Lucky #13

If the number 13 is unlucky, then I can't wait for my next half marathon! :-D

Today I PR'd at my 13th half marathon. I PR'd despite humid and warm conditions. Despite the course being full of hills. Despite worries and concerns over things I could not control.

Training for Soaring Wings was... interesting. I was following the Runner's World Break 2 plan. It had 4-5 runs per week with one speed day and one long run. The other 2-3 runs were short and easy. It blew my mind. How can a plan that has me doing long runs at a 10:20-10:30 pace, get me to a sub 2 finishing time?? I wasn't actually following the plan so that I could break 2 this time around. I said that all through training. I just wanted to see what the plan was like. However, the closer the race got, the more I considered the goal of breaking 2 hours. I didn't want to commit to it though. I wanted perfect conditions for that goal. Even though, no race will ever have perfect conditions. But could I at least deal with weather OR elevation, and not both? lol

I didn't want to add pressure or psych myself out, so by this morning my goal was to finish, hopefully in the lower range of my previous finish times, with a sub goal of possibly breaking 2. I figured if I wasn't able to get under 2 hours, then then more than likely I wouldn't PR either. I was fine with whatever the outcome would be. Or so I thought.

We got to the start line and only had to wait about 10 minutes until the first wave started. I wanted to start with the 2 hour pacer and just see how things went. After a prayer, and the National Anthem, the first wave was sent off. Expected finishing times between 2:00-2:15 were in wave two, so we only waited about 2-3 minutes before it was our turn.

Being well acquainted with a course can be good, or bad. I'm not totally sure which I would prefer. This was my 8th time to do Soaring Wings. (Just two short of being a part of every race from the start. This was their 10th anniversary!) So I remember every hill, and every turn. It's sort of nice to know when to prepare for the big ones, but at the same time, anticipating the hills can be mentally exhausting. I tried very hard to stay in the moment from the very start. Mile by mile. Step by step. Shortly after one mile, Scott and I passed the pacers. I was feeling pretty good, but I didn't want to give it all I had right from the start. Especially knowing that the second half of this course is the hardest.

I have no idea how far behind me the two pacers were for the amount of time they were behind me, but I stayed ahead for a surprisingly long time. For the next 8+ miles I was in front. I tried to keep that thought in mind as I made my way through the course. There was little else for me to focus on. I had my music and I would sing along in my head if I needed a distraction. Mostly though, this was one of the quietest Soaring Wings races I have done. And it wasn't just because our regular supporters, my parents and kids, weren't able to make it. (Half way to the race their truck broke down :( ) The course was still covered in wonderful spectators and volunteers at aid stations. But for whatever reason, maybe because I was trying to focus so much, I don't remember or have much to say about the middle 9 miles. Nothing other than going up and down, and up and down... and up and down another hill. :)

Somewhere around the 9 mile marker, I took my first walk. My legs and brain were in a massive argument over what to do. Going for a major goal will hurt. I know this. I also felt like I could not possibly run another step. So I got off to the side and walked. But only for a second because that's when I realized the pacers were RIGHT behind me. I said, "Nope nope nope," out loud and began running again. About half a mile or so later it was another uphill where I slowed down and the pacers were right next to me. I said something to them about how I had hoped to stay ahead. The two were very sweet and encouraging, but I can't remember what they said. They passed me and all of a sudden I realized how badly I had actually wanted to break 2. Even as I was telling myself it was fine, that it could still happen, I felt my breathing get erratic- The beginnings of what I've started calling a running panic attack. No matter how much I tell myself it's ok, and how much try to breath, something else inside me takes over and I lose control. One of the pacers heard whatever noise I made and told me I was fine and that I'd pass them on the downhill. I fell a little further behind and she kept encouraging me. Then I started with the full on attack and she was saying something that I wish I could hear, but know she was telling me to keep going, in a way. Through tears and gasping breaths I said I was ok and let myself walk to get it together.

I have no idea how long it actually took. I feel like it wasn't too long. I could still see the pacers ahead of me, and the 2:05 pacers were still somewhere behind me. If I could stay ahead of them I'd still be doing better than I thought I would be doing when I started the race. Between the mile 10 marker and about 11 1/2 miles Scott and I ran, slower than we had been, but we ran. It felt like I was dragging. Little did I know that Scott had also began to struggle.
A little past 11 1/2 or so I was done. I had been replaying a moment in my head from the Little Rock marathon weekend 10k. I was going for a 10k PR. We had something like a mile left to go and I knew I had my PR. In fact, we were way ahead of what I needed to get it. So I told Scott we could slow down and still get the PR. He then said to me, "Why? Why wouldn't you push?" That memory helped for a little bit, but I truly felt like in that moment all I could give was a walk. When I walked, Scott said thank you. Turns out, we both needed it. We walked to the mile 12 marker. I'm not sure how long it was. It felt like a while, but I think it actually wasn't as long as we thought. We had just one mile left. 1.1 to be exact. And that was if we didn't go by our tracking devices. My watch had been measuring at least .1 ahead for about 3 miles already. We walked one more time a little past 12 1/2. Scott's heart rate was too high, and I'd rather walk the rest of the race, than have either of us be in that much pain or struggling. I can't say I felt better, but I did feel stronger. I don't know how that even makes sense, but it's how it was. Scott and I compliment each other so well. He helps me through the middle (and often times whole first half) and I help him through the last however much.

In that last mile, I was thinking MAYBE I'd still PR, but even if not, I knew it would be one of my better finishing times.
We made the last turn and I talked to Scott the whole way down the chute. Someone on the sidelines shouted Scott's name and I think that helped too. We crossed the line, and my favorite part of the whole race was here. Not finishing. But receiving my medal from one of the children I had just been running for. The kids who live on Soaring Wings Ranch are the ones who hand out the medals at the finish line. It's beyond special.

