Dallas Marathon 2014

Now that the soreness and stiff legs are gone it's about time to do my post-race wrap-up. This past Sunday was the day I'd spent all fall and late summer working toward: the Dallas Marathon!

Saturday night I ate my pasta dinner, laid all my gear and clothes out, and meticulously planned my morning. Sunday the alarm went off at 5am and I was up. I quickly dressed, tiptoed in to kiss the kids, and headed downstairs for a toasted English muffin with almond butter and a 5 hour energy. One nice change from my norm this time was that I had company on race morning. Our friend Lisa, who now lives in Seattle, was running the half (20+ weeks pregnant!) so she stayed with us for the weekend. We finished breakfast and headed downtown and then, as time grew closer, wished each other luck and went to our respective corrals.

Hard to see in the picture, but the Reunion Tower ball had graphics showing a runner, 26.2, and 13.1:

From atop a park bench I could see the start line and the tvs showing the close-up of it. Hearing the gun go off and seeing the fireworks and confetti shoot up into the air, it hit me what I had missed out on last year with the ice storm cancellation. I realized too that even as I planned for this day I half expected it to get cancelled for weather too, so it wasn't till the gun went off that I was finally convinced it was really going to happen. Two seasons worth of work were finally going to come to fruition.

In the start corral:

About 5 minutes after the gun my wave advanced to the start line and my marathon began. Coming in I believed 4:15 was a reasonable target, but my hope was that if I could hold a 9:30-9:40ish pace for the first 18 or so miles, I'd be able to dial it up a little for the duration if I was feeling strong and finish a little faster than my target. I even went so far as to tweak my running playlist on my iPhone for about 2:07 so that if all went to plan, I'd finish the race as the playlist ended its second run.

For about the first 14 miles I felt decent. Not wonderful; I could tell within the first few miles this wasn't going to be one of those magical race days where everything feels perfect. It was a little warm (60s) and humid, even misting lightly, which didn't help. But I was feeling reasonably good and hitting my splits without much trouble and aside from a bathroom break around mile 8, I never stopped even briefly.

And if the rest of the race had gone the same way I'd be writing right now about my triumphant 4:15 finish as "We Are Done" played in my headphones. Alas, that wasn't in the cards. Holding my pace became harder and harder and I began sprinkling in some walk breaks. First after each mile marker, then more frequently than that.

Those last 8 miles or so were rough. I never bonked, never doubted I'd finish, and actually never even doubted I'd earn a PR. I just knew it was going to be a rough time getting there. My legs were tired and my feet were sore. I had hot spots on the balls of my feet and was sure I must be getting blisters. And around 23 miles in I developed a random sharp pain in my left shin (feels fine now, so no clue what that was). I had to power through on mental toughness sometimes because my legs just didn't have it. It didn't help that my GPS was measuring .2 miles ahead of the race markers so my watch would beep to announce another mile done and I'd know that I had .2 more to go before it "counted."

I was frustrated that I hadn't paced well. Disappointed I wouldn't get the time I wanted. I'd see children holding a sign see their parents and get excited and feel jealous that I still had an hour till I got to see my people. I thought to myself that this was like the transition stage of labor, and that the good news was that when it got the hardest that meant the end wasn't far off.

Around mile 20 I called Kevin to update and let him know the pain train was about an hour from the station. He and the kids were on their way downtown and I was looking forward to seeing them. On many of my training runs over the past 2 seasons I'd imagined coming into the finisher chute, hearing the crowds, and looking out to see those familiar faces so it was nice to know that every step brought me closer to them. 

Speaking of familiar faces, I was treated to a nice surprise around mile 20 when my friends Anne and Mike were out to cheer me on. It was the perfect pick-me-up at the time I needed it most and it put an extra spring in my step.

A less nice surprise came shortly thereafter when the skies opened up and stormed on us. I was already wet from previous showers that morning but I felt bad knowing Kevin and the kids were getting wet too. I distinctly remember taking inventory around mile 22 or so and determining that my shorts were the only part of me that were dry. Which, if only one thing's going to be dry, isn't a bad one.

Finally mile marker 26 appeared and only two tenths of a mile separated me from the finish. It hadn't been the day I was hoping for but I had become a 2-time marathoner and despite my struggles, managed to PR by over 9 minutes. Oh, and then there were the medals. Yes, medals plural. One of the reasons I was so determined to do this race was that I wouldn't just receive the medal I earned for 2014, I'd get my 2013 medal I should have earned last December. And because I did the Rock N Roll Dallas half in March I also got the "Dallas Duo" medal.

