With Brave Wings She Flies

One of the things I really like about the marathon training plan I have been following, is how perfectly Soaring Wings Half Marathon fit into my training. I've said it before, but I just don't see myself missing this race. Last weekend I ran in the race for the 7th time. Making it my 10th total half marathon.

Through out the first half of marathon training I was preparing for Race for the Cure and Soaring Wings. The prep I was doing for Soaring Wings was mostly just for completion, but hopefully completion without too much struggle. I didn't want to set any goals too early on because I knew the weather would play a pretty big part in how I did at the race. Two weeks out I started obsessively checking the weather. Consistently the forecast showed sun, but the temperature varied. I soon began to realize that there was a good chance it was going to be a warm morning for a race. A day or two before I finally set some goals.

#1- To finish. And be proud of the accomplishment. That's all.

#2- Finish with a sub 10 min/mile pace.

#3- Possibly finish with a pace in the 9:40's.

#4- Get a PR by finishing in less than 2:05. I did not expect to reach this goal, but I had it in the back of my head.

I was ridiculously nervous on race morning. I don't even know why. I kept telling myself to chill out; this was just another run. I guess maybe I just wanted to do well so badly that I was letting it get to me.

We got to the McGee Center with a good amount of time to spare, but not so much extra time that we were waiting around a lot. By the time we walked from the car, made a bathroom stop, and checked our bag, there was just enough time to get to the starting line and find our corral. At Soaring Wings you are not assigned a corral. You decide for yourself where you want to be. I decided if there was any chance of me possibly reaching that PR goal, I should put myself between the pacers that would get me there. I still wasn't counting on it, but I knew I could at least try. So Scott and I found the 2:00 pacer and stood further back from him, but in front of the 2:05 pacer. I expected the announcement for the countdown to happen any minute, but there was a delay for some reason. After the Star Spangled Banner was sung, and a prayer was said, we ended up starting almost 15 minutes late. It wasn't a big deal for us, other than being anxious to get started.

When we finally started, everything went as expected. We kept a steady pace and kept an eye on the 2:00 pacer. He was inching further and further ahead, but that was ok. I absolutely knew I couldn't keep up with him this time. It was at mile three that we saw my parents and our kids for the first time. I love this part! There are 2-3 places I know they will show up, and if time allows they will pop up in a couple others as well. It's always a great motivation when I see them all. This time, we could hear my dad shouting before we could see all of them. It was quite funny.

I was still feeling pretty good heading into the 4th mile, however the first of the very large hills was about to show up. I pushed on and made the turn that I call the teaser. It's the same stretch of road that we take at the end of the race, that actually passes the finish line. It's kind of not fair. lol My family showed up again just past mile 5.

About that time that I felt the slow down happening. The sun had started to rise above the trees and I could feel it was already getting warmer. When the temperature at the start of a race is already over 60, I just know I need to plan on being more chill about how I run the race. A little bit before the 6th mile marker I heard a group of runners coming up behind me and without even looking I knew it was the 2:05 pacer. As she got next to me, without even thinking I said, "Oh no. You're not allowed to pass me!" The girls in front of her laughed and I realized what I had said. The pacer gave me a gentle swat on the rear with the stick of her pacing sign and told me I'd better get going then. I laughed and she gave me some encouraging advice. Things I already knew, but still nice to hear. Then she told me I sounded like I was doing well, not like I was struggling really. I told her I was getting there and it's the back half of the race that gets me. She said, "The back half gets every body." It was nice to know that even someone who I would consider a professional has a hard time with this course. Sometimes I wonder if it's all in my head. I know it's not. I don't think there's anyone that would say the course is easy. There's always self doubt though. So I thanked the pacer and she was on her way. I kept trying to keep up with her, but it wasn't happening. We crossed the 10k split mat and had a good downhill for a minute. I was thinking too much and got frustrated. Even though I had been telling myself I wasn't going to PR, I still got mad that I wasn't able to stay in front of the 2:05 pacer. I had wanted it to happen more than I was willing to admit I guess. Rather than being proud that I made it almost half way through the race at a PR pace, I was just really put out and discouraged. I let it slow me down even more.

I ran with self pity for a couple more miles, which didn't help the tough, hilly parts of the course. We saw my family a couple more times at around 7 1/2 and somewhere past 9.

