Home Away From Home Half Marathon

So, friends, I ran a race. First one in for-evah!

And it was a half-marathon. I went from a full marathon in October 2014 to no races to this half-marathon in May 2017. Holy cow, that's a long time between races!!!

Back in the beginning of the year, I decided I needed to set my sights on a race that would require some commitment. And a half-marathon requires a fair bit of commitment. I settled on a (pretty much) hometown half-marathon and decided to follow a very low-key training schedule to prepare.

I wanted to see what I could do after so many ups and downs with my running (and other things that have had an impact on my running).

But I was also sort of a Nervous Nellie and I didn't want any part of injuries or burn-out. So, I ran 3-4 easy runs each week, one long run, and did yoga and upper-body strength on the two other days. No speedwork. No tempo runs. Nothing too training-ish. Just some solid, enjoyable running.

I made it to race day full of excitement.

I even had the requisite pre-race nightmare where things go fantastically wrong on race day: For me, the full 13.1 was run on a track and I was wearing clogs. Clogs!

Anyway . . . the forecast for the race was rain. All rain. I was freaked. But I shouldn't have been because the rain held off and we ended up with more or less perfect weather (cool and overcast).

I met Bridget and Kate before the race and we tried to warm up and, of course, we snapped some pics:

Kate!

Bridget!

And then we were off.

Now, let me tell you about this race. It was small. The 5k and the half-marathon started together but there were only 80 people in the 5k and 103 in the half. The out-and-back course was hilly for sure. Not steep hills, not long hills, just constant rolling hills.

I ran off with the generic, feel-good goals in my mind: I just want to run strong! I want to see where my fitness is these days! I want to smile at the finish!

But, honestly? Those goals are crap. Truth be told, I wanted to run under 1:55. I felt like I had it in me. Sure, that's far from a PR and I know I'm not in PR shape right now. But, 1:55? Doable. Totally doable.

So I ran:

Mile 1: 8:41
Mile 2: 8:25
Mile 3: 8:20

The first few miles had the 5k runners in it but once they turned off at the 1.5 mile mark, the "crowd" really thinned out. Everything felt easy. I was holding myself back from going out too fast and I'm glad I did!

Mile 4: 8:37
Mile 5: 8:25
Mile 6: 8:17
Mile 7: 8:11

Still going strong through the middle miles. Here's what I learned during this patch: I love out-and-back courses (when you're near-ish to the front)! Being able to cheer for the leaders gave me such a lift! And, I could count how many people were in front of me and that made me feel pretty good :-)

Mile 8: 8:25
Mile 9: 8:13
Mile 10: 8:27
Mile 11: 8:29
Mile 12: 8:30

So, this was a weird section for me simply because the dude running behind me Did. Not. Stop. With. The. Yelling.

Yes, the yelling. Every few minutes or so he'd YELL something like, "C'mon!" or "Move it!" or "Get going, RIGHT NOW!" It was . . . unsettling. And yet, humorous. I mean, I guess he was pumping himself up so I went with it and just ran.

And then there was just over a mile to go.

Mile 13: 7:58
Last .18: 1:15

Um, I love that last mile time!

Official Time:
1:50:20
Overall place: 19 out of 103
Female place: 10

Yeah, I beat that 1:55 goal!!! So happy with the race. So happy to be back.

And also pleased with how I felt during the race (like I was pushing but always completely within myself) and how I felt the next day and few days later. No soreness. None! And that tells me that I ran my race well.

It also tells me that I probably left a little in the tank . . . and that has me wondering what's next. Another half this fall? A full?

Time will tell my friends :-)

The truth.

I have been trying to write up a race report for the Mohawk-Hudson River Marathon that I ran three (!!!) weeks ago.

I just haven't been able to do it. I've started. I've stopped. I've gone on and on about this and that and I haven't been able to publish anything.

Why? Because it hasn't been real. It has been "my race report with a positive spin on it" and that just hasn't been cutting it this time.

You see, I'm disappointed. I was disappointed and, quite honestly, I still am.

I wanted to run under 3:55 and qualify for Boston. I wanted it so bad. I believed I could do it. And for about 21 miles I was on my way. I was doing it. And then I wasn't.

Sure, my calf cramped and that sucked. But you know what sucked even more? The fact that after I stopped and stretched and massaged my calf, I gave up.

I saw the pace group getting farther and farther away from me and instead of bucking up and trying to slowly gain back my time, I let it all go. I didn't have any push in me. For the last five miles of the race I walked a lot. I gave up on 3:55 and when I realized I'd have to really get it together to even break 4 hours, I gave up on that, too.

I just gave up.

And that is the huge disappointment.  I totally let myself down. And I feel like I let down every person who supported me and wished me well as I trained and trained for this marathon. It is a crummy feeling to have and one I need to work out if I want to go after something big again.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not all doom and gloom about my running.

I ran a freaking marathon, after all! And, my finish time of 4:05:04 was still really good. I know that. I simply wish I didn't have the breakdown. I wish I had enough mental toughness to achieve my goal.

It was still a good day. And I am grateful to my friends and family for coming out and cheering me on. Even though I didn't do what I set out to do, I finished. And there is something to be said for that!

With three of my faves -- Janis, Bridget, me, Elisa.

With my family!

So, that's the story of my marathon as I see it right now. I'll be back, I'm sure. I'm running a little -- took 10 days off and now I'm getting out for 3-5 miles here and there. I'd like to just run and take it easy for a month or so and see where I end up. That's just where I am right now.

