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 :-)

From worst to best.

Two weeks ago I ran that horrible 20-miler. It was tough -- for many reasons. The two biggest reasons were the humidity and my stomach cramping issues. After that run, I wondered (several times) if I was meant for the marathon at all, let alone a marathon with a time goal.

I wondered and every time I did, I told myself that, yes, I'm meant for it. Now is the time to go for it. Go for that marathon PR. I mean, why not? Right? Right.

So I forged ahead and have had some rocking runs since.

Sunday's 22 mile run was the best yet.

I ran with people I've never run with before: Catherine, Rachel and Jen. Catherine was with us for about 5 miles and then looped back to finish with 14. Rachel, Jen and I continued on. We started in one county, crossed the bridge over the river, and ran on into another county. High adventure for this happy runner!

Mile 1: 10:03
Mile 2: 9:58
Mile 3: 9:28
Mile 4: 9:16
Mile 5: 9:51
Mile 6: 10:20
Mile 7: 9:53
Mile 8: 9:46
Mile 9: 9:41
Mile 10: 9:38

After 10 miles, we popped into a 5K in Washington Park. It was such an odd thing to do, but it worked. It got us to pick up our pace on tiring legs. It also forced us to hold back, because we knew we'd have 9 miles left to run after the 5K.

The 5K:
Mile 11: 8:39
Mile 12: 7:52
Mile 13: 8:01

After the race: Me, Jen, Rachel. Yes, I was wearing gloves. My hands were freezing on Sunday!

We ran together for the race, finished, and ran back to where we'd started. We went a different route back to the start, which happened to be super-duper hilly. But, no matter. We conquered those hills!


Mile 14: 10:40
Mile 15: 11:25
Mile 16: 10:43
Mile 17: 10:24
Mile 18: 11:31
Mile 19: 10:16

With 3 miles to go, something happened to me. My body just needed to go. I felt myself pick up the pace a little and I went with it. I worried for about half a second that I would not be able to hold on to the pace, but deep-down I knew I could.

Mile 20: 9:48
Mile 21: 8:47
Mile 22: 9:18

And I did. I ran such a solid last few miles. It felt awesome!!!

Hooray!

Actually, the whole run felt awesome. I loved the company and our pacing and I really enjoyed the mid-run race break.

Solid Sunday 22-miler = total confidence. 

Now, my taper is right around the corner. I'm ready!

Enjoy the rest of the week, everyone!

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!

Helloooooo, taper!

Saturday was my last long run before the Run to Remember half marathon in Boston later this month.

It was an odd run. Not my greatest run but, believe me, not my worst. It was, however, a run that made me feel like I am ready for the race.

I got up ridiculously early in order to meet Janis and Bridget and start our run at 6:30. It was warm and humid. Then it started to rain a little. We ran 3 miles, complained about the crummy weather, then circled back to Janis' car and changed some of our gear.

Then we met up with Elisa for 9-10 more miles.

It continued to be warm. And humid. And to start-and-stop with the rain.

At mile 8, I had to run off by myself. It was just one of those runs. My feet were hurting and I felt like I needed to run faster to give them a bit of a break. Weird, I know. But that's just the way it is.

I ran the next 4 miles by myself and felt so strong! After running the 12 miles, I turned and met up with Elisa and Janis and then ran on to finish up with Bridget. In all, I ran 13 miles:

13 miles at a 9:30 pace. I'll take it.

Now, I am relishing my taper! On Sunday I ran and easy 4.5 miles with a new running friend (who lives right in my neighborhood -- lucky me!!) and today I ran another easy 4.5 miles by myself. This weekend I'll run a short long run (6 miles? 8 miles?) and take it easy. At some point, I'll figure out exactly what my race plan is (I have some thoughts but I'm not there yet).

Until then, I'll enjoy my taper.

Have a great week, everyone!

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!

Race goals!

Tomorrow will be my first race of the spring season, the Runnin' of the Green (Island) 4 miler. Sure, we still have snow all around but spring has to be coming, right? Right. And so I'm going to kick it off with the festive Runnin' of the Green!

In the past, I've used this race as a gauge of my fitness and this year is no different. Last year I ran a solid 29:37 for the 4 miles and was pleased with that. I was training for a half marathon in April and felt that finishing under 30 minutes for 4 miles was great since I was focusing on longer runs.

This year, well, I just don't know. I haven't been running much, for one thing. And I've been injured, for another. I'm also training for a half marathon in May, so I'm planning to run 3 miles before the race and 1 after, to give me 8 miles total for the day.

But, this is me, folks. I can't go into a race without some sort of goal. That's just how it goes.

And so, yes. I have goals.

My C goal is to run at my goal half-marathon pace (8:05) and finish in 32:20 or better.

My B goal is to run under an 8:00 pace and finish in 31:56 or better.

My A goal is to run 30 minutes or faster (7:29 pace).