I was pulling myself out of the funk when somewhere around 9 1/2 miles I heard another group coming up behind us. With a glance I knew it was a pacer, but I wasn't sure if he was for the full or the half. He was talking to a couple of people in his group and I caught something he was saying. He said, "It won't matter if you have finished faster, or slower than you wanted, in the end the medal is going to be the same." Such a simple statement. Yet, it was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment. I looked back and told him so and thanked him. He said he was glad and said some more encouraging things. Scott and I managed to stay in front of him for a mile or so and then he passed us. He was the 2:10 pacer for the half. I made note of that, but it didn't bother me anymore. I was going to finish the race either way. I was going to enjoy the last 3 miles. ...As much as I could, knowing that the dreaded mile 12 hill was coming up faster than I wanted to think about. At this point, I had no idea what our time or pace was. I had turned off all RunKeeper notifications earlier in the race. It was almost freeing to not know.

My family showed up one last time at mile 11. My dad and daughter ran on the sidewalk for a minute as we passed them and my son and mom were on the corner shouting and clapping. Mile 12 hill or not, those faces made me want to push. About halfway up the hill I told Scott I wanted to have a short walk, but then I saw the photographer and refused to be in another Mile 12 picture while walking. By the time we passed him we were almost to the top. I had a short walk and then got going again. The last mile and a half had more walking than I'd normally do in the final mile of any run, but I didn't care. I also soon realized there was another reason for it.

Starting near the top of the hill, close to the mile 12 marker, I noticed a woman who had passed us while we were walking. She was running, but her breathing was harsh. The kind of breathing I know well from when I struggle. The kind that says, "I'm so done right now." I smiled at her in a hopefully encouraging way as we ran past her. We did a little leap frog with her. We would stop to walk and she would run past us. That happened a couple times. She never walked. But our running pace was just a little faster than hers. The last time we passed her I told Scott I wondered if she needed someone to finish the race with. We had about 3/4 mile left and I wanted one more short walk. I was hoping for a really good kick at the finisher's chute. While we were walking the lady caught up to us again and I just really felt like we should stay with her. So we started running again. Her pace was definitely slower than what we had been doing, but I didn't mind. I knew we were making an assumption that she would even want someone around her. I still don't know how she felt about it. About half a mile to the finish line she took an earbud out when I was telling her we were close and she smiled. I told her we were going to run it in with her and she seemed grateful. At about 1/4 left she took out both earbuds and asked how much further. I pointed out what was left and we kept going. All the while I'm trying to be encouraging to her. About a block from our last turn I shouted at her that it was our last turn and that was the finish line chute. "Thank God!" she said. I couldn't agree more. It was hot. The hills, as always, were hard. But there was the finish line and all these people were lining the chute cheering everyone along even though they didn't know the runners. It's pretty awesome.

We made the final turn and I'm talking to this lady as if I know her. Telling her she's almost done, that we are so close. And her kick comes in. It surprised me. What is it about a finish line that makes even the biggest struggles seem non existent? The three of us crossed the finish line almost at the same time. I gave the lady a pat on the shoulder and told her good job as she got her medal and then she was gone. I didn't see her again. Part of me wonders if I shouldn't have assumed she would want someone to run in the last bit with her. Part of me thinks it's better to make that assumption than to let someone who seems to be struggling go at it alone. Who knows?

As we were finishing, I heard, but did not see my parents and the kids. After I got my medal I looked over and saw them all waiting for us. I was anxious to get to them, but first I needed oranges. I love oranges. I would like to fill my bag with oranges after a race. :-D

Scott and I made our way out of the finisher's area and were met with hugs and high fives. I could say it a million times and it still wouldn't be enough, but we have the best support team. Really and truly. They make me so happy. They keep me going more than they realize. Every shout. Every wave. Every bang on a pot (their choice of noisemakers this year lol). Every bit of it encourages me to just put one foot in front of the other. It doesn't matter the pace. It doesn't matter my finishing time. They are proud of me. And I should be proud of myself.

Our official chip time was 2:14:16, average pace 10:14, compared to RunKeeper which has our distance at 13.30 (Scott and I have a theory about the extra distance, but it's not important at this point.) and a time that is the same, but the average pace is 10:06. Of the four goals, I met the first one. :) I'm not even bothered that I didn't meet the others. I finished. That's what matters.