We snagged some snacks from the finisher's chute and then went to the tent where we could get a print out of our stats right away. That is when I found out I had definitely PR'd! Who knew, going into this hilly and humid race day, that I would actually set another personal record?! ...Lots of my supporters actually. They all have way more belief in my ability than I do. Apparently so did another participant. Just after I received my medal I heard someone say, "You made it!" I looked over and there was a lady who I had seen off and on along the course who seemed to possibly have the same goal of a sub 2 finish time as well. I realized she was talking to me and thanked her. She told me when the pacer group had passed me she saw me and was hoping I'd make it. We talked for a couple minutes and she hugged me. This, y'all, this is what the running community is about. I love it so much. I don't know this lady. But she was rooting for me when I didn't even know it. She made a point to say something to me when I finished. I wish I had thought to get her name. I did ask how she did. According to her Garmin she had just barely broke 2 hours. I told her that's what counted, but I happened to be behind her at the tent when she got her official time and loved watching her celebrate when she saw that she truly did break 2 hours. I wanted to jump up and down with her. These are the moments that matter.
Finishing stats:
Chip time- 2:01:35
Chip pace- 9:17
Overall place- 174 out of 867
Female age group place- 14 out of 89

Many things about today did not go the way the obsessive planner in me would have liked. From the weather, to my parents and kids only making it halfway before having to turn around and go home, to blisters (UGH!), but the one thing that did go right... The one thing that matters; my 13th half marathon. It just happens to be my favorite race. And I just happened to PR.

Lucky #13. ;)

More Than Pink

What. A. Day!!

I love Race for the Cure and the attention it brings for breast cancer awareness. It's hard to not be aware of something that everyone is affected by one way or another. But this day, that thousands and thousands of people gather to celebrate or memorialize their loved ones, it's just so special.

Scott and I drove to Little Rock, arriving much earlier than we needed to. That wasn't the plan, but I think we were... okay, I was anxious. It doesn't matter how many races I do, or what the distance is, I always have start line anxiety.

Because I'm actually training for Soaring Wings Half Marathon, and after that continuing on with Walt Disney World Marathon training, my training plan had 11 miles for today. We decided to do a warm up mile before the 5k race, then almost right away get 6-7 miles in before the survivor parade. Things almost went as planned.

After the warm up mile, we found a place in the corral for the competitive runners. There was about 15 minutes until our race began, but time went quickly. While we waited I was looking around to see if I could figure out where we were in the lineup. I didn't feel like there were THAT many people in the corral. I knew that the first 250 finishers received a medal, and at the time, that was my only goal.

When the gun went off I tried to focus only on the running I had to do. Not the people around me. Not a pace or goal time, even though Scott did ask what my goal was, and I told him I'd need a pace of 8:40 or less to PR. Something I had no expectation of getting because it was so warm already and humidity was at 100%. Not to mention, I know how many hills are squeezed into this course! Half a mile, and one bridge over the river in, I glanced at my watch and realized I was running a sub 8 pace. This is a very new pace for me!! It's also not the best way to start if I didn't want to flop before the finish line, but at the same time, I was surprised that even though it was hard, I was not struggling. I also knew I wouldn't hold that. I was close though, for the first mile. :) Out of habit I looked down when my watched beeped- Mile one was done in 8:01. That's also about the time Scott got a real in the moment picture of me. I thought I was smiling for the camera, but I was wrong. lol

I definitely slowed down over the next two miles. At least on the uphills. I tried to keep it steady, but around 1 1/2 miles I started getting a side cramp and it never went away. So I'd go up the hills at a slower pace, but try to pick it up on the downhills. I didn't hear the beep for mile two so it wasn't until almost 2 1/2 miles in that I realized my pace was in the 8:30's. Scott had been encouraging all along the way and at this point he started telling me he knew I had more in me. I told him I was giving it all I had. I really believed that. For the next .6 miles he kept telling me I could do this, but I had to go faster. At least, I think that's what he was saying. With about 1/3 left to go I turned my music up so I wouldn't hear him. Don't get me wrong, I REALLY loved and appreciated his support. So much. But I had a horrible cramp and I was pushing to the point of feeling like I'd be sick. I needed to just focus on whatever song was playing and making sure my legs didn't buckle underneath me. In my heart I knew he was encouraging me, and for that moment, that was what I needed. I knew if I could at least keep my current pace, I'd get the PR I didn't know I was going for. I also knew I was giving it all I could when my normal kick did not show up. Maybe it was the uphill climb to the finish line. I don't know, but it's ok. I had it! I crossed that finish line mat, stopped my watch, received my medal from a lovely volunteer, and after I got some much needed water, I finally looked to make it official. :-D

Finish time 26:54
Average pace 8:34
Overall place 56/211
Female place 25/152

My finishing place puts me in a higher percentage for placement than I have ever been for any race distance. It was a great surprise to find the results and see those numbers!

We only stopped for a couple minutes because I really wanted to get back for the survivor parade. Our next 6 miles were quite the adventure, which was good because after pushing so hard during the race I really just didn't want to move. I had planned for us to run the mile or so down to the river trail because I knew it would be mostly flat once we got down there, and do an out and back route. We got down to the trail and it was so peaceful and quite, but barely a mile on the trail, it ended because of construction.

So we battled with some traffic and ran on grass for a little bit until we found the next street we could turn on, and from there it was up and down more hills, over and over again, until we were able to make our way back in the direction of the race route to finish. We did stop for a couple pictures and a big drink of water when we reached the Capitol building. At that point we checked the time. I wasn't sure how behind we would be because of the detour and walking we were doing. I thought we may only be able to get in 5 miles. We realized we would have time to finish 6, but not the 7th mile, the one that would give us our 11 total for the day. That would have to wait until after the parade.