Not a bad haul for a morning's work:

What worked, what didn't

Warning: I'm making these notes for my reference more than anything else. Feel free to stop reading as soon as it gets boring ;)

What went well:

- Happy tummy: I've had stomach issues on race days in the past but this day brought no side stitches, upset tummy or other GI issues. While this was good news in its own right it also bodes well for my next major event because I used the marathon as another chance to test drive the Perpetuem solids I plan to use for that event. Also, what I ate in the hours and days before the race seem to have worked well. I wasn't dumb enough to eat ghost pepper chips the day before the race again. That's a mistake you only make once ;)

- Hydration: I also chose to wear my Fuel Belt rather than my usual handhold. I chose that for 2 reasons: 1. I got to use the electrolyte tab solution I like rather than the sugary Gatorade offered on course and 2. I find when I take cups of fluids on the course I drink too much at one, and I do much better taking smaller amounts more often. It worked well as my stomach was happy, but the slight headache I developed tells me I should have taken in a little more water than I did, especially on such a humid day. But headache aside this was as good as my stomach has felt on an event in a long time, and definitely a good blueprint for the future.

- Recovery: Despite feeling rough on the course itself I've felt pretty good since. The rest of the day I felt like I'd been hit by a truck but every day since has been better and better. I felt good enough from Tuesday on that I could have gotten up and run but decided to give myself a break and waited all the way till Friday before getting back out there ;) I wasn't 100% but it felt great to get back out there. Wednesday at my deep tissue massage (which of course felt awesome) my therapist put his blood pressure cuff on my wrist and was impressed that my resting heart rate 3 days after a marathon was a low 47 BPM, about my normal. So all of that tells me that my body was definitely in shape to run this distance.

- Happy feet: While they hurt that day, they were fine afterward. Not a single blister, nails are fine (I can only assume the people who lose toenails must not cut them short enough?). 

What I need to change:

In a word, speed. While I was prepared for the distance my training did not prepare me to run it at that speed. This race made it very clear to me that while sheer mileage has value, if I really want to get faster and be able to run the pace I want and feel strong doing it, I need to be a lot more intentional about my training runs. As Tom Cruise's Top Gun character said, "I feel the need. The need...for speed!" Time to add some speedwork to my regimen.

On a related note, pace awareness. I need to do a lot more pace-based training so I learn better what my goal pace feels like. I had to check my watch too often.

Looking ahead, it might actually be to my benefit that I didn't train harder for this race. Last year I finished marathon season physically and mentally tired and went on to be sidelined with shin splits. I recovered physically but just didn't have the passion for much of the year. But this year late December finds me physically and mentally fresh and eager to tackle the next challenges.

The next event on the calendar is the Rock N Roll half in late March. It's my favorite half marathon and a fast course. I've already mapped out a training plan for it that will hopefully lead me to a PR there. But that plan is a little tentative in that I need to ensure that it compliments my larger goal for next year.

So what's my big event for 2015? Well, that's another post for another day, but for now I'll say it fulfills another longtime goal of mine for a challenging new distance. I'm excited looking ahead to it and haven't been so nervous/excited to hit the "submit" button on my registration since that first White Rock Half in 2011 that started it all. The Dallas Marathon may not have been the day I hoped for but I think it'll prove to be a big step on the way to this goal and seen in that light, it was a good day indeed.

Taper time

I registered for the Dallas Marathon in May. Started dedicated training in early August. And today, I officially completed the meat of the training program with a 20 mile long run, my second in 2 weeks. And with that, I enter the taper period. From this point on it's about capturing the gains I've made, reducing mileage and intensity, and getting to the start line rested and with fresh legs.

This is both the easiest and hardest part of training. Easy in that the longest run left is only 12 miles. The full 18 week training plan includes 562 miles (of which I've missed some due to runs cut short and a handful missed). Only 65 remain to be run. Physically the next few weeks are easy.

What's hard is the mental aspect. Acknowledging that at this point I've gotten as strong and fast as I'm going to get by this race, and that the best thing I can do at this point is continue to trust the training and resist the urge to do more. Recognizing that my original goal of a sub-4:00 finish is probably not realistic unless I have an extraordinary day (now looking for sub-4:15, still a significant PR if I can achieve it). Shaking off the phantom twinges and illnesses that inevitably pop up during race week ("oh my God I sneezed, I bet I have the flu! Is that pain in my ankle?"). Watching the weather and hoping the forecast doesn't call for another ice storm. Channeling the extra energy into planning out my race morning and strategy.

I was lucky to get in a run at all this morning with rain in the forecast all day with at least 60% chance. I didn't expect to be able to get in the full 20 miles given that, but figured I'd get up early, hope for the best, and just keep running till the rain got too heavy or I hit 20, whichever came first. Luckily the rain  accommodated me and held off till afternoon. 

