn't risk it.  And the actual race, maintaining the average pace I was coveting, in its entirety did not completely kick my ass.  I felt fueled, I felt hydrated.  There were a few moments where now I wished I would have dug a tiny bit deeper .. in the park, and before I could see the finish line.  More PR than expected is ALWAYS a good thing.  But per watch, I was already solidly maintaining a good bank on 2:13; there was not motivation to possibly risk it all and end up (eep) without a PR.  So maybe, just maybe, I can PR some races without complete puke-fest efforts?  Maybe that's reserved for special special occasions, and shorter distances?  Or maybe I have to train on that more; getting more comfortable with 'losing my shit' so to speak, and knowing what that looks like for each distance, while still knowing I won't end up with a DNF.  Whichever it is, this race, with its -4 min ~30 second shave on the PR goes down as both a major win, and even more learning. HAPPY DANCE!!!!!!!!!!!

And .. and ... and.  HAIR GAME!  Hair PR for sure! ;)  Emily made these for me the night before, and with enough hair spray .. they stayed in overnight!  Woo. :) :) :) One 2016 resolution goal down.  And hair game is for sure now a part of pre-important-race ritual.  More boxer braids in this girl's future. Haha!

Women's 5K Training & Other Nonsense
Distance: WU .5, 3 miles at 2-1 intervals.

After the show, its the after party, right?  More running!! This is the LAST Sunday training run for Women's 5K.  I was a little emotional. *^_^*  I could hardly run/walk, but I tried my best because there were for sure enough participants in the 2-1 intervals in need of a lead.  So Involuntary marathon training, Day 1, check!  As soon as we returned to Armour for the final stretch, I started to walk.  Run-leading from behind because one tight calf said NO WAY to anything else at that point.  The ladies were so awesome; I'd call an interval, and the participant in front of me would call it for the participant in front of her.  Run-lead hack. Picked up a jog again, and finished off the 5K.  During stretching, I also found myself a pod of trainees to run the race with.  Very excited.  They have a goal of coming in under 40.  We .. of course .. are going to CRUSH that. ;)  I think they're capable of under 35.  But ssssshhhh, we won't tell them that right yet.

Good Measure Meals "After" Weigh-In
Drum roll please.  When we started the Women's training session, Good Measure Meals had us use their Tanita scale for Body Composition metrics.  I <3 numbers. :) I didn't really think that there had been enough time to see measurable results, especially as a lead who already was working out pretty intensely before training started, compared to say the participants who probably would see the most rapid of changes, as they were just committing to all of this for the first time.  But I am very happy to report these changes:

1/20
Weight 145.6
Fat % 36.4
Fat Mass 53lbs
Metabolic Age - 49
BMI 28

3/20
Weight 140.4
Fat % 34.7
Fat Mass 48.8
Metabolic Age - 44
BMI 27.4

WOO!

Ongoing Target Goals
BF % 27
Target Weight: 125
Fat to Lose: 15

Other Nonsense
And then .. just when the weekend (and this accounting there of) could not get any longer, I noticed that I had 37,800 steps on FitBit upon landing at home.  The Walking Dead or walking around the living room and kitchen to hit 40,000?  I choose both!  :)  If he didn't before, my husband now thinks I am COMPLETELY BONKERS.  "You ran a half marathon?  Why are you walking around in circles?"  Well .. ummm.. because badges! ;)

Coming Up
A break!  As much as I have enjoyed both spring training sessions, I am also very excited to put the doubling up to bed for a while!  We'll take it easy this week; even the Women's 5K will end up not being at race effort.  Next week, we'll go back to whatever corresponding week will get us to the Flying Pig 1/2 marathon on May 1 in race shape.  (I think this puts us 'back' at 11-12 mile long runs starting this or next weekend).  I'll be out the week of 4/4.  SPRING BREAK.  WOO.  Still running, though.  But running along highway 30A, without work and other responsibilities sounds A-MAZING.  My idea of a vacation, for sure!  The Saturday we come back is the 1st day of In-Training for Peachtree.  Kyle & I will be leading up the 10 minute pace group out in Suwanee.  Very excited to get that started.  So coming up summary: Women's 5K race day, Peachtree Kick Off, Spring Break, Peachtree training start, Singelton 5k/10k, then Flying Pig 1/2, and post Pig, kick tri-training into the next gear.

