Philadelphia Half Marathon Recap

November 21, 2011 by 14 Comments

What a great experience! I can honestly say I enjoyed every minute of the Philly half – and not just because I got a PR of 3 1/2 minutes! But because I ran a strong race, I learned a lot and I was able to soak in the great crowds vibe, to be in the moment and enjoy the day!

Pre-Race:

With our boys safely tucked away with family, J and I flew down to Philly on Saturday. Thanks to the flight delay (seriously, US Air is a hot mess!), we didn’t get to our hotel until about 2:30. The hotel staff was super nice and was handing out gift bags to guests who were racing, which looked like pretty much the whole hotel! We quickly dumped our stuff and headed to the expo. There were so many people it was crazy! I got my number, shirt and swag bag and milled around for a bit. But by this point I was desperately hungry so we headed to the Reading Terminal Market (huge indoor marketplace) for a late lunch. We then decided to go check out the starting line and see just how long it would take us to walk there from our hotel. I have to say it wasn’t until I saw the corrals set up that it started to hit me just how many runners there would be. This was by far going to be the biggest race I had ever run in – that thought was both exciting and intimidating!

By the time we wondered around for a bit and then headed back to the hotel, the thought of sitting in a restaurant for dinner was really unappealing – I was toast! So J canceled the reservations and we opted for Subway and putting our feet up in front of the TV. I got my gear laid out, took one last look at the course map and one last review of the race plan the awesome XL at Taking It On put together for me (she seriously rocks!). I set 3 alarms (yes I’m that Type A) and was out cold by 9:30.

Race Day:

I was up by 4 and we were out of the hotel by 5:45. It was the funniest sight, all these people dressed in various forms of throw-away garb, tramping through the streets at pre-dawn. We made our way to the corral, hit the porta potties, chatted up people in line and took a short warm up run. It was already low 50s so I decided to pass off all of my throw-away stuff to J before leaving him to weave my way through the corral. As I listened to the National Anthem I remember thinking how crazy it was that I was so calm. I was just so excited to be there and I was ready to run!

The hardest part was waiting for our corral to move to the start (we went off 26 minutes after!). Given the size of the group, I really wanted to be towards the front to avoid as much weaving as possible. By the time we got to the start I had only one row of runners in front of me and I got a high-five and “Good Luck” from Mayor Nutter. We counted down and were off. I knew I would see J just after the first mile marker and again around 5. My legs felt fresh and while I knew I was going faster than I had planned, I was feeling good and was almost afraid to break my rhythm.

The first few miles seem to fly by – I was just rocking to my tunes and enjoying spectator signs. Before I knew it, we were at 5 miles and then I spotted J – he yelled that I was looking strong and I remember yelling back that I felt great. The spectators along Chestnut Street were 3-deep and really into it! Shortly after I hit the 10k mat, I walked briefly to take a couple of Chomps, get some water and rip off my KT Tape that had been flapping around my left leg (clearly gotta work on my taping skills!). I took the hill between 7 and 8 fairly well. The steeper hill between  9 and 10 was much tougher but overall I was still feeling strong.

When I checked my Garmin at 10 I knew I was in a great position. As I closed in on the 11 mile marker, my left leg announced that it was done – it felt like my leg seized up – I  couldn’t even tell what gave way first. It was just like the whole leg decided “Hell no  – we’re done with this!” I started bargaining with myself “OK just a short walk break then finish this thing,” but the other side of me was screaming “Don’t stop, you’re on pace!” I slowed to a walk and my leg really started to tighten up – OK, not good, keep moving. I passed the 12 mile marker, just willing my leg to cooperate for one more mile. Then on the bridge overhead, among a rowdy bunch of spectators was J. I could hear him yelling that I was almost there and to keep going, that I could do this. I allowed myself one last glance at my Garmin – I knew 2:30 was slipping away, but in that moment I told myself it was ok, now it was just a matter of how big a PR I could get. The crowd of spectators in that final stretch was a fantastic sight and I threw everything I had left into the final 3/4 of a mile to the finish.