Good thing, as today was my last best chance to finetune my nutrition strategy. I had gotten some Perpetuem solid tabs I wanted to try (thinking ahead to getting some early practice with them ahead of my next big event) and this was my last chance to try them out pre-marathon. (Verdict? Weird taste and texture, but they sat well and did the job.). Also, I'd had some pain in the ball of my right foot lately which I suspected was tied to my new pair of shoes. That theory proved correct; I ran the first 8 miles in the new shoes and developed the pain then ran home, changed into an old pair, and knocked out the last 12 miles pain-free (RunningWarehouse has the replacement pair en route already).

So here I am, 3 weeks out from the big day. I'm reminded of a quote I saw the other day "medals are just picked up in competition, they're earned in practice." Those medals (this year's and the one I should have earned in 2013), I've already put in the work to earn them. Looking forward to getting out there in 3 weeks and picking them up.

Michelob Ultra 13.1 Half Marathon

Last Saturday I ran a half marathon as a tune-up race for my Dallas Marathon in December. With it falling in the heart of marathon training I knew I'd be going in on tired legs but it would be a good test to see if my intended 9:09/mile pace for the marathon was realistic.

Poor 13.1 series. It's just never going to get a fair shake from me. It's really a decent race, but both this year and last year I managed to achieve my time goal while feeling rough doing it.

The good news is I finished in a little over 1:59, on pace. And unlike last year I didn't experience any foot or leg pain during the race. But the pace did feel like work. Some of that was due to having run 35-40 miles a week for several weeks beforehand, which obviously won't be an issue for the marathon as I have a nice 3 week taper to freshen my legs up. And the unseasonably warm weather didn't help either, and that's also not likely to be an issue come December (though wouldn't be the first 70 degree December day in Dallas). I also didn't do a good job of banking sleep the week before and was tired on race morning. Again, easy enough to fix. And, um, let's just say that I'll resist the urge to eat ghost pepper-flavored chips the day before a race next time.

But there were a few things I struggled with that day that I can't write off to the heat or tired legs, and those are the ones that concern me. First, I got side stitches at one point. It's something that never happens to me in training but often happens in races. I know it's from shallow breathing and a fast pace, and I can generally get rid of it eventually but it certainly is uncomfortable. I need to focus on good breathing, but might also try to deliberately induce stitches in the last mile or so of pace training runs so I can practice getting rid of them. 

The other issue that bothered me was an unsettled stomach. I suspect it's from drinking too much before the race. My nutrition strategy was otherwise consistent with what I've done before and it has generally served me well. For training runs I just get up and go out the door; having a few hours to kill beforehand calls for a little different planning. I'll just need to be mindful on race day.

All of that to say, I didn't particularly enjoy the race, but got good feedback from it. To be honest I'm not sure what it tells me about my 4:00 goal. I think under ideal conditions-cool weather, coming in well-rested with fresh legs, breathing well, better nutrition and water management-it's possible. But at this point I'm regarding it as a bit of a reach goal, a best case scenario. Something around 4:10-4:15 might be realistic for an okay day. I feel reasonably confident I can best my previous 4:41 time; I just need to use the remaining month and a half of training well.

“The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” -John Bingham

While the Michelob 13.1 was just a training race for me, it also marked my 10th half marathon. 3 years ago I was training for my first and wasn't far removed from my first run ever over 5 miles. Every race I run, I remember how it felt that cold, rainy morning in December 2011 as I crossed the start line of my first big race and I get a little lump in my throat. When you don't discover you're a runner until you're 33, you don't take it for granted.

So, 10 down...

Playtri Festival International Distance tri

When I last posted in April I had shifted my focus toward training for my next triathlon, the Playtri Festival right in my backyard in downtown Las Colinas. I did that event before in 2008, 2009, missed 2010 (super pregnant) and 2011 (family wedding), did 2012 4 weeks pregnant with Rebecca, missed 2013 (let Kevin go instead), so after a 2 year absence I was looking forward to doing a Playtri event again. Today I did my longest tri yet, the international distance, which pretty closely corresponds to Olympic distance: 1500m swim, 22 mile bike, 10k run. 

The longest swim distance I had raced before was 500m so a few months ago the swim leg scared me. I knew that no matter how many times I swam 1500m in the pool an open water swim is a different ballgame. I did an aquathlon at Lake Grapevine a few weeks ago to help me feel more comfortable swimming distance in open water and it served its purpose well. After that day, I was looking forward to the swim leg of the tri. I didn't expect to be fast but I knew I could handle the distance and feel good doing it.