Did I say break?

Weekend: Begin Taper!

Saturday
Distance: 9.5
Avg Pace: 10:28
Course: Pleasantly flat!

Our bitter-sweet final run as a training session!  Gosh, I love my tribe!

This run was fantastic.  I began it dreading it (because I begin every run stiff and dreading it).  And the temperature was a surprise kick in the butt.  With no transition, all of a sudden, a shirt seems like too much, where just two weeks ago, three layers, gloves and ear-covering headband didn't even seem like enough!  Thanks, Atlanta!!!  But by mile 2, I was loosened up, and by mile 4-5, I was ready to rock and roll!  The only hiccup occurred at about mile 8, when we hit the only real incline of the entire run.  (We'd had 1-2% gradual rises, but this is just a steeper shorter section.  Usually it doesn't count as major hill work, but today it was the first real encounter with 'up.')  That's when Stupid Top of Foot made its move.  And at first I thought, power through.  Then two seconds later, I revised thought .. don't be an idiot; its just a taper run, and you have plenty of margin off your "easy" pace already.  Walk up the hill, and run if it stops hurting when you crest.  Harley (my hero), dropped back a bit, walked me to the Jimmy Johns sign, and then we both got back "on."  Apparently I got a little TOO on.  By the straight away into ATC, Harley was alternating between holding me by the back of my shirt, and straight up running smack dab in front of me.  Hee hee.  His theory that 1.  I had just been walking due to pain, and 2. that we should all taper / finish together just didn't mesh up with 1. I had just walked, so I felt reinvigorated, and 2. Stupid Top of Foot is so quiet for the flat parts.  Plus, after walking, then not feeling Top of Foot, I had started to work hard again to catch the original mini-pod.  After catching them, body said keep up kick, not taper.  So I didn't. :) And it felt good to finish up strong.  What a fantastic end to a fantastic session!  Last Jan - March, after my first half-training, I really dropped it back.  I can thank Spring session for the world of difference that early 2016 has been.  I have kept my base high, and I am very excited to see how that helps me grow during Peachtree and Fall.  No catching back up hopefully means that I can focus on even more speed (and/or even more mileage).

The other AWESOME thing that happened was that I (with some BIG help from Brandi) MAYBE convinced Michele to throw her name in the Chicago marathon lotto.  WooOOOOOOooooooo.  Good luck to both of us.

Don't ask me how I end up front and center in every single ATC group photo.  (Hint: 5'0.) 

Swimming once a week is now in full swing! Love it.  (when I don't drown).  Did more than I had planned on Friday: 6 x100 (yards or meters?  who knows).

Sunday
Distance: .5 WU, 3 mile 2-1 intervals, 5 hill repeats, and .5 CD
Pace: 12:30 including WU/CD (whaaaatt?  Ladies were hitting 9-9:30s for 2 min runs!  Speed demons!)

Coning duty training.  We gotta start 'em young! :) 

We're getting into the final stretch for this session, too.  We have a Tuesday run this week, and then Sunday 3/20 will be this group's final training session before the Women's 5K race! EeeeEEEeeeep and *sniff* *sniff.*  (Eeeeep for me mainly because ..oh boy.. the final training session is also post-Publix half-marathon on 3/20...  ZzzzzZZZZzzzz.  But at least, hey, its after the race, so who cares!).  As far as the race itself on 3/26, Women's 5K owes me nothing.  I've run flatter recently, so a PR attempt would be stupid.  I know with absolute certainty that I can beat last year's time of 33+, so that couldn't even be a 99% goal.  I'm also 95% sure that I can finish in under 30; if I didn't, it'd be for a stupid reason outside of my control.  Any time goal in between would just be a random meaningless time that does nothing for me.  SoOOooooOOooo ... I am hoping to maybe farm myself out to some of the ladies, and see if I can't find a pod of like-paced participants who would like to run this with a pacer.  I am guessing that some of the ones who would be most interested could run it in 33 - 35ish?  If I can't find anyone who has a specific goal, then I'll maybe run/walk it with Pam, and all the other HIPsters celebrating one lead's return after hip surgery.  I guess I could probably find #potato, too, or M's butt if I feel up for challenges.  Either would also be mucho fun.  Anyway, we'll see, and can't wait for the bling!  Its totes adorb this year. :)

Week In Review: Pre-Race Ponderings

Monday

Distance: .5 WU, 3.1, .5 cool down walk

Pace: 9:04 (for the work .. I reset after the WU, and hadn't done the cool down yet when I took the picture. no watch.)