Once we hit 6 miles we had about 3 blocks to walk to where the parade would be. Those blocks just happened to be at the finishing area of the 5k. I really enjoyed walking the sidewalk and watching people finish!! I'm not sure if I've mentioned in past recaps, but the competitive run, which is what we did, starts half an hour earlier than the rest of the race. The number of participants is so large and there is so much entertainment along the course, that it can take an incredible amount of time to finish. I've walked it twice. One year, it took over 2 hours! So, when we finished our 6 miles, it had been an hour and a half since the general start of the race. At one point, not that long ago, Race for the Cure in Little Rock was number 2 in the country!! I'm not sure what the numbers were for this year.

I didn't know anyone in the parade, but I wanted to be there to honor my friend who normally is a part of it, and also because it is such a special part of the day. The song played during the parade this year was called "Run For Life" by Melissa Ethridge. This was the first time I have heard this song, and it touched me so deeply. Between the song and watching these amazing, strong women walking with huge smiles, I just couldn't keep my emotions under control.

A few of the ladies made eye contact and I'd gesture towards them, clapping or something. It's so hard to explain these experiences. One lady walked over and hugged me. But, it wasn't a hug FOR me... like she wasn't comforting me. It was a thank you. I've been trying to figure out how to put that moment into words and that's it. She was thanking me for being there. For the support. For the tears I'm shedding because I hate so much what they, and anyone with any form of cancer, has to go through. It's amazing what can happen when we show a little vulnerability.

The parade ended, but we waited another minute or two for things to clear up (emotions included!) before we started our final mile. I really didn't want to run anymore, but we had to get back to the car anyway, and it was almost a mile away. So we sucked it up and got moving. I was thankful that a good bit of that final mile was downhill or flat. :)

It was such a good day. The feelings were as much of a roller coaster as the hills we ran all morning long. I wouldn't have it any other way though!!

Firecracker for the Troops 5k

Last week I was in Virginia visiting my best friend, Darby, and helping out while she recovered from having a baby. I had no expectation to get any runs in because my focus was to be there for them, but I took stuff just in case it worked out. I managed to get a couple runs in, one being a last minute decision to do a 4th of July 5k. I've always wanted to do one, but have never made it a priority. When our friend, Denise, mentioned she was doing a race on the 4th, Darby encouraged me to join her.

We left in time to hopefully get to the course with enough time to park and get out packets. It wasn't until we were on the way that I found out packet pick up closed at 7:30. Our GPS was telling us that we would arrive at 7:26, and we knew we would still have to walk to the main area. Oops!! Turns out the parking garage we used was fairly close and they didn't actually close the packet pick up line right at 7:30. We got our bibs pinned and then I got a little warm up while running our shirts back to the car while Denise tried to meet up with another friend who was also running.

By the time I got back it was about time for the race to start. There were so many people. I have never participated in such a large 5k! Aside from Race for the Cure, which in the past has been in the top 5 in the country :-D Even then though, the competitive run is a few hundred. The Firecracker for the Troops 5k had over 1600 finishers!!! It makes me wonder if this is normal, or if I feel like it's huge because of where I live.

The race started on an uphill. Having lived in Virginia, I knew the area somewhat, but not well. I definitely was not expecting this course to be as hilly as it was. Denise has been dealing with an injury, and I knew I wanted to stick with her throughout the race, so neither of us went in with a finish time expectation. Our running pace was not bad, but we did walk a few times in the last half. I was more than ok with that! It definitely felt like the race directors tried to squeeze in as many hills as possible. It was also a pretty muggy morning. For all the hills and humidity though, the course was beautiful and I had a really good time. I probably rambled on too much, subconsciously hoping to distract Denise from her pain. The geese that joined us on the course were a fun distraction as well. :)

The last half mile was pretty much all uphill. Walking still happened, but we did cross the finish line running, picking people off (passing them with a good kick in the last tenth. :) ) as we went along. We finished with a time of 38:44.

After finding the water we found a shaded area to sit for a few minutes. There were many vendors so we decided to walk around for a few minutes before leaving. While doing that we found FOOD. Lots and lots of food. Along with the number of participants at this race being more than I'd ever seen, there was also more food than I had ever seen at a 5k. Tables and more tables full of different kinds of bagels, cookies, goldfish and fruit snacks. I've done half and full marathons that had less at the finish line. It was amazing!

This was a really fun race with lots of excitement before and after. It would have been easy to stay and hang around for a long time. However, I had a little baby waiting for me back at the house, so we headed out. I may have a summer race bug now though. I might make it more of a priority to sign up for one near me next year! :)

RussVegas Half Marathon

April 22, 2017

When I signed up to run the RussVegas Half Marathon it was strictly for the experience... and the bling. About 2 weeks before registering I was at the expo for the Little Rock Marathon. I had just stopped at the booth for RussVegas and was drooling over the medal when I got a text from my running buddy, Angela, saying she was thinking about doing the RussVegas half. How's that for coincidence?? And that is all it took for me to get a bug in my ear to run the race. Even though I had been saying ever since the Walt Disney World Marathon that I would definitely be done training after I did my challenge in Little Rock. A week later I began training, and a week after that I registered. It wasn't until I was on the website for RussVegas that I saw that the course is known to be a PR Fast course. Well, I read that as "PR flat". Spoiler alert: It's not flat.