I printed out a nice detailed Olympic tri training schedule but only loosely followed it. I missed a lot of workouts and cut others short. My motivation has been hit or miss since Rock N Roll, honestly. The long layoff from my ankle injury just took me out of my rhythm and I never quite recovered even though my ankle has long since healed.That said, I headed into today a little undertrained across all 3 areas but especially on the bike. I wasn't too worried though because I wasn't really looking to be competitive and I felt confident that all those long runs in marathon training last fall had prepared me for a 3ish hour event.

4:30 came early this morning and I quickly dressed, gathered last-minute items, and headed out for the short drive to the race. I set my transition area up in accordance with my transition practice yesterday and the order I planned to put items on.

A little before 7 my group (all women doing the international distance) got in the water and started our swim. In every previous OWS I'd spend the first 30 seconds or so forgetting that I knew how to swim and freaking out that I couldn't see in the water. Today, however, I immediately began swimming strong strokes and felt comfortable in the water, even with so many other swimmers around me. I started out near the back but ended up passing several people including some men from the previous group. I had practiced in my pool swims getting faster as I progressed so I knew I could hold and even increase pace without worrying that I would run out of gas. I felt great throughout the swim and finished in 41 minutes, not competitive but within my goal time. I can't say I enjoyed the swim leg of previous tris but I enjoyed this one. The nice thing about the longer distance is it gave me a chance to find my groove and settle in.

After the swim I ran out (thankfully, not in the mud as in previous years) and headed into T1. I had prepared to wash my feet off assuming they'd be muddy but instead just slipped on my bike shoes (never-worn before tri shoes I'd bought 2 years ago, breaking the "don't try new things on race day" rule because well, I wanted to check them out), Garmin, gloves, helmet, and sunglasses. It felt like a pretty fast and purposeful T1. Transition practice definitely helped out with that.

Then it was out to the bike course. This is where I should admit that after the aquathlon last month, I felt good about the swim but now the bike become my scary leg. Frankly, practice rides on the tri bike always leave me with a sore neck and shoulders. And I hadn't gotten as much saddle time this year as I should have. Plus, the bike leg brings the danger of crashes with other cyclists, drivers, cones, etc. But previous tri bike legs had always gone fine so I suspected today would as well. And it did.

I wasn't blazing fast-my 18mph average was decent but largely due to the bike. But I felt comfortable out there and while tri bikes aren't the most fun for training rides (especially on a trainer, dear God especially the trainer) they are made for races. I didn't really push my pace (which turned out to be a good decision) but my legs felt great.

T2 was long, only because I had to wait in line for the porta-potty (hey, 3 hour event). Then I was off to the run leg, which I had always banked on being my strength. After all, I'm a runner first and foremost, who swims and bikes a little. This was my bread and butter and a 10k is a short run for me. How hard could a 10k feel, even after 22 miles on the bike? Heck, I did a 10k after 20 miles in my marathon and felt fine.

When I started out on the run my legs felt a little heavy. I told myself that was no big deal, just something to be expected after the bike leg and I'd shake off the heavy leg feeling soon enough. I was right about that but alas, once I began running I realized several things: 1. It's HOT. 2. It's humid. 3. There's not even a hint of shade on the run course. It was 4 loops around a not at all scenic course by the convention center. Occasionally we'd get a teaser of a breeze but no real relief. The sun shone brightly overhead with no clouds to block it. It felt like running in an oven.

My 10k PR is a hair over 50 minutes but that was a stand-alone event in cool weather so I knew it wasn't realistic to expect that. Still, I figured I could finish under an hour, at least. But between my lack of any long training sessions and the feeling of being in Satan's furnace, I was beat. No joke, I walked more in a little over an hour of running a 10k today than I did during my whole marathon in December, and my average pace wasn't much faster than my marathon pace. I almost never walk during an event but I just had no pep in my step today. I used every mental crutch I had to keep my focus off how oppressively hot it was but running a boring loop course in the heat with no music and minimal crowds is just tough. It didn't feel like that 4th lap would ever come but finally it did and I found the energy to run my way across the finish line in 3:06, a little over my goal of sub-3:00 but satisfactory all things considered.

This is the look of satisfaction, exhaustion, and relief:

It wasn't really till afterward that it dawned on me that this was more than twice as long as any tri I'd done before, and from the time I first started training for it to the minute I crossed the finish line I never doubted I could finish it. I didn't foresee such a poor run leg and that was disappointing to me but I'm already thinking ahead how to better prepare for that next year (electrolytes in my aero drink bottle on the bike, ice towels on the run, more hot weather training, better bike base). I finished my first international distance tri, well longer than the "My First Tri" I did 6 years ago that started it all, and I have to remind myself that's actually a pretty big deal. The only longer race I've done was my marathon, and weather was much better for that.