About this run:

I ditched Kyle this afternoon because I am a wimp about running in the rain, and right at about 5pm, it was really coming down.  Whether the excuse of wanting no blisters on race day is legit or not, I can't be sure.  

Because running on the treadmill is boring, I didn't do the cool down to 5-6.  I just did .5 WU, and 3.1 trial run, plus a CD walk after.  I played with the incline: either 1.0, or 0.5 for all except the last 0.1 meters at flat, which in the race will be a good bit of down-hill.  This wasn't exactly so that I could mimic the course, but I didn't want to totally discount the work out in my head for being on a treadmill, and knew that would happen if I didn't at least have a little incline challenge.

This trial run is a nice boost for my ego; it was later in the evening, not a race, not with anyone, on a boring treadmill, no music .. and still faster than at Hearts & Soles.  So I CAN do better.  It still does not 100% lock it up (like say if I had run a 26:07, lol), but it helps me believe that something with a 27 lead digit is very much within the realm of possible again.  So my goals for MJFC5K:

10% - 2015 Peachtree qualifying time for Wave D -  27:28 (8:52 PACE)

50% - PR - 27:46 (8:57 PACE)

75% - Lead with a 27 digit (9:02 PACE)

90% - Better than Hearts & Sole 28:34 (9:13 PACE)

The trickiest question by far for me then is: do I let my body pace the first mile, and bank time, hoping that its not actually banking time, but a happy surprise new pace at which I can run the whole race ..  or force myself to run no more than 8:52 pace for mile 1, and hope I can convince myself to just tear it up with all I've got left in the last mile, after I am tired (?).  The first approach is how most of my other 5K PRs were hit.  I didn't even watch my pace; I ran hard the 1st mile (and I'm not talking like 8:45 .. I'm talking like 8:20s), wall-ed & nursed the second mile (9:30s), then kicked the last mile (whatever math gets me back to 8:58 avg pace).  Not doing that scares me, but it's also nice to imagine a scenario where a 'steady wins the race' approach could make a PR not feel as rough, and I never have to worry about tanking from having gone out too fast.  I suppose the decision will come on race day, and not before.  Its a very small race, and starts down hill.  The gradual incline return makes up most of mile two, and mile 3 is a slight downhill again, except right at the finish, where it flattens, and maybe inclines a tiny bit again.  So the course itself will almost prod me to hit it hard at the start, easy at the middle, and with all I have left at the end.  Decisions, decisions.

Tuesday

Wednesday

Commence selling of souls to devils.  Pre-race rituals span the gamete, but my go-to for "Important Races" is 'to die for.' Alas the dirty work has been done, and I survived to live another day.  Hurrah!

.. begin TMI for the ladies only and/or for the fellows who don't mind funny lady TMI ...

LAWD!  Dear, dear lawd!  Why do I do this to myself???  What possible reason would anyone ever have to WILLINGLY allow (and pay for) the torture and mutilation of ones most intimate of lady parts?

I can't claim ignorance.  I have danced this dance before.  Unfortunately, it is a vague recollection that is quickly muddled in the mind, as is the case with most instances of serious shock.  And I'd put it off for too long ...  Cuba vs. Brazil in the death match of a century, live on pay per view.  DING, DING, DING!

How, pray tell, will this help me?

I spend 45 plus minutes willing myself not to Hadouken kick the sweet lady with a thick accent in the gut, mashing her up against the inspirational quote wall.  At first, I kept myself from doing real damage only barely, but because she is always so very sweet and pleasant when you first walk in.  It would just be in bad form to knock out the person who lovingly covered you in talcum powered, like no one has done since the blessed mother who birthed you.  Ten minutes in, that excuse no longer applies.  Now I will myself not to kick her out of sheer fear.  If this is what she does for a living, I start to imagine that on impact of knee to gut, she'd laugh heartily, grow to a height encompassing the entire building, and breath fire on the whole of our universe.  I keep still when she tells me to, fight back the tears obediently, and try hard to believe her when she says: okay one more and almost done.  

