My Race for the Cure 10 Year Anniversary

Race for the Cure!! I think I have mentioned before that Race for the Cure was my very first race. That was 10 years ago. I can't believe it's been that long! This year I celebrated the big 1-0 in a pretty great, unplanned, way.

The race was later this year than it ever has been since I started running it. It's always been in October and this year it was the first weekend in November. Which also means, it was colder for this race than any other Race for the Cure I've run. I had a really hard time figuring out what to wear. I knew I wanted to run hard for the competitive start at 7:30, so I would not need as much warmth as I would if I was running a more comfortable pace. But then I planned to run the course again at 8:00 with my friend Andrea, whose goal was to PR with a pace under 9:49. It seems petty, but I REALLY hate being cold, and I really wanted to run hard so what to wear definitely mattered.

We met Andrea at 5:45 on race morning to drive to Little Rock together. We ended up getting to our "regular" parking lot earlier than expected and it was nice to not feel rushed. We took our time gathering what we needed for the race and sorting what we would need later. When we were ready, we made the half mile walk to race central. After a quick "tour" of the area for Andrea, we ran a mile to warm up and by the time we finished there was less than 10 minutes until Scott and I started. I asked Andrea to get a quick picture for Scott and me and then we said goodbye for a bit.

At the start line I did the regular last minute things, making sure my shoes were the right tightness, music was ready, and trying to stay warmed up. The countdown began and the gun went off. With a reminder from Scott to not start too fast, and not much else on my mind, we took off. For the first time that I can remember, the first hill, the pass up the Broadway bridge to cross the river, didn't seem so hard. Even with Scott's reminder, my first mile was still too fast at 8:04, but in the moment I was feeling good. And then the second pass over the river, over the Main Street bridge, came. The hill to the top of this bridge is longer I think. Or maybe I'm delusional. It feels way worse and it takes me out, every time. I used the top of the bridge to recover as best as possible so that I could use the downhill of it to regain momentum.

I didn't have a time goal for this race. I knew the first 250 finishers received a medal, and I knew I placed 56th last year. All I wanted was to get a medal. And maybe finish in a better placement. I tried very hard to stay in the moment and be aware of the fun going on on the sides of the course. There have been times in the past that I've done the competitive run and there had not been many groups out yet. Or maybe I was too focused on time to see them. This time though, I wanted to make sure I saw them. They were a good distraction but even though I wasn't going for time, I had seen my pace climbing little by little as we ran over rolling hill after rolling hill. And there was a small part of me that was bothered by that. At 2.5 miles I noticed my average pace was 8:28. I wasn't positive, but I was thinking that might be a PR pace. I didn't know if I could run any faster, but I hoped to at least maintain that average. I wanted to finish knowing I had done my best. So I tried to dig deeper.

The last couple turns I think Scott was trying to tell me to start picking off people. To pass one person at a time. That didn't happen until the last 1/3 mile or so and it wasn't many, but I did. I crossed the finish line and Scott and I were greeted by a bunch of guys shouting so loud I could hear them over my own very loud music. It was probably the most rowdy finish line, medal receiving, greeting I've ever had. But it was pretty great. :-D

I knew I didn't have very long to get back to the start line where Andrea was waiting. I checked my watch, saw I finished with a pace of 8:24, thanked Scott for pacing me, and passed my extra stuff to him before taking off again. I had approximately a quarter mile and 4 minutes to do it. Which doesn't sound like it would be a problem, but at this point there are thousands of people lined up at least two blocks deep and most are walkers. I ran, then jogged, then weaved through participants and spectators. I saw Andrea JUST before I heard the DJ shout Go! We got a quick start line selfie, because it's tradition, and then prepared to run. Except, we were hardly moving.

It's been a few years since I did the general start as a runner. I had given Andrea a place to meet that I thought would be in the mix of runners, but in front of walkers. Now that it's all over, I'm thinking there really aren't nearly as many runners at the 8:00 start as there used to be. That, or they really crowd them in. Whatever the case, we were behind hundreds of walkers. I'm so glad so many people were there to support the cause, but I was feeling bad that I told Andrea to meet me so far back. Because of how packed it was we had a slow start to working towards Andrea's PR. We tried to jog through the crowd, or along the side on the sidewalk, but we were sitting around a 14 minute mile for about 1/4 mile. As we went up the bridge the crowd thinned more and more. At almost half a mile it had thinned enough that we could easily run and pass people as needed. Our pace had already gone from 14 to somewhere in the 11 minute range. I apologized again to Andrea and told her next year to just start in the very front. Or, even better, run the competitive run so she could get a medal for her hard work. :-D I also asked if she still wanted to shoot for her PR goal, which would mean running harder to make up for the beginning. Andrea's answer was to at least run the PR pace from this point on.