Most importantly, today told me that my goal of a half-Ironman in 2015 is a realistic one. I could do the HIM swim comfortably today, and I've done 9 half marathons so that distance is a good one for me. The 56 mile bike is a big step up; I haven't ridden that far in at least 5 years. But I've got plenty of time to build my bike base and extra motivation to actually do the cross-training in my marathon plan this year (I generally made that a rest day last year). I'm targeting Calgary 70.3 in July 2015 and their average high that time of year is only 70 which after today sounds almost chilly ;)

For now though I shift to the last phase of my year's training schedule, the strength-building phase. I'll largely take the next 2 months off from running, aside from a short run here and there, and I'll get to the gym 3-4 times a week for weight training, with a weekend bike ride. Aside from giving me relief from the heat and a change of pace from all the cardio of the last year the weight training should help me go into marathon training in August in stronger, better shape and hopefully set me up to be faster and less injury-prone. I couldn't tell you the last time I really did any weight training so it's no doubt way overdue. I'm looking foward to the change of pace though, which is important to avoid burnout. Campion Trail, see you in a few months, and gym, we'll be getting to know each other again.

Kacie's Run 5k and GE Irving Marathon 10k; triathlon season

The Rock N Roll Half was the first of 3 races in 3 weekends for me. The next weekend was the Kacie's Run 5k then the following was the GE Irving Marathon 10k.

The 5k was fine, nothing memorable, finished a little under 25 minutes. I felt good going into the 10k though and figured I had a decent chance at a new PR. My previous best was 52 minutes and change so I calculated my goal pace around a sub-52 minute finish. As I hit the mile markers I was feeling good and knew I was on pace for the PR even after stopping at one point to check on a stopped runner to make sure she was okay (she was). 

Around mile 4 or 5 I realized I was likely to finish closer to 50 minutes. Sure enough I made it across the line in 50:08, good for first in my age group. It was a nice finish to my 2013/2014 running racing season.

When I planned out my year I had always intended to build some triathlon training and strength training into my schedule to avoid burnout and keep things interesting. And so after RNR I shifted my focus to preparing for the Playtri Festival International Triathlon this June. With a 1500 meter swim, 22 mile bike, and 10k run it's more than twice as long as the longest triathlon I've done before but the total time should be around 3ish hours, well within my comfort zone. I'm not a fast swimmer and I don't really have my comfort level on the bike yet. Those 2 legs of the event scare me right now. 

I'll enjoy it for its own sake but it's also another step up the ladder toward my first half Ironman and then, someday, the full Ironman. I've tentatively got my sights set on Calgary 70.3 in July 2015 and this year's tri will give me a good sense of how realistic that goal is. The swim is probably the scariest part of the race for me and the furthest I've swam in a tri before is 500 meters. The international distance will be 3 times that, a huge jump up, but if it goes well the jump up to 1.2 miles, or 1.9k, in the half Ironman won't seem nearly as scary. As the saying goes, the best way to eat a big frog is one bite at a time!

Rock N' Roll Dallas Half

Sometimes you train to peak for a race and go into the day expecting a strong finish. Sometimes it sneaks up on you. This was one of those times.

When last I posted I had just run my first pain-free miles since my injury. As it turned out, those were just the first of many pain-free miles for me. Over the next month I ran 3-4 times a week as far as 11 miles and my ankle felt great all the way. I looked ahead to March 23rd's Rock N' Roll half marathon with confidence.

When I signed up for RNR last fall I had ambitions of training and attempting a PR. But on only 4 weeks of post-injury training I was just happy to be running at all and didn't go in with a firm time goal. I was loosely targeting a 2:10 finish but figured I'd just play it by ear and slow down as needed.

At 5AM I bounded out of bed, dressed, ate, and headed out the door. I had bought cheap start-line sweats to wear for the Dallas Marathon but with that getting canceled I still had them. Sunday morning was on the cool side so I layered the sweats and a long sleeve tee over my race gear. I brought my headband and some cheap gloves too just in case. And at the last minute I decided to throw some track pants and tee shirt into my gear bag for postrace wear.

As I drove to the parking lot I tried to get myself into racing mindset. Without a specific time goal to shoot for I felt a little unmoored. The worst race experience I ever had was a half a few years ago when I didn't have any mental focus, it was hot, and I spent the whole race thinking how hot it was and "are we there yet?" All those Saturday morning long runs last fall training for the marathon broke me of that, and a 2 hourish run doesn't feel long anymore, but even so, I wanted to find my focus. I heard a song that reminded me of my recently departed cat Todd and found myself tearing up in the car. I realized this race was just the emotional release I needed right now, and felt better immediately.