Funny, writing about how I really feel about this marathon has already made me feel a little better!

Thanks for stopping by and reading my wah-wah race non-report!

Clove Run 10 Mile Race Report.

Saturday was the day of two runs. My main goal was my 18 mile marathon training run. But it also happened to be the day of the Clove Run, a local 10-mile race that I've run for the past few years. I really enjoy the race and was even the top female finisher back in 2011.

This year, I decided to sandwich the race in the middle of my 18-miler. I figured it would be a good opportunity to test out my marathon goal pace over an extended run. Plus, I'd get to run 18 miles in a race atmosphere.

I started out by running 2 miles by myself and then hooked up with Elisa and Bridget for a mile. Bridget had already run 4 miles by herself (she was sandwiching the race in the middle of her 16-miler) so she left us and Elisa and I ran one more mile before the race started. I quickly changed out of my super-sweaty shirt and headed to the start line.

I had a plan. I wanted to run at a steady pace, but walk the two major hills. My marathon goal pace is 8:51 so I was hoping to stick close to that for the entire race. I know myself, however, so I know that I don't always start out slow enough in my races. I tend to bolt out of the gate. On Saturday, though, I kept it in check.

Mile 1: 8:40
Mile 2: 8:33
Mile 3: 8:29

I kept telling myself to slow down but I also tried really hard to only look at my watch at the mile markers. I wanted to run by feel as much as possible.

Those first 6 miles flew by -- surprisingly.

Mile 4: 8:36
Mile 5: 8:15
Mile 6: 8:31

There's no marker for Mile 6, but there is one for the 10K, which comes right before the first big hill. Because I had been feeling so good, I almost decided to run up the whole hill. But my plan was to walk at a certain point, so walk I did! My hip thanked me for it.

At the top of the hill, there is a family that has a water stop for the runners and they were so incredibly nice! I stopped, took my gel (honey stinger) and some water, chatted with the kind family, and then ran on.

As nice as that stop was, though, it might not have been worth it. That gel did me wrong. Or maybe it was the stopping? Or combination? Something was not right because a few minutes after taking the gel I got a cramp and it stuck with me for pretty much the rest of the race. Boo!

Mile 7: 9:24
Mile 8: 8:05
Mile 9: 8:29

And then there was the last mile. Ah, yes. The last mile with that hill. I walked it all. See, the hill comes at a point in the race when you've already run 9+ miles. Who wants to run up a steep hill at that point? Not me, that's for sure.

So, I walked and then tried my best to pull out a strong finish.

Mile 10: 10:14

I ended up finishing is 1:27:19 -- an 8:45 pace overall and good enough for 3rd place in my age group!

Not too shabby!

After finishing, I continued running for 4 more (slow) miles. The cool part of running those miles was that I also got to listen to my aunt's band that was providing post-race entertainment! Pretty awesome!

In the end, I ran 18 miles with 10 of them just under marathon goal pace. I learned that I do well with nuun in my water, but still need to figure out mid-race fuel. The gels really don't work for me. I re-confirmed that my Injinji toe socks rock for long runs. Same goes for my awesome favorite running skirt.

I wish I had some race day pictures but, alas, that didn't happen!

All-in-all, a good day of running! I'm glad I ran the Clove Run -- one of my favorite races -- as part of my 18-miler. Breaking the miles up like I did (4/10/4) made them relatively easy!

Sunday was a nice little recovery run and now, today, I will rest! Hope you had a great weekend -- thanks for stopping by!

Let's remember the Run to Remember.

So, it has been, I don't know, over 3 weeks since I ran Boston's Run to Remember half marathon. Not a big deal, really, but odd for me because I like to write race reports somewhat soon after the actual races. By now, this race report is old, old news.

I guess my reporting is going the way that my training and eventual racing did.

Ah, yes. The race.

Well, let me start by saying I learned a few things about myself while running 13.1 miles in Boston. For starters, I now know that I can be one heck of a head-case during a race. Seriously. I also now know that I need to have a race goal. Doesn't have to be a stretch goal or anything aggressive. I just need a goal -- or else I turn into that head-case I mentioned.

Anyway -- race weekend started great. I went over to Boston with friends -- rode with Elisa and then Janis, Bridget, Kara and Caitlin followed us.

Janis, Elisa, me, Bridget, Kara, Caitlin.

After a few wrong turns, we made it to the expo for packet pickup. We picked up our packets, took some goofy pics, and bought t-shirts. Because that's what you when you're away for a race. Buy t-shirts.

At the Expo!

After the expo we checked-in at the hotel, hung out a bit and decided to walk over to Boston Common. It was a beautiful day and it was nice to stretch our legs on the walk and to do a little people watching.

Why on earth did we all have to put our hands on the frog?

Then, we went to dinner. We found a restaurant within walking distance and had delicious meals. Unfortunately, when we went to walk back to hotel, it was raining. What's a little rain, we asked ourselves. We're tough . . .

So we walked on. And then it started to pour. 

So we walked faster. It poured harder.

We then ran down the streets -- finding an awning, huddling under it, running on. We were drenched. Saturday night fun for the half-marathoners!

Under one of the many awnings that provided cover as we made our way back to the hotel in the pouring rain.

Sunday morning came wicked early and before I knew it we were piling into a (too small) cab on our way to the race. The Run to Remember was the largest race I've ever run. I think they said there were about 12,000 people registered for the half and the 5-mile races.