I was ecstatic when I finished: Chip time – 2:31:40! As I got my heat blanket and medal you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I had run the race I wanted to and had a lot of fun doing it. While I hadn’t hit my biggest time goal, I had gotten a lot more out of my left leg than I expected and a PR! And, I know that when the time comes for my next race, not only can I hit 2:30, I can get below it!

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Filed Under: Philly Half, race report

Goals for the Philly Half

November 18, 2011 by 10 Comments

Why is it that a race can seem so far off when you register and then bam before you know it’s a little more than a day away and you find yourself wishing you had more time?

When I first started training for Philly, I had in the back of my mind a goal of running 2:30 or better – recognizing that a 5 min PR would be quite an accomplishment. But this training’s been really up and down — I have either felt very strong or concerned that my left ITB/knee would completely derail my even getting to the starting line. Now with Sunday just around the corner I can’t say I’ve completely let go of a time goal, but I’ve got other goals as well:

  • Start Slow and Build — I need to learn from my first 2 halfs and not go out too fast. This is really hard for me cause I get so caught up in the moment!
  • Attack the Hills– I’ve been working on attacking hills in my training runs vs. just surviving them.
  • Run a Strong Final 5k — I’d like to have enough left in the tank when I get to the 10 mile marker to really be able to push hard over the last few miles.
  • Win the Mental Battle — This is a 3-parter: 1) not let every twinge from my left leg cause a panic; 2) use the mantras and other mind tricks I came up with over my last few long runs to help when it gets hard out there; and 3) don’t second-guessing myself and trust my training.
  • Time goals — This is a 3-parter as well, in order: 1) Beat my time in Providence, 2) PR and 3) hit 2:30

And, it should go without saying that the overall goal is to go out there and have a good time! OK Philly here I come!

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend
– especially to my fellow bloggers heading to Philly!
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Filed Under: goals, Philly Half

Coming in off the ledge…a little

November 12, 2011 by 10 Comments

Huge huge thanks yous to everyone who left comments, tweeted or emailed words of encouragement! I really appreciated each and every one! I’ve had my freak out and have quickly moved on to the “do whatever it takes to get to the starting line” mode.

Since Thursday, it’s been all about ice, rest, Advil and compression — gotta say, I’m loving my new Tommie Copper knee sleeve! I took a tentative run late this morning and managed to log a little over 7 1/2. They weren’t the prettiest miles but they gave me hope. KT Tape may be my new BFF!

I also went to see my acupuncturist this afternoon and let him work his needle magic. Tomorrow will be another rest day. I’m trying to get comfortable with the concept that there just may be very little running between now and next Sunday. Going to just take it one day at a time…..

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Filed Under: left knee, on the ledge, pulling out all the stops

And let the panic begin!

November 10, 2011 by 8 Comments

Some one please talk me in off the ledge….I’m nine days from Philly and now my left knee decides is the time to not cooperate!

It was a little sore after Sunday’s race but nothing a little ice couldn’t take care of. By Monday it felt fine and after I went for a Thai massage I was feeling really pretty good. During Tuesday’s hill repeats it started to feel a little wonky (yes that’s a technical term) but by that point I only had one more repeat to go and it wasn’t a screaming pain, so I just stuck it out and finished. It was fine again yesterday until I stepped off a curb and whamo, back came the wonky feeling, but more intense this time. Back to rest and ice last night. It definitely felt funky this morning but I had just 3 x 1600 repeats on the plan, so I headed to the track anyways. The warm-up was ok, but 800 meters into the first repeat I pulled up gimpy. I tried to walk it off but my knee wasn’t having it. Just as I was debating what to do, it started to rain…I took it as a sign and got back in my car.

What’s really got me panicked is that this isn’t the usual discomfort related to my ITB – this pain is on the other side of the knee starting just above the knee cap and running down to my inner calf. WTH?! OK, no check that – what’s really got me panicked is that I’m nine days away from my next half and now this flares up!

I’m really trying not to freak out here….as you can see I’m doing a bang up job so far! Above all I had wanted to go into this race feeling strong and confident in my legs….I have an easy run scheduled for tomorrow and then a pseudo longish run of 9 for Saturday, but I’m not sure what I’ll end up with.