RNR is a point to point course so you have to park at the finish line at Fair Park and take a shuttle to the start line downtown. That sounds like it would be a real pain but RNR is such a well-organized race that they had tons of school buses waiting and ready to pick us up. They also had arranged for the convention center to be open for us before the race so we didn't have to wait out in the cold. This is my second time to run RNR Dallas and both times I've been impressed at how well they handle the details.

The race started at 8am and we were off. I didn't pay attention to my watch much for the first 10k but managed to keep a good pace. After I hit the halfway point I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I was on pace to finish under 2:05 if I could maintain my pace. About 8 miles in I decided to push the tempo. Around mile 10 I realized that I had an outside chance at a sub-2:00 finish if I could speed up a little. It was an outside chance but I was determined to give it my best shot.

As I entered the gates of Fair Park I looked at my watch. I had about 6 minutes to go around .7 miles, give or take. I knew my Garmin was a little off the mile markers so I wasn't sure quite how far I had left. This stage of the race looked a lot like the first mile with some people settled into a steady pace and others weaving through the traffic as fast as possible. I was with the weavers. Later I realized I had passed by the Dallas White Rock finish line that started it all for me in December 2011 when I first became a half marathoner. But at that moment, I was focused on the present race.

I've got a few poems memorized that I'll pull out for inspiration/distraction during races, including Rudyard Kipling's If and Invictus by William Ernest Henley. Somewhere around "fill the unforgiving minute with 60 seconds worth of distance run" I neared the finish chute and looked down. 1:59 and change. I could still make it but it was going to be close. 

With a final burst of speed I pushed ahead and over the finish line. 1:59:38. I made it, and with a negative split! It was actually a few seconds faster than the Allstate 13.1 I ran last October and I felt better throughout the race despite the minimal training.

It must have been cold and windy during the race itself but I didn't really notice. Afterward though, I noticed! When I did this race 2 years ago it was warm that day so they provided salt packets at one of the water stops. This time they had mylar space blankets at the finish line. I was glad to have those track pants in my gear bag but it was still a long cold walk back to my car. I knew an ice bath would be the best thing for my sore muscles but after that I wasn't about to spend one more minute cold that day so I went home and took a nice hot shower. And spent the next few days gimping around ;)

It wasn't a PR or even close but it'll go down as an effort I'm proud of. My plan all along was for that to be my last long race until fall, so I'll shift focus now to shorter distances, speedwork, and training for an International distance triathlon this summer. I'm also going to work in more strength training so I head into marathon training this fall stronger and in better shape, and hopefully avoid the injury bug. RNR was a fun way to cap off my fall/winter season and it's a race I plan to do again next year.

Bold in the Cold 15k and...an unplanned break

In early January I ran the Bold in the Cold 15k at Lake Grapevine. The good news is that I felt good through the race and bested my 2012 time by a few minutes and thus earned a PR. The bad news is that I haven't done much running since.

Toward the end of the race my right ankle was bugging me a little. I was only mildly concerned though, until the pain persisted when I tried to run later that week. After that I started a pattern of taking a few weeks off, trying to run again, and feeling pain after a mile or two. And missing races. First, the Texas Half early in February. Then, last Sunday, the Cowtown Marathon. For those of you keeping score at home that's 3 races this winter I've signed up for and not gotten to do (Dallas Marathon was the other). Just not my year I guess. To make things worse I had a chronic headache for about 3 weeks that was strongest first thing in the morning so even going to the gym to exercise on the Stairmaster was out.

Last week I decided to give acupuncture a try and after a first treatment, I ran a pain-free 3 miles pushing Rebecca in the stroller last weekend. This weekend I'm going to try for 5-6 miles and see how it feels. I've still got a sliver of hope for the Rock and Roll Half in a month so the spring's not a total loss. We'll see...pretty disappointing to lose my 1st major marathon to weather then lose a few more months to injury, all in my first fall/winter back post-baby. Regardless of how spring plays out I plan to shift to strength training for a few months in late spring/summer to come into marathon training in August in better shape.

My first marathon!

As I've discussed before, all of my summer and fall training was to get me ready for the Dallas Marathon on December 8.  Well, the bad news is that my 2013 marathon goal didn't come to fruition the way I planned.  The good news is that I did still manage to accomplish it but I had to get a little creative to do it.

The Thursday night before the race several inches of freezing rain and sleet fell across the Metroplex.  The plummeting temperatures turned the rain and sleet into ice and the area into a giant ice rink.  With the race scheduled for Sunday morning and temps forecasted to stay well below freezing into the next week, the race organizers made the (correct) decision on Friday afternoon to cancel the Marathon.