Something in my head told me I should try for a PR at this race. Maybe it's because I thought it said the course was flat. Or maybe I just wanted to add another challenge to my list. I don't know what made me think that after 7 months of walk/run interval training on my long runs, and minimal speed days mid week, that I would be able to do this. Not to mention April weather in Arkansas is so unpredictable. Race day could be too cold, or too hot. It could be insanely humid. Or, it could be perfect. But there it was, tempting me. So the last three weeks of training I did some speed work. Two of those weeks were training I've never attempted before (mile repeats and 800m repeats) at speeds I have never attempted before. Those runs gave me confidence I could actually PR. But then the long runs would tell me otherwise. I've heard it's better to have long training runs at slower than race pace, but I was not convinced. :)

Friday before the race I put it out there for friends and family to know what my goal was. I figured the more who knew, whether they have followed my running journey or not, the more accountability I would have. I felt vulnerable. I almost didn't say anything. What if I didn't make it. Would I feel shame? Would people think I was not capable? Would I be a failure? Of course not. But that didn't stop the anxiety of it from hitting me. I was hoping to finish in any time under 2 hours and 5 minutes. I also had it in the VERY back of my head that I'd try for a sub two hour time.

Angela and I got on the road at 4:45 Saturday morning to make the hour and 40 minute drive. We wanted to give ourselves extra time because it was supposed to rain, and we weren't sure how far away we would have to park. We also needed to meet up with Angela's sister in law and her husband who had our race packets. By the time all was said and done, we got to the start line about 10 minutes before the race began. Because there was a heavy drizzle, most runners were taking cover wherever they could. I was not bothered though. This was the kind of rain I loved to run in. I was nervous about my goals, but also excited. A rainy run usually energizes me. However, I've not run more than a few miles in the rain, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I certainly did not want to be weighed down with rain water, or run with soggy shoes. It is what it is though.

I had told Angela I'd like to put myself with the 2 hour pacer. I had that goal way back in my head, but I figured if I wasn't able to keep up, it would hopefully keep me ahead to still PR. Angela had a different goal, so from early in our training we talked about me going ahead if I was feeling good. I promised I would. We joined the others in the corral and after the Star Bangled Banner was sung and a prayer was said, we watched the Elite runners take off. And then, about 2-3 minutes later it was our turn.

I don't know exactly when it happened, but I think it was near one mile in, I noticed Angela was not staying with me anymore. I reminded myself that I was supposed to go on ahead and to not feel bad. I had to force myself to not look back for her though. I knew if I did I would either slow down to stay with her, or I would cry. So I put my earbuds in, started my music, and kept looking forward, focusing on staying in the moment. I used my music to keep me distracted just enough, but I also tried to stay aware of what was going on around me.
This course was beautiful! I loved that a majority of it was lined with honeysuckle! It's one of my favorite smells and I'm lucky enough that it grows abundantly in my area. Between the rain and the happy smell of honeysuckle I was feeling good for quite a while.

As I was getting close to mile 3 my pace group passed a large group of soldiers. They are with the Wounded Warrior Project and are incredibly inspiring. The soldiers were in two groups; each group carrying another soldier on a stretcher. It was such a neat experience. People would thank the soldiers for all they do, or give words of encouragement, but the the soldiers would give US words of encouragement and tell us to keep up the hard work. It did not matter to me that I was hoping to run what would be my toughest paced race, nothing I can do would compare to what the soldiers were doing in that moment, but also in their daily lives. It leaves me speechless.

Somewhere around mile 4 the two pacers in our group separated a little bit. And shortly after that happened I passed one of them. My goal then became to stay between the two. For the next 4-5 miles I held my position between the pacers. There was probably a distance of about 1/10th of a mile between them. Sometimes I knew the guy behind me was close because I would hear him shout suggestions or encouragement to anyone around him. A couple other times I managed to be closer to the lady pacer. I'm not sure which of the three of us picked up the pace or slowed down, but I didn't care. I was happy to be where I was. When we got to mile 7 I was super pleased with how well I still felt. The fact that I had held onto a position near the 2 hour pacer for 7 miles made me ecstatic. It was truly more than I could have hoped for. Especially given the unexpected hills...

Hills? Oh, yes, there were hills. After I realized I had read wrong, I should have really known better. But I kept thinking, it's a PR Fast course. Surely it can't be THAT bad. Maybe some gently rolling hills. The kind I complain about around my own town, when I want to run as flat as possible. (Flat is not possible around here unless I'm on a track.) They aren't bad, but are noticeable when you're tired or sore. Well, Angela and I have differing opinions on this course, but for me, they were not gentle. Rolling yes. There were SO MANY! And some were looooong. The hills were a mental struggle for me. But again, I tried to stay in the moment. Focusing on my music and keeping the 2:00 lady pacer in sight.

I made it to 8 1/2 miles before the guy pacer was back at my side. I decided to ask him a question I had been wondering since the start. I asked him if I wanted to get a sub 2 time, how much ahead of him would I have to finish. He checked his watch and then let me know that we were actually about 30 seconds ahead of time. Then said, "Stick with me and I'll get you there." I told him I was trying.
I don't know what happened, but after that, things started to fall apart. Okay. That's me being dramatic. Things did not fall apart. However, try as I might for the next half mile, I could not keep up with him anymore. He inched his way further and further from my sight. At that point, I had a little pep talk with myself. I was not defeated, but I definitely needed to remind myself to do my best. I didn't need to PR to have a PB (Personal Best). I learned that from the wonderfully inspiring Kelly Roberts of Run, Selfie, Repeat. (I've mentioned her in a previous blog as well. I can't even get into all this amazing woman stands for right now, but I feel like she speaks to me, and ONLY me. Follow her in every way possible. You won't regret it!) So I'm still going for a PR, but mostly I want a PB. I want to give my best no matter the circumstances. I was fairly confident that I'd still PR though. A Little past mile 10 I actually had to stop and retie my shoes. I was definitely aggravated about this. I had double knotted them, but they were feeling more loose as time went on, and I wasn't confident in my stride. As soon as I got that fixed, I felt my speed pick back up. For a little bit anyway. I had less than a 5k to go. I was hurting, but I knew I could do it. So confident in fact, I managed to smile a real smile for the photographer as I was finishing up mile 12.