I lined up at the 8:30 pace flag. I felt so unsettled because, as I said, I had no goal. I knew that my training was not nearly strong enough to beat my PR (1:46:12) that I ran in October. And I pretty much knew that it would be hard for me to finish under 1:50. Truthfully, I wanted to. But, I told myself that anything under 1:55 would be fine. I'd be happy. Just run your own race. Run strong. Run smart.

Running through the streets of Boston was great. The first mile was tough because it was so packed. Then, I noticed I was pushing too hard so my second mile was too fast.

At some point, I went bonkers in my own head. I was having a tough time. I couldn't push the pace at all. It was a struggle run 8:30 miles. And it got in my head. By about halfway through the race, all I could think was, if running this half is this hard, how am I ever to run a marathon at an 8:45 pace? I can't do it. I might as well change my registration now and save myself tons of tears later.

Looking back, I have to wonder why my thoughts went from the present -- half-marathon in May -- to the far-away future -- marathon in October. It was not good thinking. It was defeatist and it slowed me down and made the race harder than it had to be.

Not having a goal also contributed to my nutty thinking. Sure, I lined up at the 8:30 pace flag but I also had a thought that I might be able to go faster. I ran a 48:56 10K two weeks before the half-marathon so I kinda thought I might be able to go under 1:50. But my training had been all over the place so I just wasn't confident. And I had no plan.

Wah, wah, wah.

In the end, I crossed the line in 1:51:18. It was a tough 1:51. Mentally, very tough.

I wasn't disappointed in my time but I was really disappointed in my mental attitude while I was running and how I let myself think such negative thoughts over and over and over again during the race. It was unlike me and it was not good!

What was good, however, was watching Kara finish her first half marathon. After grabbing some refreshments, I made my way up to the meeting spot and eventually met up with the rest of my friends. We were able to watch Kara run to the finish and I cheered for her with all my might. It was terrific! She did great.

So did everyone else! Caitlin ran her first half-marathon, too, but I didn't get to see her finish. Overall, it was a great time.

Finishers!

After the race, we cleaned up, put on our new t-shirts, and headed out to stuff our faces with lots of yummy, greasy food! Post-race food is the best.

And then we headed home and race weekend was over. But, no worries, we're already planning the next one!

Here's a look at my mile splits:

Mile 1: 8:49
Mile 2: 7:46
Mile 3: 7:59
Mile 4: 8:15
Mile 5: 8:01
Mile 6: 8:20
Mile 7: 8:31
Mile 8: 8:20
Mile 9: 8:25
Mile 10: 8:21
Mile 11: 8:35
Mile 12: 8:45
Mile 13: 8:18
last .1: 8:03 pace

OK, so, those aren't bad splits, which makes my negative thoughts during the race even worse. Well, I guess I know what I have to work on this summer! My mental game. For sure.

Overall time: 1:51:18
Overall pace: 8:30
Age group place (female, 40-49): 89 out of 828


Thanks for sticking around and reading my long race report! If you have any tried-and-true tips for improving your mental game, hit me up. I can use all the help I can get!

In the meantime, have a great day!

The Spring Runoff 10K.

So far, this here month of May is shaping up to be a good one.

On Saturday, I ran a 10K. Not a goal race, not even a race I'd been planning to run. Just a 10K that had been on my mind for a bit and that I decided earlier in the week to run.

I went to the race with Bridget and Janis and we met up with Kara at the registration table and set out to run 2 miles before the race started. We did -- but those 2+ miles were goofy. We ran with our goody bags back to Bridget's car. Break. Then we ran for about a mile until we hit the bathrooms. Another break. Then we ran toward Kara's car -- only we couldn't get there because we went the wrong way and it ended up that there were train tracks in our way and we had no interest in jumping them! So, another break.

Finally, we hit the starting line warmed-up from our almost 2.5 miles.

I said good luck to my friends and kept my eye out for my cousin, Kate. I found her and her boyfriend, Felix, and their friend Kyla just before the race started. After the start, I ran with Felix for about a minute before he sped off (and finished in a wicked fast 45:14 -- 7th overall!).

Look at me, hanging with the 20-somethings --

Me, Kate, Kyla, Felix

I had it in my mind that I would try to run 8 minute miles and that I would restrain myself and run a slower first half than second.

Now, if you've ever read one of my race reports, you know that I am just about the worst race starter there is. I start too fast. Pretty much every single time I race. Seriously.

On Saturday, though, I paced myself and ran a smart, strong, solid race. Check out the splits for my first 3 miles:

Mile 1: 8:00
Mile 2: 7:50
Mile 3: 7:51

The race was an out-and-back course, going out for a 5K and then turning around at a cone and going back to the finish for 5K. At the turn-around, a nice volunteer yelled out our 5K splits. Mine was 24:39.

Heading back, I got to see all my friends who were racing and give them some high-5s. It was so invigorating! I think that boost helped me run a faster second half. Well, that and holding myself back for those first miles.

Here are the rest of my mile splits:

Mile 4: 7:45
Mile 5: 7:46
Mile 6: 7:47
last .2: 7:43 pace

Hello, negative splits! I love it.

My friend Elisa made me smile with about a half mile to go.

 
It was a great race. I felt like I was definitely pushing myself, but also running well within my capabilities. The only downer was that my wonky pelvis couldn't contain itself and I felt discomfort in my right hip and hamstring for most of the race. Not cool.

