A look back at 2013.

Here we are two weeks into 2014 and I'm finally sitting down to take a look back at 2013. Fun, fun.

2013 was quite a year for me! Let's start with a brief look at my stats:

Total mileage: 903

Number of races: 7 

There was some good and some bad in 2013. On the bad side, I suffered probably my worst running injury to date. I tore two muscles in my hip and couldn't run for two months. As a result, I had to bag my fall marathon plans and was worried I wouldn't race at all in the fall. But, I was fairly good about my recovery efforts and I came back strong with a 5K PR in September and a half marathon PR in October.

Overall, the whole injury thing taught me a little more about patience and a good bit about listening to my body and importance of cross-training. Which, I am happy to report, I have embraced. 2013 was definitely the year of cross-training and I believe I am stronger because of it. Thanks, injury!

2013 was also the year of my new way of eating. My doctor prescribed a no grain, no sugar diet for me in January. At the same time, I had to go off of dairy -- not by his prescription, but because he put me on two different antibiotics, three times a day and dairy interferes with the absorption. So, no dairy for me.

I stuck with the diet and the antibiotics for three months and then slowly started to let the dietary changes go. Bad idea. The diet was tough, but it had a positive effect on my Lyme symptoms so going off of it was just silly. After a few weeks, I met with the doctor again and he told me I needed to stick with the new way of eating for at least a year, to let my body fully heal.

So, I went for it and eventually adopted a mostly Paleo way of eating, which I'm continuing with for the foreseeable future.

And now, a quick look at the year in pictures:

With my boys and my new niece in February.

With Bridget before the Running of the Green 4 miler in March.

Stroller running!

Strong Running Mamas at the More/Fitness half marathon in NYC in April.

Putting a positive spin on my injury and spectating the Freihofer's Run for Women with Elisa in May.

Back to running! With Bridget and Elisa after the Clove Run 10 miler in August.

The Youth Make a Difference 5K and kids run -- my new 5K PR -- in September.

Smiling my way to a new half marathon PR in October.

What will 2014 bring? Well, we shall see. I'm hoping for lots of fun miles with friends, some great races, maybe a PR or two, and -- this is a big one -- no injuries. I'll do my best to make it all happen, that's for sure!

Thanks for stopping by. Cheers to 2014!

 

November recap.

November was a month of re-focusing for me. August, September and October were so up-and-down for me. Although I ran half marathons in September and October, I didn't run much in the weeks after each of them. So, my mileage was down.

I just needed to be consistent again. And that is what happened in November: I was much more consistent, with every week a 20+ mile week.

Sure, I need breaks now and then but I've learned a few things about myself and one of those things is that I run my best and feel my best when I am running consistently. One other thing I've learned is that trying to do a plank every day is waaaaaaaay too much pressure for me. The pressure of having to do planks has completely turned me off and I think I did a grand total of 3 all month. I believe in them, however, so from  now on I plan to do them when I feel like it -- shooting for at least twice a week. We'll see how that goes!

Anyway, here's a look at my month of November:

Running (miles): 87.8
Races: 1 -- the Valatie Veteran's Day 5K, where I set a new PR! (22:18)
Cross training (sessions): 4
Planks: 3

Love that new PR!

Now: Welcome, December! I kicked the month off with 5+ miles on Saturday and 3.5 on Sunday. In between, I enjoyed a fun night out with two great friends (and our husbands):

And capped-off the weekend with a birthday dinner for my dad last night.

Great way to start the month!

How was your November? Do you have big plans for December?

Have a great week, everyone!

~ Felice

Our Towne Bethlehem Turkey Trot race report.

Well, no suspense here. I've already shouted-out about my race result. So, now, let me tell you about the race.

I was feeling pretty uncertain about the whole thing because my left hamstring/knee/calf had kept me off of running for a full week before the race. But, after that week of resting and icing and foam rolling, my leg was feeling better and I was confident that running a 5K wouldn't be a problem.

I met up with Bridget and Janis early Thursday morning and we were off to the race. For a new turkey trot (just in its second year) it was pretty crowded but the packet pick-up was well organized and we were in and out of the line quickly. We found Bridget's friend, Cortney, who was visiting from the DC area and hung out until the race started. Here we all are:

Keep your eyes open, Happy Runner! Ugh.
(That's Cortney, Janis, me, and Bridget)

I ran a quick mile warm-up and my legs felt fine. I lined up in the big crowd, chatted with another runner who was just coming back from knee surgery and then, 15 minutes late, we were off!

The course is quite flat but extremely twisty. In fact, just past the start line the course made a sharp left turn and that caused a bit of tripping and bumping but soon the pack thinned out and I was running a nice comfortable pace.

Let me point out that the Our Towne Bethlehem Turkey Trot is a very low-key, sorta old school race. There were no mile splits. No chip timing. Just a start line and a finish line with a clock. Record your own time, runners!

That was fine for me because I had no goal other than to run well. But, I admit that I peeked at my Garmin a few times. Toward the end of the first mile I saw my speed and told myself to pick it up. Sure, I was feeling the pain in my hamstring and knee a little bit but, otherwise, I felt great and was running a flat course, so there was no reason not to try to run faster.