I believe I can probably achieve my B goal -- but that A goal will be a total stretch this year. I will see how I feel at the starting line and how much determination I have.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/252623860317869705/

What I really want is to feel good while running with some speed. Not the fastest speed I have, just with some good, really pushing it, type of speed.

So, we'll see what happens!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

2014 happy racing!

This year, I'm running several of the same races that I ran last year, but I'm also including a destination race that I've never run. I love destination races! This will be the third year in a row that I'm traveling for a half or full marathon. In 2012 I ran the New Jersey marathon and the ZOOMA Cape Cod half marathon, last year was the More/Fitness half marathon in NYC. This year, I'm heading to Boston for the Run to Remember half marathon. Can't wait!

Right now, that's my main race, but I'm planning on several others. Here's a look at my 2014 race schedule:

January: New Year's Day 3.5 miler (done!)

February: nothing

March: Runnin' of the Green (Island) 4-miler

April: nothing

May: Boston's Run to Remember Half Marathon

June: Valleycats 5K

July: nothing formal but I would like to run some of the HMRRC summer track series races

August: Clove Run 10-miler

September: Youth Make a Difference 5K

October: Mohawk-Hudson River Half Marathon

November: possibly the Rockville Centre 10K

December: HMRRC winter series

Nope, not planning on the Boilermaker this year. I just like this photo of me crossing the finish line. It was a tough race for me that year. I was happy I didn't give up.

Quite the manageable schedule, I'd say. I have a few time goals in mind for some of the races, including a strong, strong desire to hit new PRs for the half marathon and the 5K.

Once the Old Man Winter hits the road (soon? please?), I'll feel more like gearing up for these 2014 races. Until then my running mileage will remain lower than usual and take a bit of a backseat to cross training. And I'm perfectly OK with that because -- as I learned last year -- periods of low mileage and rest are important.

So, that's the schedule. I hope to see some of you at some starting lines this year. Hit me up if you're running any of these races!

Thanks for reading --

 

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!

 

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!

Reebok Spartan Race giveaway!

One of the bummers of having a bum hip is not being able to run any of these crazy obstacle races. Although, clumsy as I am, that's probably not such a bad thing. They have tempted me, though, with their mud and rope climbs and all the other tough stuff the races ask of their entrants.

Have you been tempted?

Have you run an obstacle race?

Interested in running a Spartan Race this year?

If you are . . . lucky you because I have a GIVEAWAY and a DISCOUNT CODE for my wonderful readers.

But first, let's talk about the race. The Spartan Race, according to their web site:

". . . was designed by seven insane ultra athletes and a Royal Marine. If you have tried trail races, mud runs, tough mudder runs, or a warrior dash, it's time to step up to a brutal Spartan Race obstacle course . . . Why Spartan? Because the Spartans were tough as nails. Why race our obstacle course races? Because we all thrive under pressure, survival of the fittest. Our goal is simple . . . to get you off your couch, throw you in the mud & trails, and feed you one tough endurance event that will be the adrenalin rush of your life."

Well, then. Who's ready to sign up?

The Spartan Races take place all over the US and in England and Canada. There is a list of event locations on the web site. A few of the key events coming up in the next few months are:

• The Midwest Super Spartan in Chicago at the end of July
• The Mid-Atlantic Super Spartan in Virginia at the end of August
• The Wisconsin Spartan Sprint at Miller Park in Milwaukee at the beginning of September
• The Pennsylvania Spartan Sprint at Citizens Bank Park in Philly at the end of September
• The Nebraska Spartan Sprint in Lincoln at the beginning of October

You can read all about the races and the details on the Spartan Race web site.

So now, let's get to the giveaway!

One lucky reader will win a FREE entry for any open heat in ANY Spartan Race (your choice) in the continental US.

To enter: 

Leave me a comment. Let me know how you are tough as nails and/or which Spartan Race you would choose if you win.

Additional entries:

As always, you can gain extra entries. Remember, though, you must complete the required entry first! And, yes, I'll check. (Leave one comment per entry for the additional ones to count.) So, here's what to do:

• Follow me on Pinterest, or let me know that you already do (leave a comment)  
• Pin the image from this post to share the giveaway on Pinterest (leave a comment)   
• Follow me on Twitter, or let me know that you already do (leave a comment) 

• Follow me on Instagram, or let me know that you already do (leave a comment) 

• Link to this giveaway from your blog  (leave a comment)  

This giveaway will run through Wednesday, June12 at 11:59pm EST and the winner -- chosen at random from all eligible entries -- will be announced on Thursday. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or I'll choose another winner.

But that's not all. I also have a discount code for 15% off any Spartan Race which, like the free entry in the giveaway, will work for ANY open heat in ANY Spartan Race in the continental US. To access the code, just follow this link: http://bit.ly/spartanwarrior

Good luck!

Giveaway disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post and the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

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!