So anyone want to talk me down? I’m all ears!

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Filed Under: left knee, not panicking, on the ledge

Fall Classic Race Report

November 7, 2011 by 10 Comments

The week’s delay on this race was worth the wait. It was a great fall morning (cool but not too cold), the energy among the runners was high and though the spectators were fewer than last year – they were enthusiastic!

I have not run a 5K since I ran this same race last year – so my goals were simple: to have fun and to try to PR – done and done!

It was fun to be running another race with my hubs J. We got our family set up along the course where they could easily spot us both heading out and coming back, and then we headed off for a quick warm-up run to the start. When we picked up our numbers & race shirts, we found out we’d each won one of the raffles – How fun…prizes and we hadn’t even run yet! We ran into some people we knew and chatted with them while we watched the finish of the kids’ fun run. Then they called us to line up. J gave me a kiss and we wished each other good luck then he headed to the 10k line – that was the only bummer cause we had hoped to run the first mile together, but the 5K and 10K lined up separately. Then we were off.

In hindsight I wish I had been bold enough to line up a  little closer to the front cause I spent the first half mile or so weaving around people before I could get some space. But I found a comfortable pace and settled in. Before I knew it I was at the first mile marker and I heard the volunteer calling out the splits say “9:30” – say what? I checked my Garmin for the first time…yep 9:30! Then came mile 2 — uphill with a slight down hill break then climbing again. I gotta say the policemen and volunteers along this section were great! I definitely slowed here – still gotta work on my hills.

Yes those are cars – the roads were not closed

Thankfully mile 3 levels off. As I hit the final straight stretch I glanced at my Garmin and knew a PR was in reach – time to push and I did.  Chip time 30:51  (Garmin said 30:41) — a 2:26 PR!

I quickly grabbed a chocolate milk, said hi to a few people and then headed back out to meet my family on the course and wait for J to come through. We had fun cheering the runners on and chatting with the other spectators. It was great seeing so many of the runners I come across in my daily runs out there racing.

Soon we spotted J coming up the last hill and looking strong – he finished 59:45 hitting his goal to run sub-1 hour! We collected our raffle prizes (a race sweatshirt and a gift bag from one of the local salons) and headed home. A good way to spend a morning!

This was a fun race with good, challenging courses – and the fact that it was right in my town is an added bonus! We’ll be planning to run it again next year and my oldest is already talking about doing the kids race 🙂

Now it’s a little less than two weeks til Philly….let the taper begin!

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Filed Under: family running, PR, race report

27 things and other stuff

November 4, 2011 by 10 Comments

I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately – nothing in particular…just that feeling that I cannot possibly juggle one more ball and then someone throws me, not one, but three more balls, and somehow I make it work. And, then as I declare again “That’s it – that’s all I can do,” the cycle repeats itself again. It’s pretty much been this way the entire month of October, and quite frankly I’ve had enough!

Time to regain some balance…for my sake and for those around me. 

So this week I’ve started meditating  in the morning again. It really helps me to slow down and focus and overall I’m a lot calmer when I meditate — my challenge has always been to be consistent about the practice.

This week I also got back on my de-clutter kick! A friend told me about a practice called “27 Things” in which the goal is to give-away, throw away or move 27 things a day for 9 days. In the process, you stop to examine what you surround yourself with and remove what’s unnecessary, what weighs you down – in turn creating space for new opportunities. Well, I’m game – so I’m starting my 9 days this weekend and plan to get J and the boys involved.

Do you think you could part with 27 things a day? How do you regain a sense of balance when things feel off-kilter?

J & I will get another chance at the local race that was postponed last weekend – and based on the forecast, it looks like Mother Nature’s going to play nice this time!

Hope she cooperates for everyone racing this weekend ~ 
Good luck to all the runners!