I had "only" been training for 18 weeks but I had been planning for that race for well over a year.  In fact, pretty much as soon as I found out in May 2012 that I was pregnant and thus, not going to be racing that winter, I was determined that the 2013 Dallas Marathon would be my first marathon.  During just about every training run I thought about how it would feel to see that mile 26 signpost, send the triumphant "here I come!" text to let Kevin know to expect me, to see my family at the finish line and hear the excitement in Daniel's voice as he cheered for me.  I'm happy to do my training runs by myself but races are a fun chance to enjoy running with thousands of other people, feel the adrenaline and nervousness of thousands of people waiting for the start gun to go off, enjoy being cheered on by thousands of strangers and read the funny and inspiring signs.  Now none of that was going to happen.

I was extremely disappointed but determined to put all that training to use and earn my first marathon medal in 2013, the year my daughter was born.  So I took to the internet to see what other races might be a possibility and found a small marathon happening in Dallas the next weekend called Whine Not Another Marathon.  With a 50-runner limit it wasn't the big "event race" I wanted, and an 8-loop course around Bachmann Lake wasn't the same as a race through all the scenic parts of Dallas, but it was 26.2 miles long.

After a second taper week, race morning dawned early and I quickly dressed, got ready, and headed to the race site.  It was cold and very windy that morning and I got there early enough to park right next to the start line (one benefit of it being a small race) so I waited in my car till it was time to line up.  Another benefit of it being a small loop course was that I didn't have to worry too much about what to wear  I knew it would be easy to shed or add layers as I warmed up or got colder.  I wore shorts and a tech tee (maroon, "Run Aggieland"), calf sleeves and a cap as my base layer and started out with a pullover, gloves, and ear warmer headband.

The course was 8 loops around the lake plus a short out and back at the end.  Each loop took us past the start line, the refreshment table, and the porta-potties and a handful of volunteers.  Other than those features it was basically a training run with a few other people around.

Lap one went easily and I felt light.  I wore 4:15 and 4:30 pace tats since I wasn't quite sure what pace I'd be able to hold.  My first few miles I was hitting my splits on the lower end of that and felt great.  After lap one I shed the pullover and gloves as I was warming up and the wind hadn't yet gotten strong.

With any long run I use mental tricks to keep myself motivated and this was no differerent.  I used laps as my measuring stick rather than miles because 8 laps sounded less intimidating than 26 miles.  After the first lap I said, ok that was easy, I can do that 7 more times.  After 2 laps, I'm a quarter of the way done and after 3 laps it was 3 down, 5 to go.  4 down was almost halfway, and so on.

I think for any long run the mental aspect is as important as the physical.  I've done 8 half marathons now and aside from one with knee pain (note: endurance events good, blood donation good, endurance event a week after blood donation, bad), the hardest race was one where I wasn't mentally prepared and all I could think was how hot it was and "are we there yet?".  I used to dedicate each mile of a race to a different person/group to give me focal points.  This fall during all those long training runs I realized I didn't really need that "crutch" anymore because I could just run for hours without really having to consciously focus and I could just think about anything or nothing.  A big race can provide a lot of distraction and encouragement through the fan support, fellow runners and entertainment but this race had none of that to help me along.  The good news was that it turned out I didn't need it, and for that I'm certain I have all those hours of training runs to thank.  

I did dedicate one lap though.  The race was on December 14, the anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy, and there was a national moment of silence at 9:30ET, so at the start of the 3rd lap at 8:30ish I turned off my music and recited the morning prayer liturgy to myself, naming by name as many of the Sandy Hook victims I could recall.  I also wore a "WWDD" bracelet that day in honor of Daniel Barden, whose family talked about his sense of adventure and how he loved running even at his young age.

Mile after mile, lap after lap, the scenery never changed.  Every 3 miles I'd refill my water bottle or grab some Gatorade (and special thanks to the awesome volunteers and one fellow Texag-er in particular who came out when I posted about the race) and every 40ish minutes I'd take in either a GU gel or bag of Sport Beans.  Occasionally I'd be running alongside another runner but 99% of the time it was just me putting one foot in front of the other, again and again and again.

Physically I did reasonably well.  I started feeling a hot spot on the ball of my right foot around halfway in and my legs started to feel rubbery around mile 18 or so but other than those mild discomorts nothing really hurt.  Holding the pace became increasingly difficult and my pace steadily slowed as the miles progressed but I think that was somewhat mental as the monotony of an 8 loop course with no crowd support, scenery, or borrowed enthusiasm from fellow racers set in.  Nutrition-wise everything went well too as I managed to successfully walk that line of not letting the tank get empty or assaulting my GI tract with too much at once.

As the morning went on the wind really picked up and it began to feel much colder.  Somewhere around lap 6 I put my gloves back on.  I never had taken off the headband and now I was glad to have it.  I debated putting the pullover back on but decided against it because 1) it would take too long and 2) I wanted my Run Aggieland shirt for my finisher picture because priorities, right?