I didn't dwell too much on that because I was busy cheering enthusiastically for my friends and family as they crossed the finish line!

Strong Running Mamas! Jennifer, Janis, me, Kara, Bridget, Elisa

Bridget, Janis and I had to book-it home so we took off before wishing friends -- including our best cheerleader, Elisa -- good luck in the 5K. And then we took our racers' highs out into the world of baseball games and birthday parties. You know, the regular weekend mom stuff!

Here are my race stats:

Overall time: 48:56
Overall pace: 7:53
Age group (F 40-49): 1 out of 15
Overall female: 5 out of 76
Overall place: 15 out of 127

Oh! That's right, I was first in my age group. How's that for a good race?

Now, I'm feeling all kinds of ready for the half-marathon. Just 3 weeks to go!

Thanks for stopping by -- and have a great week!

Gimme a B!

On Friday, I posted my goals for the Runnin' of the Green 4-mile race. I wanted to run a solid, fast-ish pace. But, I was also a little nervous because I am trying to crawl back from injury. Plus, I'm training for that half marathon and had 8 miles on my schedule for Saturday and decided to run 3 of them before the race.

So I wasn't totally sure what to expect from the race!

Kara, Bridget and me before the race.

I met up with Bridget and Kara to run 2 miles. Then Bridget  and I went out for 1 more mile to give us the full 3 before the race started. My cousins Kate and Josh and Kate's boyfriend, Felix, were also running the race. I was happy to find them before the race and we chatted for a bit before lining up.

When the gun went off, I just ran. I was pushing myself, for sure, but I was also letting myself fall into a good race pace. About a half mile or so into the race, Felix ran up to me and we ran together for maybe 3/4 of a mile or so. It was good to run with him -- but I knew he had a faster goal in mind than I did so I told him to run on because I didn't want to hold him back.

He ran off and I settled into a good pace. I went through the 2-mile mark at 15:32 and felt really strong. Sure, my hip and hamstring were complaining a bit, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I had worried it would be. Phew!

For some reason, I had a lot of pep in the third mile. I started passing people right and left and ended up running that mile in 7:18. Huh.

I then held on to the end. I could tell I'd started at a good pace for me because I was not dying at the end! Such an oddity for me -- I'm usually falling apart at the end of races! Feeling strong is a much better way to go.

That's me running to the finish!

I finished in 30:36 gun time, 30:26 net. You know what's cool about that? My second half was 28 seconds faster than my first. Woo hoo!

And . . . that time was a solid B from my race goals. I'd set the B goal of running 31:56 or better (just under 8 min miles) and my 30:26 was just that.

Yes, I fully admit that at 3 miles I was doing the math to see if I could push myself and run under 30 minutes. But, you know what? I'm glad I didn't. While I would have liked to finish closer to last year's time (29:37), I didn't want to make my injury worse. I wanted to run a strong, smart race, not a foolish one!

Felix ended up with a super time, running 29:23! Josh ran 34:16 and Kate ran 44:30; Bridget ran 35:44 and Kara ran 43:16. Yay!

After the race, Bridget and I stuck to our plan and ran an additional mile to get us to 8 for the day. After that, I went home and prepped for a fun St. Patrick's Day party at our neighbors' house. Overall, quite the fun day!

Race stats:

Official (net) time: 30:26 
Pace: 7:37/mile
Gun time: 30:36

First half split (2-miles): 15:32
Second half split: 15:04

Overall place: 155 out of 652
Overall female: 42 out of 383
Age group (female, 40-49): 16

Now, I'm itching for that next race. I only have the half marathon on my schedule for this spring but, jeez . . . I think I might have to add another!! We'll see.

Well, thanks for stopping by -- have a great week, everyone!

Mohawk Hudson Half Marathon race report.

I wanted to run an awesome race and, in some ways, I did. I'd like to say I sailed smoothly over the 13.1 miles of the half marathon on Sunday but, honestly, I didn't.

I sailed smoothly for about 7 miles. But, then . . . well, then I struggled. I struggled for 6 miles, willing myself to run toward my A goal (1:46:58 or better!).

Fortunately, my day started surrounded by lots of friends and Strong Running Mamas. Here's a bunch of us at the start:

Go, Strong Running Mamas, go!

I lined up in the middle/front at the start line and told myself to run strong, but start slow. I have trouble holding back at the beginning of races and I wanted to try to rein myself in.

It didn't happen. See, I'd made a tactical error leading up to the race: I'd entered my recent 5K time into one of those race time predictor calculators and I'd seen what time I (according to the calculators) should be able to run a half marathon. Low 1:40s.

Low 1:40? Well, heck. If that's the prediction, shouldn't I be able to run 1:45, no problem? Should I make a new goal? Skip the A goal and go right to an A+ of 1:45???

1:45 . . . so tempting. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to sell myself short, but I also didn't want to run too hard and blow up at the end and miss setting a new PR.

After all the back and forth, I started the race like a fool.

7:51, 7:34, 7:42, 7:48, 7:37 . . .

The first five miles ticked by and I felt great. Great! Effortless. I loved every minute of those first five foolhardy miles and I foolishly led Foolish Self to believe that, yes, I could hold that 7:45-ish pace for-evah.

Running happy!

Around mile 5, I tried to take a gel and -- blech -- it didn't work. I got a little bit down but could barely swallow it and could stomach it even less. I guess I just can't handle gels during races. Lesson learned (for about, oh, the tenth time . . . ).