I let myself walk through the water stop as we hit mile 12 because I knew about, but could see the monster overpass of a hill looming right in front of me. And then I charged up that stinking hill as best I could. I did end up walking for about 20 feet to finish getting to the top. Once I saw the downhill side, I got going again. No picture of this hill can do it justice. I took a screen shot from Google to try though. It's not very long (if 1/10 of a steep mile can be considered not long), but it's definitely steep. One mile to go. I was so close!

The last mile felt like it went on forever. I felt myself slowing down a little more as each city block went by. There's a lot to see in the last mile, but I couldn't tell you what any of it was. I remember smelling pizza. I'm sure it was delicious, but in that moment it made me feel sick to my stomach. I also remember there was a ton of spectator support. Strategically planted or not, having people cheer for me in the last mile of a hard race is pretty awesome. I saw the final turn approaching and I tried to gear up for a sprint to the finish. I turned and saw it, and picked up the pace a bit. I had to push back some adrenaline sick feelings. I refuse to be sick after all I had just accomplished. It wasn't until I saw the clock at the finish line that my kick really came in. I knew if I ran as hard as I possibly could, I would cross the line in under 2:05. And that had been my goal. If I was a cartoon coming across the finish line, I feel like my legs would have looked like the Road Runner's.

As I crossed the line I absolutely could not contain the smile that appeared on my face. I shouted, "YES!!!" in my head... at least, I think it was in my head. It may have been out loud. :) To date, this is my all time favorite finish line picture.

And then, the tears came. I must have been making some awful breathing noises with a half smile half crying face because one of the volunteers jumped over to me and was guiding me asking me if I was ok. It took a lot of effort to tell him I was great. These were happy tears. No. Overjoyed tears. Prideful tears. Exhausted tears. Tears of pain. Tears of delight. Tears that told me I am capable of so much more than I give myself credit for.

I missed Angela coming across the finish line, but when she did, and after we hugged, and congratulated each other (she did far better than she hoped for), she reminded me that I didn't just barely squeak into a PR. The clock time was not my official time. I looked down at my watch to see what it said, and that's when I realized in all the emotion of finishing, I forgot to stop it! :( Then I found out that there was a tent where I could get my official results. So after watching for Angela's sister in law and her husband to finish I got in line. I really was so happy with the clock time. I couldn't imagine it getting any better. Turns out, it was even better than I thought.

Chip time: 2:02:50
Average pace: 9:23

That's a 2 minute 40 second difference from my previous PR! That far surpasses my hope of finishing at 2:04:59. :-D

RussVegas Half, thank you helping me discover my strength. Thank you for a gorgeous course. And thank you for a course lined with spectators despite the rainy chilly weather. Oh, and thanks for the free pics! Yes, they were FREE!

This is definitely a race I plan to be a part of again. As soon as possible if I can help it!

Training and Last Minute Races

In my last post about the Little Rock 10k and Half Marathon, I mentioned that I have been a sucker for challenges lately. Well, that did not end with Little Rock weekend. About a week later I registered for another half marathon- giving me 6 weeks to train. The challenge with this one is, I plan to run the whole thing. Not only that, but I have it in the back of my head that I'd like to PR. Since I had been training for Little Rock, I had the distance in, however, it was walk/running, and I needed to run run. lol New challenge plan: Train for a PR with some speed work as best as possible for 4-5 weeks before tapering. I've never trained for less than 12 weeks for a half marathon. Let's do this...

I'm actually pretty surprised at how well it has been going. My friend Angela and I have done a majority of the training together building up the long runs, and getting some tempo runs in mid week. Twice I've tried new forms of speed work, and doubted my ability both times. I ended up pulling out speeds I've never done before for the distances I was covering. It was amazing! The long runs have not been bad, quite fun actually, but they have had me wondering how I'll be able to PR. I just tell myself, to keep training and we'll see what happens on race day.

Last week I had an evening 5k with my daughter that I worked into my long run. She's not a big runner, but really wanted to do the race. So about three weeks ago we signed the two of us up. Angela and I decided to run 8 miles as close to the start time as possible. Since I figured Evie would be walk/running the 5k, I wanted to get one more mile in, so I ran from my house to meet Angela at the location of the race, and then we did an out and back run from there.

GloRun Recap~
Angela and I made it to the start line with a few minutes to spare. We each found our families and figured we would see each other at the finish line. I was thankful my daughter would have walks through out this race because our run leading up to the race was good, but difficult. I would have been just fine to be done running completely at that point. Walking would be nice. Turns out, Evie had more in her than either of us expected. The course is a two loop course, starting and finishing in the downtown area.
I knew Evie tends to take off fast, but the couple times we have run together, she faded quickly. At this race however, she ran further during each run than normal. At times, I couldn't even keep up with her. I don't know if this is because she was running faster than I am really able, or if it was because I had just run 9 miles. I chose to not look at my watch through out the race and just see what happened. We weren't being chip timed or anything and I really just wanted this to be a fun run for Evie.
I was impressed with the sideline support at this race. We live in a little-ish town and in the past, the 5k's I've done have been fun, but lacking in the sideline and post race areas. I loved that Evie got to have a fun experience with a lot of spectators.
As we were finishing, Evie had a lovely kick to the finish line. I'm so impressed, and proud of her! Based on my watch, the course wasn't not quite a full 5k, our finish time was 31:58 with an average pace of 10:33. We had hardly finished before Evie was asking to do it again next year!