At mile 20 I called Kevin to tell him I was about an hour out and he and the kids left the house to come meet me at the finish line.  As I was about halfway through my final lap he texted that they were at the finish line.  Knowing that every step brought me closer to my cheering section brought a little extra spring to my step.  After completing my 8th lap I passed by them and headed out for the out and back which was just starting a 9th lap and running to a turnaround point.  The return leg of it was nice as runners heading out for their next laps congratulated me and cheered me on.

I had told Kevin that since it was such a small race, if there wasn't another runner right behind me then I wanted Daniel to join me as I crossed the finish line. I had meant for him to get Daniel out of the stroller and run across with me but we had a miscommunication and Daniel was still in the stroller so, with him cheering "run faster Mommy!" I pushed his stroller across the finish line.  4:41 and 26.2 miles after I'd departed the start line early that morning, I was a marathoner.

Being such a small race, there was no official photographer so I don't have a picture of my finish.  The only picture I have of the event at all is this one of me and Daniel afterward.  Between the calf sleeves and ear warmers you can see that fashion was really a major consideration for me ;)

Edit: the day after I posted this the race uploaded some pictures.  Here's one of me on the course:

So when all was said and done I did achieve my goal of becoming a marathoner during 2013 and fully living up to my "run a household, run a business, run a marathon" mantra.  I would have loved for the Dallas Marathon to happen but I'm certain this race was much harder than Dallas would have been, so knowing I could do 26.2 under these conditions sends me into my future marathons with a huge confidence boost.  If I can run 26.2 miles with minimal support, a boring loop course, and no crowd support, how much faster can I be with a fully supported race through a scenic route with thousands of other runners and huge crowd support?  I'll get my chance to find out soon enough.

This race showed I had the mental aspect of the marathon under control.  It would have been easy to fixate on how cold it was, how boring it was, how this wasn't what I originally signed up for, the total lack of crowd support, etc, but I didn't.  I was able to stay just focused enough to mind my pace without fixating and turning it into 4 hours of "are we there yet?"  And while I didn't get the "big race" crowd experience, the 3 most important people were there at the finish line and I got to not only see them but include Daniel in my finish in a way I couldn't have at a big race.

In another month and a half I'll get to try to improve on my time and get the big race marathon experience in the Cowtown Marathon.  It should be a fun morning with more than 10,000 racers, tens of thousands of fans, a scenic course that hits all the scenic spots in Fort Worth, and mile markers, aid stands, and a huge afterparty with food, drinks, and entertainment.  The Whine Not race showed I don't need all of that to run 26.2 miles, but it'll sure be fun to have it.

Between now and then I'll have 2 more smaller races to report on: the Jingle Bell Run just before Christmas and the Bold in the Cold 15k I'm doing this Saturday.

Jingle Bell 5k

After my marathon I expected to be sore for awhile but really by a few days after I felt pretty good.  I think I could have run the week after just fine but my allergies were bugging me and I didn't want to get sick for the holidays so I figured I had earned the right to play the "I just ran a marathon" card and sleep in for a week!  And so it was that my first run post-marathon was a 5k.

The Jingle Bell Run is a fairly big 5k through the Design District near downtown Dallas that begins and ends at the Hilton Anatole hotel.  I ran it in 2011 and liked it so I decided it made a good way to close out my 2013 season as well.

Having spent all summer and fall focusing on the marathon my emphasis was on going long rather than fast.  In fact the last speedwork I had done was back in spring 2012, 18 months and a baby ago. Between that and having just run a marathon I went in with no real expectation on finish time but with the intention to run as fast as I could and push hard the whole way.  My previous PR was 23:01 so I was hoping for sub-25:00.

Last time I lined up too far back and got stuck behind some walkers, strollers, and people with dogs.  For such a short race I didn't want to waste time doing that so I lined up near the front.  The horn sounded and we were off.

During long runs I try to look at my watch every few minutes to stay on pace but otherwise not focus much on it so it's an adjustment on short races like this to have to be more mindful.  Basically any time I caught myself feeling comfortable I'd speed up.  To me actually racing a 5k is challenging because it's such a short distance that I push a hard pace.  For a half marathon I settle into a mindful but comfortable pace; I could carry on a short conversation at that pace.  My 5k pace wouldn't allow for much conversation.

I finished in 24:04, which is among my top 3 5k finishes.  I didn't expect to PR so I was pleasantly surprised to be that fast (I know, it's not competitive fast, but fast for me!).  This spring after Cowtown I plan to focus on shorter distances and do a lot of speedwork, and it's encouraging to see that all those long miles in 2013 should have me well prepared for that.  It was a satisfying way to finish 2013.

Yesterday I kicked off my 2014 season...details later.