Marathon training or not, running a half marathon is not an easy thing to do. So I will put the middle couple miles out of my head and I will remind myself of how great the first half was, and how I was hopefully that much of an encourager to someone else in the end.

A Perfect Day for a 5k PR, and Then Some.

Summer came and went, and we are well in to fall... Sort of. It's still hot. Not middle of the summer in the south hot, but we're still reaching mid 80's around here. It's been a rough season for training, but I was determined to work hard. Not only was I preparing for Race for the Cure, I have also been training for a half marathon, but ultimately all the training is for my full marathon in January. Some runs have been amazing. Others left me feeling defeated. Mostly though, I have been somewhere in the middle. A couple weeks ago I ran in my 9th Race for the Cure. The last couple years I came in just short of a 5k PR so this year I decided it was absolutely going to happen.

I always look forward to Race for the Cure, but this year I was especially excited because Scott was racing it with me. I don't know about other Komen races around the country, but here there's the main 5k in which only women participate, and before that there is a competitive 5k that both men and women can do. Scott is my rock, and while I knew the training had been all me, I was counting on him to keep me going. I know the course well, and I know where I tend to struggle.

It was a perfectly cold morning for a race. We got to the starting line, where our kids and my mom would see us off, pretty early. With about 15 minutes to go before the race started, Scott and I decided to go do a slow warm up run. I don't normally do that before a race, but I was too cold just waiting around. Also, when I started thinking about it, when I did my speed runs while training, I would do a slow mile first. So I hoped this warmup would help me.

Back at the start line I did some last minute shoe checking and the next thing I knew, the emcee was saying a prayer and it was time to start! As usual I started a bit too fast and Scott was telling me to slow down. I tried, but I felt really good and figured if I was faster in the beginning, it would maybe make up for when I started to struggle. I also know it's really better to start slower and build up. I was dealing with a lot of conflict in my head. lol

We passed the first mile and I knew we would be getting ready to make our first pass over the bridge that takes us over the river. From the base, it's about 1/4 mile to the top where it levels out for a little bit before going back down. It's a mental thing at this point. I know how hard it is and so I start to psych myself out. I know I slowed down a bit, but I was able to get it back on the downhill and while we looped the block to get back to the same bridge. I knew if I could just get to the top of the bridge, I'll have made it past the worst of the course, and also only have a little over half a mile left until the finish line. Not to say that last half mile is easy. Once we go down the other side of the bridge, it's a gentle incline to the finish line for most of it. And I feel every bit of it.

Because this race is to support breast cancer, I try to focus on the reason the event happens in the first place. Like most people, I know many who have won, and lost, a battle with cancer. I will go through their names while I run. Sometimes I lose that focus, so when Scott and I were in the last 1/4 mile and he knew I needed a boost he said, "Who are you running for??" and I shouted back the name of my friend who has survived breast cancer not once, but twice. And then continued the names of my loved ones in my head until we made the last turn and I saw the finish line. I knew I was close to my goal pace, and I also knew that my mom and kids came to the race to watch me get a PR. And that's exactly what I intended to do. My kick came in and I sprinted the final stretch. I knew I had it, but it still made me choke up when I looked down at RunKeeper and officially saw my time and pace.

My goal was a finishing time of anything in the 27 minute range (or less of course :) ) and an average pace in the 8:40's. RunKeeper and my official race chip time were very close, putting my time at 27:40 and average pace of 8:44. Scott and I placed 138 & 139 out of 321 competitive runners, and 80th out of 247 women.

I am very pleased with how everything went! Once we finished my mom took a few pictures and then she and my kids headed home. I wanted to stay for the survivor parade. Since that didn't start for another almost hour and a half, Scott and I decided to get in the rest of the miles we needed for our half marathon/marathon training. Running around the river is beautiful. It's a great distraction. We won't talk about the inclines (or stairs) of the bridges we used to cross the river, yet again. It's impossible to run around Little Rock without dealing with hills. :)

We got back with minutes to spare before the survivor parade began. It's always an emotional experience seeing all these women, young and old, coming down the street. They are so brave. So strong. So very inspiring. It's a good way to end the whole experience.

Race for the Cure is a fun race to do. The course and sideline support are awesome. But it's important to remember why it's happening in the first place. It is my constant prayer that a cure is found. When that happens, this race will be an even bigger celebration. I look forward to that day very much!