Another week of training went by and brought us to today. We reached peak training today! Angela was doing another 5k this morning, so we met early to get in 9 miles before her race, and I planned to do the final 3 on my own. We had a good run, but it was challenging. It felt hard and as we were finishing I actually said I was done and wouldn't be doing three more. I didn't mean it of course, but I was done in that moment. We ended up finishing a little later than planned, and Angela's family had left for the 5k already. So I took her to the race, arriving 10 minutes before start time. I figured since I was there I may as well participate also. I ran in and got registered with just a couple minutes to spare. Talk about last minute! It was an adventure for sure!

Chip's Share It Forward 5k Recap~
After the 9 miles we had just done, I really was not sure what I had to give in my last three. My only goal was to hopefully not walk. Angela and I began together with another friend, but I was pulling ahead just a little. Angela told me she really had nothing left to put in, but she didn't mind if I went on. She also had a goal to finish before her husband who was also running, but had not been running very regularly. (For the record, they tied, with the exact same time and pace :-D ) I told her I was staying and just up around the corner we were going to pick it up to pass him. Around 1 mile there was a water stop. Angela's husband and one of her daughters he was running with, stopped for water and I told her this was our chance to pass. She really wasn't feeling it, and I heard her tell her daughter to stick with me. So J and I continued at a faster pace. I wasn't paying attention to numbers, just trying to go by feel. And stay with J. She's a fast kid! I was feeling mostly ok until the last mile. At that point I was pushing to stay with J. We caught up to her sister with about half a mile to go and the three of us stuck together for just a little bit. With the last 1/10 or so to go the girls each sped up. I didn't get my normal kick, but I finished as strong as I felt I could, just a few seconds behind J. This race had time chips on the back of our bibs (which was an unexpected surprise to me) and a tent set up at the finish line for official results. J and I headed over and I was shocked to see that my finish time was 28:33, average pace 9:12! How in the world I pulled a 9:12 pace after a difficult 9 miles, I'll never know. I was extremely pleased though.
This was my third year to do the Chip's 5k and I'm so glad I made the *very* last minute decision to do it!

I now have two weeks until the RussVegas Half Marathon. I'm greatly looking forward to tapering. Even with all the last minute races I have been doing, and the fact that I have been training since July, I'm still not burned out on running. Tired? Yes. Exhausted really. But I have looked forward to every run I have done, even the ones I knew would be hard.

I'm truly excited about RussVegas, whatever is in store for me there...

That Time I Ran Two Races in Two Days

Two races. Two days. For some this may not be a very big deal. For others, myself included, it might be a crazy idea. Why would anyone do this? For the challenge of course. Lately I've been a sucker for a challenge. High near 70? That's ok, I'll pass and run when it's 30 degrees in the early morning. Trail running when I expected paved roads? Okay then. Signing up to run a half marathon that is just 8 weeks after my full marathon and will happen the day after I'm hoping to PR at a 10k? Challenge accepted!

Back in October or November Scott and I signed up for the Little Rock Marathon 10k. I've only run a couple 10k races, and neither of them gave medals at the end. When I saw the medals for the races at Little Rock I knew I HAD to do one of them. Since race weekend was only a couple months after my Disney World Marathon I didn't think I should do the half marathon (certainly not the full!), but I wanted to do more than the 5k. So I talked to Scott and we decided he would join me and we'd both do the 10k. About that same time, my friend Kyla asked me if I could make up a training plan for her to run a half marathon. Turns out, she planned to do the half marathon at Little Rock.

After I got home from Disney I planned to take a week or so off from running and then get back to preparing for the 10k. I was thinking I could MAYBE go for a PR. A week or so after I got home I was talking to Kyla about her training and decided I would do her long runs with her while my daughter stayed with her kids. I hoped by doing this, Kyla could break through the mental block she was having (training for her first half marathon on her own, plus work schedules, plus being a single mom, all working together telling her things that were not true) Of course, doing the long runs with Kyla would have me over trained for the distance I was doing for my own race so I got it in my head that maybe I could do the half also. Five weeks before the races, I signed up for the half marathon. I also emailed the race director because the combo option had been sold out, but when I registered for the half it didn't say sold out anymore, I just wasn't able to choose the option even though it was there. I never do that kind of thing. I typically would just accept that it wasn't available and move on. I wanted to do both races either way, so no big deal. The race director got back to me pretty much right away saying that the combo option was definitely sold out and there was a waiting list, but she'd add me to it if I'd like. I had nothing to lost by being added. I had no expectations for getting in. With so few weeks before the race and over 100 people on the list, I knew the chances were slim to none.

Training carried on. I made up a loose training schedule for myself for the last few weeks before the races; aiming for 4 runs a week, two of them being with my running buddy, Angela, who was also training for a different race, trying to do some speed work each week (which happened most of the time), and get the long distances in with Kyla. Just over a week before race weekend I got an email with a confirmation for the combo. I was stupidly happy to get in! I would have been fine if it hadn't happened, but when I saw the confirmation I was more excited than I expected to be.

On Friday, before the races, Scott and I planned to go to the expo after he got off work. I was anxious because we had an hour drive, and I knew we would probably hit some traffic. I was relieved when Scott was off work an hour early, but it turned out it wouldn't matter. We were just 5 miles from our destination and we hit standstill traffic. Over half an hour later we had only moved half a mile. I'm sure I've mentioned in past blogs about how much of a control freak I can be. I was starting to freak out. At this rate, we wouldn't make it to the expo before they closed. The expo was also open on Saturday, but since we were running Saturday morning we had to get our packets on Friday. After creeping forward a little longer, we found a way to take backroads. Less than 15 minutes later we were parked and walking to the Statehouse Convention Center where the expo was being held. The panicky feeling quickly disappeared as soon as I had my bibs in hand. After walking around the expo for a little bit, we decided it was time to check into our hotel and find some dinner before aiming to get to bed at a decent time.