A little before one mile I noticed our pace had dropped significantly and we pulled back a little. It was the same situation as my first time around the course. Only Andrea is better about pacing herself. I gave her a heads up about the hill back across the bridge coming up and we slowed a little more. At the top we recovered again, and when Andrea was ready we used the downhill on the other side of the river to pick the pace back up. I honestly don't remember very much talking. I know I tried to encourage Andrea, but also tried not to assume she wanted to hear what was coming up along the course. I also noticed the groups of spectators were way more vocal this time around.
For me, this second time on the course had it's own set of difficulties. Mostly being that I was running on tired legs from the speedy 5k, but also I was now at almost 7 miles of running for the day. I should have mentioned before that part of why I wanted to run the course a second time with Andrea, besides wanting to run with and support my friend, was because I'm also training for a 15k in a few weeks. So I needed the distance, but I was definitely feeling it. Despite that, I was throughly enjoying myself! I love running with Andrea, and I was really loving the experience of truly seeing and hearing the spectators along the way.

We had been on the little rolling hills for a bit when Andrea asked about our distance. Back at the start line her RunKeeper app couldn't seem to find a signal so her distance and pace were off. I knew we had passed two miles but my watch was showing right at 2 miles, and also giving me a warning that the battery was low. I assumed the distance and pace were off because of the low battery. I was hoping that it wouldn't die before we finished because there have been a couple times when something similar to this has happened when the battery was low and it ended up still tracking but not showing. Anyway, so I estimated we had about 3/4 mile to go but couldn't tell her anything about pace, and asked if she wanted to know what to expect for the last few minutes. She asked about the distance from our last turn to the finish line. I told her my best guess was less than half a mile, but more than a quarter. (According to Google Maps it is .4) I also told her she would be able to see the finish line as soon as we turned. She was asking because she had more to give, but didn't want to go all out too soon. I love how Andrea races so smart!!

Step by step Andrea picked up the pace and finished so so strong! I think we finished at an awkward time because there weren't very many people at the finish line. The guys that had been handing out medals earlier had move to just before the finish line. That was cool and I was glad there was some noise as we finished. There just weren't very many runners or people on the sidelines. It was really odd. So it seems as though while the competitive runners may have less excitement over the course, general start runners may have a less exciting finish line. Or maybe it was a fluke. Who knows! Whatever the case, I was still so proud of Andrea and her smart, strong race! It wasn't until we met up with Scott a minute or two after finishing that I really looked at my watch to see our finish time. My watch had tracked the whole time and it turns out that we had done way better than expected. And Andrea learned she has WAY more in her than she realized. Our finish time was 28:54 with an average pace of 9:17.... 9:17!!! That's a 30 second PR for Andrea! WHAT!? Her first 5k was a 9:49 pace on a mostly flat course. This one was far from flat. Incredible!

We took some time to stretch and then walked back to race central to wait for the Survivor Parade which was scheduled to start at 9:30. We had almost an hour at this point. While waiting for the parade we stood around, stretched, went to the the little tent set up for pink ribbon shopping, stood around, and stretched some more. All while trying to stay warm. While Andrea and I were running, Scott had gone back to the car and grabbed our bags that had an extra layer and snacks, but I think I underestimated how many layers post-run I would need. I did not want to miss the parade, and by the time it started I was so thankful.

Staying for the parade is really important to me. It reminds me of why I run this race in the first place. To remember and celebrate the too many friends and family that are affected by cancer. To support the ones I don't even know. It's a very special time filled with smiles and tears.

I tried not to rush leaving, but almost couldn't help it. I had been shaking from being cold for over an hour. We all decided we were ready and we made our way back to the car, trying to be in the sun as much as possible. :)

After ten years, I almost expected this year to be somewhat mundane. "Just" another 5k that had a special cause, but nothing really different from the past. And yet, it was still different. Every year, all ten of them, has been different for one reason or another. I'm already looking forward to what my 11th year at Race for the Cure will bring!

Competitive Run Final Stats~
Finish time- 26:23
Average pace- 8:24 (I found out while we were waiting for the parade that I did in fact PR!!!)
Overall place- 51/173

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!!

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!