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Filed Under: 27 things, clutter clean out, meditation, seeking balance

Monday Motivation

October 31, 2011 by 7 Comments
Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks
“Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?”
— Peter Maher
Thanks to this weekend’s Nor’easter, my race on Sunday didn’t happen. It’s been postponed until this coming Sunday. Since I woke up yesterday to a bad cough and no power & no heat, I was just as happy to hold off. The good news is the early forecast shows next Sunday be a clear day in the 50’s!
It looks to be another crazy week ahead but with a little creative calendar juggling I think I can get all my workouts in — including the 11-miler I’m off to do now!
Have a great Monday & Happy Halloween!
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Filed Under: crazy week, Monday Motivation, Schedule vs Training, weather

Friday Five

October 28, 2011 by 6 Comments
  • Weathermen in the Boston area are just giddy as they track the Nor’easter heading our way tomorrow. This in addition to the snow that arrived last night. It was just a mere two weeks ago that they were all a flutter over the “record heat” of Columbus Day weekend, and now this. Mother Nature’s twisted sense of humor continues….
  • Given that I raced that weekend and will race again this weekend – I’m not amused. I could care less about snow…I grew up in New England I’m use to it. But, Fall’s my favorite time of year so I’m feeling a little gypped these days. OK, my weather whine is over 🙂
  • J’s joining me for Sunday’s race! We’ll be running a great local race – J’s taking on the 10K and I’ll be doing the 5K. I haven’t run a 5K since this race last year – should be fun!
  • Did you know that there are only 57 days until Christmas? I’m vowing to get out in front of the madness this year – to start planning menus, gifts, cards, etc. early so there’s also time to actually kick back and enjoy the holidays instead of getting to New Year’s Day exhausted.

    •  And, speaking of the holidays – if you’re looking for a little added motivation during this season, check out the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge sponsored by Amanda at Run To the Finish I participated last year, along with 500 others. Amanda does a great job putting this challenge together with great prizes for a little added incentive! Definitely head over to her site and check out the details.

    Good Luck to Everyone Racing This Weekend!

    Run Strong and Have Fun!
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    Filed Under: Holiday Bootie Buster, holiday sanity, race, weather

    Watch-less Runs

    October 26, 2011 by 8 Comments

    Despite the continuation of last week’s madness, I have logged two runs so far this week — both of them watch-less.

    Yesterday my friend E, after listening to me describe the agony that is coordinating parent volunteers at our sons’ school, urged me to step away from edge..ur I mean laptop, and join her for a run. I usually run by myself so this was a really nice change of pace. Instead of worrying about my Garmin, I let E set the pace and just enjoyed chatting my way through our 4 mile loop. I returned to my laptop less stressed!

    This morning the plan called for a tempo run – but having enjoyed not being a slave to my Garmin yesterday, I decided to just run on feel and see what happened. Now I must admit that I did wear my Garmin but I only glanced at it once at the 2 mile beep. And, when I saw that I was ahead of pace, instead of panicking and slowing down out of fear of burn-out before I finished (my usual M.O.), I just kept cruising along. The end result was I beat my target pace by 30 seconds. Hello!

    The Garmin is a valuable tool, no doubt about it…but there’s a lot to be said for not letting the numbers rule every run.

    So tell me, do you ever leave the watch at home?

     

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    Filed Under: observations, watchless run

    One of "those" weeks

    October 23, 2011 by 6 Comments

    This past week was definitely one of THOSE weeks! You know the kind…

    ….the kind when you look at your calendar and wonder what happened to the white space?!

    It was the kind of week where I was juggling family commitments, client projects, volunteer responsibilities and trying to squeeze in my workouts – wait how is that different from any other week? 🙂  There are just some weeks when this juggling act feels in control, manageable…and then there are weeks like this one where you feel like someone has increased the speed on your treadmill when you weren’t looking!

    It was the kind of week where I was really grateful for the escape time a run can provide – time to think through kitchen remodel options, or to sort through the to do list and prioritize…or best of all, to unplug and just enjoy the meditation of the run!

    Ah but now it’s Sunday, the long run’s done and the ITB (for the most part) behaved. So now it’s time to enjoy some down time with J and the boys…to pick pumpkins, do some baking (with the apples from last Sunday’s apple picking trip) and watch some football! A perfect end to one of those weeks!

    Enjoy your Sunday!
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    Filed Under: crazy week, Schedule vs Training, to do list