So I did. After a 7:28 first mile, I ran the second in 7:08 and the third in 7:09. I picked up the pace at the end, running 6:51 pace.

Funny, I had just recently written about how I have a hard time running negative splits! Not on Thanksgiving!

I crossed the finish line in 22:05 -- Garmin time and clock time. A HUGE PR! (My previous best was 22:51.) But also an asterisk PR, I'm afraid.

As I said, this race was old school, with no chip timing. And, they didn't compile the results. So, my time is my time but I am the only one who knows for sure what I ran.

In other words, I'm placing it in the "unofficial PR" category. I know I ran 22:05 but there is no official record of that time. So, unofficial it is.

After I crossed the finish line, I grabbed a banana and some water and then went for a mile cool-down jog. I met up with Bridget and Janis, who both ran great races, and we headed home.

My leg feels more-or-less OK after the race. I still feel the pain on and off, but it is not even close to as bad as it had been. I'm still icing and stretching and foam rolling, but I am also running. On Sunday, I had a great 5-miler and then, yesterday, I ran another solid 5 miles while pushing my toddler in the jogging stroller. Today, my leg feels fine.

Overall, I'm happy that I didn't bag out of the race. After all, I would have missed out on a nice PR!

But let me ask: Would you count a non-chip timed PR as a PR?

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Felice

Trotting to a new 5K PR!

You know what I liked about yesterday's turkey trot? My new 5K PR!

22:05!!!

My splits:

Mile 1: 7:28

Mile 2: 7:08

Mile 3: 7:09

last .1: 6:51 pace

Race report to come. Until then, have a great weekend everyone!

~ Felice

Rockville Centre 10K race report

Normally when I have a race coming up, I get a little obsessed. I worry about the weather. Worry if I'm prepared. Worry about reaching my goals.

Not this time.

On Saturday, I ran a low-stress (for me) 10K. But let me backup so you can see how really low stress the whole thing was.

On Friday, Owen, the kids and I went to Long Island for a family visit. When we planned the trip, Owen mentioned that it was also the weekend of the big local race -- a 5K and 10K that runs right by my mother-in-law's house. He suggested that I run it. Hmmm . . . not a bad idea.

So, a week or two ago, I signed up and planned to race on Saturday. As it happened, one of Owen's friends was playing guitar at a bar in town on Friday so we decided to do that, too. We put the baby to bed,  left Grandma with the kids and headed out. To a crowded bar. Yay, us!

Owen knew every other person in the bar so it was a great time. Two drinks and a few hours of standing on pointy-toed boots later, I left him at the bar with his pals and I went back to my MIL's house to try to get a decent night's sleep before the race.

No such luck.

Owen got back -- late -- and that woke me up and kept me up for a good hour. Then, the boys woke up  -- early --  and had no interest in going back to sleep. So, we were all up and at 'em by 6. I couldn't really spend much time worrying or preparing because I had all sorts of mom stuff to do.

At 9:40, Owen drove me to the starting line and I fell in with the crowd. I knew that I wanted to run a PR and was hoping for a sub-48 minute finish. But, I didn't know exactly what to expect, given that I had stayed out later than I had planned to the night before, and had worn those completely impractical pointy-toed boots.

I didn't worry. I just went for it.

The first two miles of the 10K were run with the 5K and I told myself -- repeatedly -- not to get caught up in the 5K pace. That's just too fast.

I did it anyway. I definitely ran too fast for the first two miles. Bad move, Happy Runner.

Shortly after the 5Kers split off, I came upon my cheering section by my MIL's house. I crossed the road to get a high-5 from my little guy:

Just past Mile 2 in the Rockville Centre 10K.

Yes, I was in a long-sleeved shirt when I should have been wearing a short-sleeved one. Ugh.

The high-5 gave me a nice boost and I ran on through the pretty neighborhoods of Owen's hometown. I was going strong and feeling very good about the race, confident that I would set a new PR and hopeful that I would come in under 48 minutes.

Then we made the second-to-last turn at about Mile 5.

Holy wind, Runman.

Yeah. That was a lot of wind in the face for a long way. Seriously, about a full mile of wind. Smack in the face. I kept telling myself that I could do anything for 7 minutes. 6 minutes. 5 minutes. 4 minutes. 3 minutes.

And then some dude ran by and yelled out, "Just over 600 to go!"

No freaking way.

I looked at my Garmin and there was No. Freaking. Way. I could make 48 minutes if there were 600 meters left. No way.

He had to be wrong.

He had to be.

And he was. Because here's how I finished:

Finishing the Rockville Centre 10K -- in PR time!

Officially, 47:38. A GIGANTIC 3 minute and 3 second PR!

(And, btw, my old PR was set when I was a spry 32 year old. This one? Yeah, set at 41.)

Not only did I PR, but I finished 3rd in my age group and got a very nice bronze medal. Hooray!


My race stats:

Overall time: 47:38 (7:40/mi pace)
Overall place: 70 out of 452
Overall female place: 12 out of 202
Age group (40-44) place: 3 out of 32

It was a great race and I'm so glad I ran it! I think this low-stress thing works for me.

The rest of the weekend was very nice, too. Hope yours was as well! Thanks for reading.

~ Felice