We woke to near perfect race weather on Saturday morning. It was sunny and right around 40 degrees. Normally that's too cold for me, even for a race, but it was great this time. By the time we walked from our car, made a pit stop at the port-a-potties, and got to our way to our corral, we only had about 20 minutes until we were supposed to start. There was some great music and even some beach balls being hit around the corrals to pass the time. It was pretty fun!

As it got closer to start time, the MC had the corrals move forward, closer to the start line. I was a little surprised they did not have us do a staggered start. When the race did start, it was pretty congested for a little bit. Scott and I were in corral E, but actually Scott's bib said C, and I'm pretty sure mine would have based on the completion time I put in when I originally registered for the 10k on its own. But when I added the half marathon, I put in a time that was slower because I know Kyla and I would be walk/running that one. I don't mind at all being in a further back corral, but it would have been nice to be with others that were about the same pace as me a little further up. I know this is a frustration many people have if they miss the cut off for proof of time and now I know how they feel. The situation would have been made a little better had the corrals been released a minute or two a part. All that not to say that my race was ruined, or anything like that. It's just an observation. Maybe they can allow the combo runners to put in two different completion times and not base corral placement for both races on just one. Anyway, back to the fun stuff!

The first half was fairly uneventful as far as the course goes. In the first mile I thought maybe the GPS on my running app had veered off course because I was hitting the quarter miles sooner than I thought I should be. Turns out, I really was just running much faster than I anticipated. In the beginning there were "gentle" inclines and declines, but not major hills. That gradually changed until the last half had rolling hills.

Up to mile 3 I had been maintaining a sub 9 minute average pace. Which totally surprised me. I mean, I knew I could do a 5k and that pace, but I had not planned on doing this race that fast. My fastest official 10k was a little over an hour. In order to get a PR I needed to average a 9:30 pace. So at mile 3 when I was still at 8:59 I was happy that I had gotten there fairly comfortably. I also knew that we had to be getting close to the hills I assumed were coming. I didn't know anything about this course, other than the fact that Little Rock is hilly. I just figured the hills would be there somewhere, and since they weren't really in the first half, they were certainly coming in the second. So knowing that, I also figured I'd have a big slow down coming. I was pretty sure I'd still PR though, so I tried to settled in and enjoy the hills. It didn't take long for me to start hurting once the big hills showed up. I spent a good chunk of that last half with a cramp that hopped back and forth between my chest and my diaphragm. Through out this time I was telling myself it was supposed to hurt. It's the kind of hurt I can push through. Just a couple more miles.

I recently stumbled across a fantastic blogger/vlogger who I relate to in so many ways (minus the fact that she's much faster) and has been an incredible source of inspiration and motivation for me. Kelly Roberts at Run, Selfie, Repeat is as real as real can be. I feel like I've known her my whole life. She speaks to me and only me. Well, a couple days before my 10k race, I was listening to a podcast of Kelly's (yes, we are on a first name basis... even though she has no idea who I am) and among other things, she was talking about how working for a PR at a race isn't meant to be easy. You have to push hard. You have to accept the pain. But you also know that when you finish, you'll know that you have done the absolute best you could have done. I thought about this podcast for most of the last half of the 10k. I hurt. I was tired. I had a cramp. And still, I repeated to myself, "Heather, you're supposed to hurt. This is what a PR feels like. DO IT!" My pace did slow a little bit in the 4th and 5th miles. That's when I talked to myself the most. I was averaging 9:04 going into the 6th mile. I knew I had my PR, clearly! So I started letting other thoughts take over and I talked to Scott about them. If I know I have the PR, why should I keep pushing so hard for this last mile, when I don't feel like I can push any harder to get my pace back to a sub 9? Why don't I just let up a little on the pace, to where it's just a TAD easier, but will still give me the PR? You know what Scott said? "Heather, why WOULDN'T you push for the sub 9?" And that was all. He didn't say anything else. I hit the mile 5 flag and had a nice downhill. I been hearing 9:04 average at each quarter mile for over a mile and decided I was tired of hearing that. When talking to yourself in your head is no longer enough, the next step is to just say it out loud. So I'm running down the hill and I was telling myself out loud to break that 9:04. Even if I didn't get the sub 9 back (because I truly did not think I would) just push and break it. After that I stopped hearing my app tell me my pace. I hadn't turned the sound off, I just was so focused on the course and how I was so close to finishing, I didn't notice. There was another uphill at the end of mile 6. I was not thrilled, but at the top, I saw the finish line just down the road. Just a quarter mile to go. And it seemed like the finish line was at the end of a decline. I didn't think I had anything left to give, but off I went. My kick came in and I flew down the road. As it turns out, that last quarter my pace was around 7:43. WHAT?!? I don't even know how that happened. It also explains why I was seconds away from losing my breakfast as I crossed the finish line. Quite a few deep breaths later, and I finally looked down at my app and saw that not only had I had gotten my PR, but I HAD gotten a sub 9 average! I was ecstatic!!

Something I had never seen at a race I've done before was an instant results tent. I've had results almost right away before, but not with this much detail. We put in our bib number, pulled up the results on a little screen, and with the click of a button we got a little print out that had not only our finishing clock time, chip time, and average pace, but also our standings. So here's what I have.