Anyway, mile 6 and 7 were still strong but I remember hitting the mile 7 marker and thinking, holy crow. I still have 6 miles to go. I might not make it.

I started doing the math and freaking myself out. 6 miles. That's 60 minutes, if I run the rest of the race at a 10 minute pace. One. Whole. Hour. I can't run for an hour! I don't have another freaking hour of running in me! 

No worries, Happy Runner! I replied to Freaked Out Self, You're running faster than that! 50 minutes. Just run 6 miles in 50 minutes. You can do it!

I could barely do it.

I was fading with each mile and by mile 10 I really needed a gel but couldn't risk it. By mile 11 my legs felt like lead and I was pretty convinced that my A goal was out of reach. I simply couldn't muster any more speed. 

And then I heard a cheer. It was my friend and Strong Running Mama, Melissa H. with her daughter, Mia. Melissa was not running because her body's working hard growing a baby -- but she was out on the course cheering. Hard. She put a smile on my face and gave me some much needed pep.

Not far from Melissa were two other friends and SRMs, Danielle and Melissa D. Another smile. A little more pep.

With maybe a tenth of a mile to go, I was locked in. I saw the clock and I knew if I pushed it I could get my PR.

Pushing it to the finish.

I got it.

1:46:17 -- a 42-second PR!!!

I was so happy. So. Wildly. Happy.

I ran a foolish race but still pulled it off. I couldn't even run back in June but I still pulled it off. I had doubted myself many times over the past month but I still pulled it off.

Pulling it off ROCKS.

And you what else rocks? Friends.

Like Bridget, who rocked the race to a HUGE PR of 1:58:

Happy PR runners!

And Janis, who didn't run but still came out to cheer and snap happy pictures of her pals:

That's me with great friends, Janis and Bridget.

And Jen, who ran her first half marathon; Darlene, who climbed back from injuries to run; Karyn, who put up a big PR of 1:56; and Karyn's SIL, Eileen, who drove up from Long Island to run with her:

Jen, Darlene, me, Karyn, Karyn's SIL, Eileen

And many more (like all those SRM in the first picture -- and the awesome cheerers!!).

But, back to the race. Overall, a tough race with a terrific result. Now, you can take a look at my embarrassing splits:

Mile 1: 7:51
Mile 2: 7:34
Mile 3: 7:42
Mile 4: 7:48
Mile 5: 7:37
Mile 6: 7:50
Mile 7: 8:00
Mile 8: 8:13
Mile 9: 8:24
Mile 10: 8:25
Mile 11: 8:24
Mile 12: 8:35
Mile 13: 8:14
last .1: 8:03 pace

Tale of two races, huh? Yeah. I need to work on my pacing -- obviously!

Here are my stats:

Overall (net) time: 1:46:17
Pace: 8:07 per mile
Overall place: 121 out of 800
Age group place (F, 40-44): 6 out of 92

And with that, I'm resting up. My plan is to take the whole week off to ensure that I give my hip ample time to recover so I don't risk re-injury. I will probably run on Saturday or Sunday and then I'll see what's up next. I'm contemplating a 15K in a month but I'll decide on that later.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

YOUth Make a Difference 5K race report.

No suspense here: I had an awesome race on Saturday and set a new PR!

It was great. The race took place in my town, just 5 minutes from my house. We headed over early so Conal could run the 1 mile run and then I'd run the 5K afterward. 

Conal and me before the race, Conal running strong through the finish line and then sporting his medal.

A 1-mile race is a big deal for a little kid but Conal ran strong! Yes, he took walk breaks but then he started back up and he ended up finishing in 12:17. I was so proud of my little runner!

After that race, I lined up for mine. My plan was to try to run hard and see what kind of speed I have going into the last month of half marathon training. I've run only two fast workouts since coming back from my injury (my fast mile and a recent tempo run when I ran 2 miles in 15:15) so I didn't know exactly what to expect.

I started out faster than I probably should have, going through the first mile in 6:53.

Yikes! I have to admit I was cursing myself a little (OK, a lot) after that fast start. I had to hold on. So I kept pushing through the second mile and I went through it in 7:04.

A drop-off for sure, but not too bad.

The third mile, though, was tough. I was ready to be done and my internal conversation was not all that positive. I kept telling myself I'd blown it. That I had 2-mile speed and that was about it. That I just needed to stop.

But, thankfully, I didn't stop. I kept running and I went through the third mile in 7:14. I picked it up at the end to finish as strong as I could, running the last tenth of a mile at 6:20 pace and finishing the race in 21:37!

A new PR!!!

I never in a million years thought I would have been able to run that fast right now. I've been so worried about re-injuring my hip that I've been very, very conservative with my training. I believe that has been a good plan because, now, here I am running and racing strong!


Race stats:

Overall time: 21:37
Pace: 6:58/mile
Age group place (female, 40-49): 2 out of 30
Gender place: 8 out of 151
Overall place: 18 out of 241  

I followed up the race with a nice and easy (and very hilly!) 10 mile run with Bridget and Elisa at the crack of dawn on Sunday. My legs felt heavy but it was a good run with friends and it felt good to get the miles in.

Nice weekend of running for this happy runner!

Have a great week, everyone!

Freihofer's Run for Women 5K spectator report.

The Freihofer's Run for Women in Albany is one of my favorite races. It's an all-women race that draws a huge local crowd, as well as some of the best elite runners in the world.