... again, and again.

Ha!  I was playing with writing myself a little message somewhere near my Tom Tom watch for the race, and played with where I would put it this AM.  When I saw it on my hand mid-appointment, hilarious!  Possibly not how Coach Bianca envisioned us using this hashtag! ;)

The most bitter sweet words you'll ever know:  okay, now turn over and spread your cheeks!  LAWD!

... And I have now done all I can ...

In more standard news, since I skipped Tuesday (5-6 miles), I owed SOMETHING tonight.  Enter bargaining.  Treadmill, not rain.  One mile WU.  1 mile PR.  One.one mile walk.  OR, no mile PR = 2 more miles at 10:30ish easy(er) pace.  Result: hit! :)  (nothing makes for motivation like the possibility of shortening a workout!) New unofficial one mile PR: 8:12.  Woop.

Plus .. Coach Bianca's torture-fest (aka Mizuno Wednezday strength training) was virtual today.  Normally, when she is in town, they are too far for me to attend.  But when she is out, she posts them to the training FB site, and I am tempted to try.  Today's madness:

Dynamic Stretching, then warm up:  Lunge walks, Side Shuffle walks, line jumps forward, line jumps side to side, high knees and butt kicks (x2).

I was already dead by here!  Then slow glute activation -- clam shells, fire hydrants, wall hikes (x2).

Finally, before the work out, without knowing why, she had us pick a TWO word reason for why you love to run.  My answer: butt wellness.  I really meant butt envy.  As in, I want Bianca's butt.  I should have gone with that.  Butt wellness translated to:

B - 15 push ups
U - 1 Min Plank
T - 30 Tow Touches
T - 30 Tow Touches
W - 10 Push Ups
E - 40 Mtn Climbers
L - 2 Min Wall Sits
L - 2 Min Wall Sits
N - 10 Jump Squats
E - 40 Mtn Climbers
S - 10 Burpees
S - 10 Burpees

I had to stop there because I was going to puke!  God, for a girl who can run a lot, I am seriously out of shape! lol.  After your own two words, she also wanted: Mizuno WedneZday.  If I did that, buh bye race goal.  Maybe buh bye life! LOL.  But it is a wake up.  I will try to get in at least the same virtual Mizuno Wednesday workout each Wed. until I can get through the whole thing.

A. 30 Toe Touches                                                                           N. 10 Jump Squats

B. 15 Push Ups                                                                                  O. 20 Jumping Jacks

C. 1min Plank Hold                                                                           P. 20 ToeTouches                           

D. 15 Burpees                                                                                    Q. 45s Plank Hold            

E. 40 Mountain Climbers                                                               R. 20 Jump Squats           

F. 15 Push Ups                                                                                   S. 10 Burpees

G. 1 Min Plank Hold                                                                         T. 30 Toe Touches

H. 30 Jump Squats                                                                           U. 1 Min Plank Hold

I. 1 Min Wall Sit                                                                                 V. 30 Mountain Climbers

J. 30 Jumping Jacks                                                                          W. 10 Push Ups

K. 20 Push Ups                                                                                  X. 50 Jumping Jacks

L. 2 Mins Wall Sit                                                                               Y. 90s Wall Sit

M. 50 Mountain Climbers                                                             Z. 20 STAR JUMPS

Thursday 

Distance: 1 mile WU, 2 mile race pace, 1 mile CD (modified from 2 mile WU, 2x2 mile intervals, 1 mile CD .. for race's sake).
Pace for work interval: 8: friggin 52.  BOOM!

The hey is in the barn now, so to speak.  I can hold the race pace for two flat miles at moderate effort.  On race day: hopefully less wind, more adrenaline, and people to chase.  Also 1.1 more miles, a few gradual inclines, and no speedy Coach Gazelle zooming by to give me something to chase hard for 0.5. But clearly, I've set the right goal.  Possible, but tough enough that I have to fight for it.