Chip Time: 56:06
Average Pace: 8:59

My overall placement and standing within all the woman participating was right around the top 30%, which is pretty typical for me, but the best thing I saw on this piece of paper was my placement in my age group for women. I placed 11th! I was THIS close to being in the top 10 women!! And yes, I'm thrilled about that. I have never been that close to placing in any race I have done. There isn't a reward for for placing in the top 10, but in my head, that's a pretty big deal. I just can't get over it. I am just so happy to be that close. :)

After the race we went back to the hotel to get cleaned up and wait for Kyla to get into town. With lunch at Panera and a delicious treat from Gigi's Cupcakes taken care of, we headed back to the expo for Kyla's packet pickup. I'm pretty sure I was more excited about this than she was, but I do remember those feelings from my first half marathon. Excitement definitely was not at the top of the list. :)

It was still a little too early to get dinner so we rested back at the hotel for a little bit. I had a growing headache that refused to leave, and we were all just plain tired. That carried on through dinner, and in the end we turned in early. I was asleep by 9. That never happens, especially the night before a race.

Sunday morning we woke up early to rain. It had been in the forecast with the chances varying each day. I was still hoping it wouldn't actually happen. Of course I wanted Kyla's first half to be perfect, and rain wouldn't allow for that. To say we were a tad grumpy could be an understatement, but there was no use dwelling on it. The race was happening either way. So we layered up and happened to find some ponchos in the car. I have never been so grateful for being a packrat. The ponchos definitely helped the situation! Once we parked and started making our way to the starting line my poor mood left me. I think I was more anxious than I realized. And the rain wasn't a horrible downpour, more like a very heavy sprinkle. My perfect kind of running rain. It invigorated me.

We crossed the start line 7-8 minutes after the clock started and not even half a mile into the race we came to our first hill; a bridge that crosses the Arkansas River. I think it's an appropriate warning for what is to come on this course. Particularly in the last half (again). After we crossed the river and the runners had thinned out a bit, it was time to shed some layers. Literally, but also symbolically for Kyla. Doing a half marathon is something that was on Kyla's bucket list after she was told she could never complete one by her ex husband. No one should ever be told they can not do something. No matter the situation. Through out training Kyla has proven strong, physically AND mentally. When I was talking to her about having a layer that could be tossed on the side of the course that she wouldn't want back, she said she had the perfect thing. It was a sweatshirt that was her ex's that had still been hanging in the closet. So not quite a mile into the race it was time to get rid of all the awful thoughts that had been weighing on Kyla's heart and mind. We giggled through the struggle of working with a wet poncho, but really, watching her chuck that sweatshirt in the mud and stomp on it was amazing.

The next couple of miles before crossing back over the river were fairly flat and uneventful. I don't know if it was the weather, or the location, but there were not many spectators. I know this part of the course was not as convenient to the start and finish lines so it could just be that. We crossed the bridge and all of a sudden there were a ton of people on the side of the course. As we were approaching the mile 4 flag, we saw Scott for the first time and a mile later we got to step out of the rain for a quick picture with some llamas at the Heifer International sponsored aid station.

The next couple miles were quiet. We were in a part of Little Rock I had never been in and there wasn't much to see. Again there were not many spectators, but the ones we did pass were wonderful. About mile 7 the bigger hills truly began. Our plan for this race was to run every 4-5 minutes, unless there was a hill. We planned to walk up those. Interestingly enough, we didn't have to change the intervals too many times. It worked out really well. Around mile 7 is also where we started seeing many spectators again. And that carried on for the rest of the course. Scott found us again between 7 and 8 and gave us a banana. By the time we saw him for the last time before the finish line, near the mile 9 flag, Kyla and I were ready to get rid of our ponchos. It was still lightly raining off and on, but it was getting increasingly hard to run with them. We decided we could handle the last few miles if we did get very wet, it would be worth it to not have the annoyance.

I don't know if it was the freedom of not having the poncho or the amazing sideline support, but the last few miles for me were so much fun. At the same time, through out the race I know Kyla was working through stuff in her head. Once in a while she'd tell me she had stuff on her mind. Each time, I feel like she felt a bit more free. What an emotional roller coaster this race was! Casting out lies and gaining freedom and confidence all while running through high fives and fist bumps make for a pretty amazing last few miles. We made conversation with people around us, we thanked the volunteers (those people are AMAZING), and I was continuously reminded why I love the running community so much. In the last mile we saw many people who had already finished on the sidewalks with their medals. The reality of what we were doing hit me then. Of course I knew we were doing a half marathon, but time had passed surprisingly quick and I really just felt like Kyla and I were out for a training run. I went back and forth between talking to the finishers we passed and telling Kyla how proud I was and that we were so close. Until she told me to stop because she kept crying. :) She and I are the same that way. I have had to tell a couple friends to stop saying encouraging things because if I cry I can't breath.

As we got closer to our final turn we could hear the sounds of the finish line. I told Kyla once we turned we were running that final stretch. To be honest it was further than I expected, but I knew even though our runs had been shorter, that she could do it. We maneuvered our way around people as we ran down the street. I was so thankful that it was the same street as the 10k finish, so we were on a slight decline. The closer we got, the louder it got. There were so many people on the sides of the course, plus music, plus the man at the finish line announcing marathon finishers, and all the while I'm shouting at Kyla. I don't even know if she heard me. I was so incredibly happy, and PROUD of her!!

It's not polite to stop as soon as you cross the finish line, so as we walked towards the medals I gave Kyla a walking hug and excitedly pointed towards the most fun half marathon medals ever.

The last picture we had together at the race was at the backgrounds that were set up after the medal stands. We had a normal finisher picture taken and as we were about to walk away the photographer says, "Hey let's do one more. Show me your strong!" She has no idea how incredibly appropriate that was.

The last stop we made before leaving the finishers area was the Challenge Tent. I was giddy as I showed the lady my printed results to get my challenge medal. I may be a little addicted to these combo races now. :)

This was a fun half marathon for me. Not to say it was easy. I was definitely feeling the effects of Saturday's race. I just really enjoyed the process. It was great to experience Kyla's first half with her!

So what's next? Apparently a half marathon towards the end of April. More on that later... :-O