Plus, it was the first race that the women I trained back in 2010 ever ran.

So, I was a bit sad to not be able to run this year. I wanted to. I registered. But my bum hip kept me away from the starting line. It didn't, however, keep me away from the race.

On Saturday, I was a full-on spectator with my friend, Elisa:

We positioned ourselves just before the 3 mile mark so we could cheer for all of our strong running mama friends -- and everyone else who was kicking it to the finish line.

It was great fun. I loved watching my friends run by and seeing the pride in all of the runners' faces was inspiring. It was a hot day -- 79 degrees at the start -- and you could tell the run was tough for a lot of the runners. But they ran on. Awesome.

Here's a pre-race shot of several of us from Strong Running Mamas. Everyone looks so fast. Elisa and I look so, civilian.

Ah, well. Next year I hope to be back at the Freihofer's, speeding down the Madison Ave hill instead of lamely walking it.

Fingers crossed!

Have a great week, everyone!

More/Fitness Half Marathon race report.

So, on Friday, I wrote this about the race:

"Whatever happens, as long as I run a smart race for the day and the situation, I'll be pleased."

I wasn't lying. And, fortunately, I ended up pretty pleased with my race.

But let me backup before I get to the finish.

The More/Fitness Half Marathon is an all-women race that takes place in Central Park in Manhattan. I traveled with my good friends Bridget and Elisa down to NYC  on Saturday morning. We spent the day walking around the city, eating, going to the Expo, eating, people watching, taking in the sights, and eating some more. Really, we did a lot of eating.

Bridget, Elisa and me

After a pretty rotten night's sleep (as is to be expected the night before a race!) we woke up at 6:00 to get ready for the race. 

We walked up to the start and met up with some of our fellow Strong Running Mamas and, of course, snapped a quick pic:

Go, Strong Running Mamas!

Soon enough it was time to start the race. I had a plan, as I'd outlined on Friday. Run a smart race. Pace myself. Shoot for 1:55 or better. 

I tried. I felt so good as the race started and I knew that there were some big hills so I tried my best to keep my pace under control. I think I did a pretty good job:


Mile 1: 8:16
Mile 2: 8:04
Mile 3: 7:43 

I had told myself not to run under 8:00 pace and, actually, I wanted to be closer to 8:30 for those early miles so I didn't quite stick to the plan. But, that happens, right?

Anyway, around mile 3.5 is the biggest hill of the race and, yes, it is big. And long. However, I run hills all the time so it didn't seem nearly as bad as everyone said it would be. It was followed by a nice downhill and then a few additional hills before the course brought us through the start line again for the second loop.

Mile 4: 8:04
Mile 5: 8:42 (grabbed some water to add to my bottle)
Mile 6: 7:49 

At the halfway mark I was still feeling good, although I was getting pretty warm because I'd dressed in a long sleeve top and it was getting sunnier and sunnier. 

My original plan was to run conservatively over the first half of the course so I wouldn't burn out and fall off pace for the second half. I didn't run quite as conservatively as I'd planned, but I did keep things under control so, fortunately, I held my pace fairly well as we made our way through the second loop.

Mile 7: 8:16
Mile 8: 8:22
Mile 9: 7:53
Mile 10: 8:19


After going through the 10-mile mark, I felt like I was guaranteed a sub 1:55 finish (which was my A goal).   All I had to do was run 10-minute miles for the last 3.1 and I'd have it. 

No problem!

Except . . . well, I'd had a stomach cramp for pretty much the whole race. It wasn't that bad and I'd been able to ignore it. Until right around mile 10. That cramp kicked-in big time and I knew I had to figure out a way to ignore it so I wouldn't let myself slow down. I needed to keep going, keep up the pace, finish strong.

Cramp, be damned!

Mile 11: 8:34
Mile 12: 8:05 
Mile 13: 8:17

I was holding on. As we turned toward the finish line at mile 13, I saw that I was running right behind Mika Brzezinski, the Morning Joe co-host, who was co-hosting the race (with Allison Sweeney from The Biggest Loser). Everyone was cheering for her and I let all the cheers carry me through. 

(I ended up finishing 20-seconds in front of Mika and about 10 minutes in front of Allison. How cool!)

Last .32 miles: 7:33 pace
(my Garmin registered 13.32 miles so I did a little extra zigzagging out on the course . . . oh, well!)

More/Fitness Half Marathon, done! And done well. 

I crossed the finish line with a smile on my face, knowing that I'd run well and was feeling great. Sure, I'd pushed myself but I didn't feel spent. All that and I finished less than two minutes slower than my PR -- on a hillier, more crowded course.

I couldn't be happier about the race!

Here are my stats:

Official time: 1:48:46 (8:19 pace)

Overall place: 575 out of 7,550
Age group place: 56 out of 1,096

I met back up with Bridget and Elisa -- both of whom ran strong and enjoyed the race as well -- and we walked back to the hotel. We were slightly ridiculous in our back-patting but we felt pretty proud of ourselves and enjoyed basking in our accomplishment. After cleaning up, and doing a little more patting ourselves on the back, we headed home.

It was a super weekend! Great race, great friends. I'm already thinking about planning a race weekend away for next spring! Why not, right? Right!

Thanks for reading -- and for the good luck wishes before this race! 

Runnin' of the Green (Island) race report.

Saturday was my first race on the spring season, and my first since New Year's Day: The Runnin' of the Green (Island) 4 miles.

Last year, this race was terrific. The weather was perfect (I ran in a skirt and a tank top), a bunch of my friends ran it, and I ran a distance PR of 29:05.

This year, the race was still great but a few things were different. For starters, it was freezing and windy on Saturday. And I did not run a PR, which is totally OK since I wasn't going for one.

I was, however, going for a solid race. I wanted to run as steady as possible and not blow up in the last mile. Ideally, I wanted to finish in 30 minutes or faster.

For all of those loose goals, the race was a success!

I went to the race with Bridget, who was running it for the first time. We got there in plenty of time, picked up our packets and then raced back to the warmth of her car to figure out how many layers to wear. After re-layering, we made our way to the start and we were off.

With Bridget, before the start of the race. We were sporting our green!

I started in the middle, to make sure I didn't go out too fast and it ended up being a good plan. I pretty much passed people the whole race -- what a boost! I felt really good the whole way, with the exception of my breathing. Because it was so cold, my breath was more labored than is normal for a race and I couldn't breathe through my nose at all. Fortunately, it wasn't much of a problem.

At the end of the race, the route turns and you run a long straight-away where you can see the finish line from fairly far off. It is deceiving. On one hand, you're sooooooo close to the finish line so you want to run hard and be done. On the other hand, you're still far enough away that if you run too hard, you risk burning up before the finish line.

So, I pushed it a little when I saw the end and just tried to hold it. Once I was truly close, I pushed harder and finished strong.

As I said, not a PR, but well under my ideal of 30:00! A good race!

Here are my stats:

Official time: 29:37

Overall pace: 7:24
Mile 1: 7:23
Mile 2: 7:16
Mile 3: 7:19
Mile 4: 7:29
extra distance on Garmin: :10

Overall place: 159 out of 664
Gender place: 43 out of 353
Age group place (female, 40-49): 14 out of . . . hmm . . . not sure.

I'll take it.

Hope you all had a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by.

My naked and free New Year's Day race!

No, I was not foolish enough to race in 20-something degree weather without clothes.

I did, however, race without my Garmin. In a race where there were no mile markers, no on-course timing, nothing. In terms of time, I was a naked racer.

Running naked -- you know, sans Garmin -- is one thing. But racing? Totally different. I felt so . . . weird. I almost felt a little lost because I had no idea how far or how long I had been running. No idea about my pace. Very weird.

Yesterday's race was part of the winter series put on by the local Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club. The races take place at the SUNY Albany and state office campuses -- notorious wind tunnels. And, yes, the course was pretty windy yesterday. And cold.

But I am so glad I got out there and ran!

Before the race, I saw a bunch of friends -- Bridget (we drove there together), Tami, Melissa, Karen, Deb, Jenny, Rebecca -- a real treat. Some were running the half marathon (which I ran last year and vowed to never run again -- the half marathon course is dreadful) and the rest of us were running the 3.5-miler.

Since I was a naked runner, I set out to just run at a steady and comfortable-yet-pushing-it pace. I paid attention to my breathing, letting how that felt determine how much I pushed, how much I pulled back.

I felt good for the whole run. I was just running, even though, yes, it was a race. It was a nice way to run a race, actually.

In the end, I finished in 27:27, which is a 7:51 pace. After talking to several people after the race, it appears the course was more like 3.7/3.75, not the 3.5 as advertised. So, if that was the case, my pace was around 7:20.

To be honest, it felt more like I was running a 7:20-ish pace than a 7:50 pace. Regardless, I'm pleased with how I ran -- all naked and free!

(The free part, by the way, is the best part -- the winter series races are free for club members! Yay for free races!)

With Bridget after the race.

Welcome, 2013! I hope you bring many more days of racing fun!

Happy New Year, everyone! 

~ Felice

Valatie Veteran's Day 5K race report.

I had planned to run a 10K on Long Island this past Saturday. But superstorm Sandy made a mess of the island so the race was canceled. And we ended up canceling our trip, which was a good move. One of my brothers-in-law, his wife, and their young son were displaced by the storm, and will be for probably the rest of this year. So, they popped up this weekend for a visit and to get a little break.

In between canceling our trip and making the new plans, I signed up for a small local 5K. And I talked Bridget in to running it as well. So, even though my BIL, Glenn, and his family were here, I still managed to get in a race.

I'm thrilled that I did.

Bridget and I got to the Valatie Veteran's Day 5K about a half hour before the race started, picked up our shirts and our bibs and booked it back to the car because it was so much colder than we had expected. We sat around for a little while and then I decided to take off for a quick warm-up and she met up with our friend Karen who was also running the race.

After meeting back up, we went to the starting line and with a loud, "On your mark. Get set. Runners go!" we were off.

I wanted to run a strong race and I hoped to finish under 23 minutes, if not close to my PR.

My first mile was conservative. I ran in a pack for that first mile, slowly passing all of the runners in that pack. Then the sun came out and the course turned on to a really pretty country road and I was running mostly alone. I could see a pack ahead of me and part of me wanted to try to close the gap, but the other (smarter) part of me decided I needed to heed my own advice and run my own race.

That's what I did. I picked up the pace a smidge over the second mile and then, in the third mile, poured it on. With about a half mile to go, I started to feel like I was going to get a PR.

And then, right around mile 3, I came to the hill. Not a long hill, but a steepish hill and just something that, honestly, I didn't want to run up at the end of a 5K in which I'd been pushing my pace.

But I did.

And I finished strong.

Coming in to the finish line.

22:18 and a new PR!

My old PR, set in August, was 22:42. Yup, on Saturday I smashed that old record!

Man, I was psyched. After finishing, I grabbed a water and a banana and went back to cheer for Karen and Bridget. I somehow missed Karen crossing the line, but I saw Bridget, who also set a new PR of 25:58! Yay!

What makes my performance so good, to me, is that I felt strong the entire way and ran negative splits, well, except for the last bit. Check it out:

Mile 1: 7:20
Mile 2: 7:10
Mile 3: 6:58
Last .1: 8:05 pace (yeah, the hill got me!)

Overall pace: 7:11

Pretty cool. Like I said, it was a small race -- only 135 people. I ended up finishing 15th overall, 5th female, and 1st in my age group. Not too shabby.

I was very pleased. Very, very pleased. The rest of the weekend was terrific too!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all had a great weekend!

~ Felice

Mohawk Hudson River Half Marathon race report.

I really, honestly wasn't sure what to expect from this race. I wanted to go after a PR but I my confidence was a little shot. First, there was the tough ZOOMA half marathon two weeks ago. And then I spent the better part of last week battling a wicked cold that, as of yesterday morning, was not backing down.

But the weather was pretty close to perfect -- chilly, overcast, dry. And the race was close to home. I'd also learned some lessons from the ZOOMA race and was determined to apply them in order to run strong.

So, after much thought, I went ahead and printed out a 1:48:00 pace band so I could better my PR of 1:48:27.

I reviewed my race report from the Clove Run 10-miler, noting my conservative first miles and my fairly consistent splits. I felt terrific in that race and finished very well. It was nearly a perfect run. I wanted to build on that strong race for yesterday's half so I told myself to run conservatively and consistently. Hit your paces. Don't speed. You can do it.

Yesterday morning, I woke up at 6 and had a banana and a glass of water, then a plain English muffin with butter and a cup of coffee. At 7:15 I picked up Bridget and we drove to our friend Karyn's house so her husband could drop us and two other friends off at the start.

That's me with Bridget, Karyn, Kristy and Danielle -- Karyn, Kristy and Danielle were all running their FIRST half-marathon!

The starting area was packed but we met up with tons of other friends:

Go, Strong Running Mamas!!!

I lined up at the start by myself because I felt like I needed to just be alone for this race. I needed to run my own race from start to finish. And that's what I did.

I took off with the starting gun and kept telling myself to hold back. Conservative and consistent. Conservative and consistent. It was tough to do because I felt so good!

And then it happened.

I passed the 5 mile marker, took a gel and about a minute after I gelled -- bam! I stepped into a pot hole, twisted my ankle and fell. I didn't let the fall break my stride much at all and I got right back into my running rhythm as quickly as I could but, man. It threw me off. I was nervous and my heart was racing. My ankle hurt and so did my left hand, where I had landed.

I can't believe this is happening. What is it with me and mid-race mishaps?!?!

I couldn't let it bother me. I had 8 more miles to go and I was running strong. So what if I had a twisted ankle? I had to keep on keeping on because I knew I had a PR in me. I knew it.

The next 5 miles still felt great and I found myself passing a few people and that certainly buoyed my spirits. At mile 10, I took another gel and blech. I couldn't swallow it. I don't know what it was but that gel felt like poison in my mouth. I forced it down, took a swig of water and decided not to bother with the rest of the gel. As it was, the amount that I took just sat in my stomach and made me feel pretty gross.

The last three miles were not easy. I slowed down quite a bit and really had to push myself. I pulled out every inspirational phrase I could remember and begged myself not to give up.

With one mile to go, it really was too late to give up and I knew I could hit my goal. Also, my friend Tami had done something really special for all of us strong running mamas: At two points along the course, she wrote a message for us in chalk, the second message was in the last mile and just what I needed.

As I neared the finish line, I saw some friends cheering -- Tami and Nicole -- then my dad with my two boys and right after I crossed I saw Owen, who immediately told me I did great.

My fans :-)

According to the race clock, I finished in 1:47:12! Later, I checked my official (net) time, which was 1:46:59! I broke 1:47 and I couldn't be happier!! 

Finishing!

Post-race.

What a difference two weeks makes!

After eating a banana, I cheered for the rest of my friends as they crossed the line, including Bridget, Elisa, and Angela, who all set big PRs; Karyn, Danielle, Kristy and Melissa, who rocked their first half-marathons; and Gail and Lara, who ran super strong!

What a great day.

When's my next race?

Race details:

Net time: 1:46:59
Overall place: 122 out of 764
Age group place (F, 40-44): 7 out of 100

My splits:

Mile 1: 8:18 (started with the gun, 8:05 from starting line)
Mile 2: 7:57
Mile 3: 7:57
Mile 4: 7:54
Mile 5: 7:42
Mile 6: 8:05
Mile 7: 8:06
Mile 8: 8:10
Mile 9: 8:07
Mile 10: 8:14
Mile 11: 8:33
Mile 12: 8:26
Mile 13: 8:25
last .1: 7:49 pace

Happy finishers! Bridget, me, Elisa.

Janis didn't run the half this year -- since she's carrying twins -- but she was there to cheer!

Overall, it was a great day. As for my ankle, well, that's not so great. I've been icing it like crazy but it is still swollen.

Oh, well! At least it got me through the race!

And with that, I am done. Thanks for stopping by and reading my long race report. I hope you all had a great weekend!

~ Felice