Fall Classic 5K Race Report

November 1, 2010 by 7 Comments

Sunday morning I ran the Canton Fall Classic. After a couple of decent runs last week and a couple of days of rest, my left knee was feeling pretty good and I was looking forward to running. I was also looking forward to cheering on my friend E as she took on her first 5k!

It was a perfect morning for a race, just about 50 degrees and sunny. The beauty of a local race is we got to the race with plenty of time to check in, make one last pit stop and chat with several people before the kids fun run got started. Some people came dressed in costumes – I seriously don’t know how they could run in those outfits!

The start of the race was a little congested – for the first mile the 5 and 10kers ran together. E had told me she was going to try to stick with me for as long as she could but was going to run her own race – always a wise choice!

We passed our families about 1/4 mile in – I get such a lift seeing my hubs and the boys cheering!! The first mile went quickly and for mile 2 the 5k turned up hill. Actually it was a series of uphill climbs with a little down hill turn thrown in which allowed you a chance to regroup between climbs. All-in-all the hills were not too bad. At the end of the first mile, I had set my sights on a guy who seemed to be keeping a good pace – he was about two telephone poles in front of me and I just tried to keep him in range. By the end of mile 2 we were heading directly into the wind….not fun but knowing that the hills were done I knew it was pretty much a flat run to the finish. “4 Minutes” came up in my playlist and I started to pick up the pace — no matter how tired I feel that song always gets me going! I felt really good at the end and my watch read 33:17 as I came across the line – a new PR for me by 4 minutes and best of all no knee pain!

I grabbed a water, found my family and E’s family and then headed back out to the final bend to wait for E to come through. She looked strong and was smiling as she came down the final stretch! She did a great job! We hung out for a little bit, catching up with different people we knew and then it was time to head for home and get on to a day of Halloween activities.

It was a fun morning and a race I will definitely run again!

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Filed Under: race report

Race report – My 1st 10k

October 12, 2010 by 14 Comments

Another first for me – on Monday I took on the Tufts 10k for Women! My first race at this distance and definitely the biggest sporting event I had ever participated in!

My friend Kathy was also running, so we decided to head into together on the train. It was great to have Kathy there, we just chatted away per usual and it really helped me from being nervous. We got to the race, I had my final debate about Bondi Band and sunglasses vs. visor (went with the visor) and then we checked our bags. While Kathy went for a quick warm-up I made one last pit-stop — the lines were long but not too bad, gave me a chance to stretch and chat with a bunch of people.

Getting to the starting area proved to be very chaotic — narrow picturesque Boston street meets 7500+ women! Kathy &  I did what we could to not lose each other while trying to inch our way to the front of the 10 minute group. Finally the elite runners were off, a big cheer went up from the crowd and we started shuffling our way towards the starting line. Kath & I high-fived, wished each other luck and were off!

The first mile was all about weaving in and around people. It was great to see my Hubs, the boys and Kathy’s family right where we planned. (Can you tell I’m a little excited!)

The energy among the runners was great! And it was awesome to see the elite runners flying past us at the first loop back along the river. Throughout the race, everyone was very encouraging, cheering each other on!

 I was feeling pretty good until just after the 3rd mile marker, then the angry left knee reared its ugly head! I had been worried about my knee all last week, but had started to feel hopeful when I got through Thursday’s speedwork without pain. Mile 4 became a very long mile and my plan to make the second 5k faster than the first wasn’t happening. My pace fell off but I tried to just focus on my tunes and take in the great views of Boston as I crossed the bridge back over the Charles River.

As we made the turn down Commonwealth Ave, I knew my hubs and the boys would be at the far end and that gave me a lift. The knee continued to nag at me but now the 5 mile marker had come and gone and I could see the family!  There were lots of husbands and kids along this stretch and high-fiving the kids was fun! A special thanks to the two little cuties who yelled “You’re awesome!” after I high-fived them!!

By now I could hear the race announcer and music so as we made the final turn I just pushed with whatever I had left – keeping my promise to myself to always finish strong! I swear I had a huge grin on my face for that whole final stretch! And as I crossed the finish line I got a high five from Joan Benoit-Samuelson – who had finished and continued to stand there and greet runners – how cool is that!

Here’s Kathy and I post-race!  We hung out for a bit, got some food, let the kids play and then did a quick run through the expo. I happily introduced Kathy to Bondi Bands and picked up a SpiBelt for myself!

This was just my second race this year, and each race is definitely a learning experience. My official time was 1:07:53, and while I didn’t run the race I’d hoped for, I think I did a pretty good job of staying within myself and pushing through the knee issues. And I had a good time doing it!

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Filed Under: race report, Tufts 10k

My Virtual 4 Miler

August 26, 2010 by 1 Comment

Actually the miles were real  — it was the race that was virtual!

A couple of weeks ago MCM Mama announced her “Mama Goes Masters” virtual race in honor of her 40th birthday. Options were to run 4.0 miles, 8.25 miles (her birthday) or….for the truly insane…er… hardcore, a 40K. Needless to say I selected the 4 mile option!

I’ve been trying to get this run in all week but Mother Nature had not been cooperating – read non-stop rain! Seriously, I thought it was time to start pairing up animals two-by-two….but finally this morning she finally took pity on us! My training plan called for a tempo run and my hubby announced that he was taking the car to the shop this morning so I needed to get out and back quickly…. sounds like the planets were aligning for my virtual race! So with clear skies, training in mind and a pacing husband, I set off.

My route was a simple one – a straight out and back – and at this early hour I figured it was unlikely I’d encounter much traffic – so no games of Frogger with cars…always a plus! In my new effort to focus on what is working, I kept my goals simple — to run in the mid to low 10s and try to keep a consistent pace. 

Mile #1 felt really good, sun was just starting to brighten up the sky and the streets were quiet. Hit the first invisible mile marker at 10:19 – so far so good! Most of Mile#2 was a steady climb up and about mid-hill I could feel a twinge in my left knee – I refused to go negative here so I gave myself 30 seconds to walk it off and kept moving. Finally the end of Mile#2 was in sight. I hit the corner at 11:02 and turned around to head back. Now the good thing about going up hill is that at some point you get to go back down hill! Hello Mile#3! The slow climb I had cursed just minutes earlier was now my new BFF and I crossed the mile marker in 10:08. The final mile was pretty uneventful though I did do a lot of positive mental chatter through the last half mile to help drown out the returning knee pain. I crossed the finish line (my driveway) – final mile was 10:45. Overall I did the 4 miles in 42:15, averaging 10:33 and felt good when I finished…always a plus!

So my first virtual race is done! Thanks again to MCM Mama for hosting and providing a little extra motivation to this morning’s run! Happy Birthday and welcome to the Masters division!

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Filed Under: race, race report, tempo runs, training

First Race Report!!!

June 28, 2010 by 6 Comments

My first race report — feels so good to say that!

Quite simply, I had so much fun this morning!

The whole family was up and out fairly easily this morning. The boys were really excited to go cheer on mom and while I was initially a little nervous when I first woke up, I quickly got swept up in their enthusiasm. My goal for the day was to just enjoy the whole experience and have fun! This sentiment was summed up in my choice of t-shirt which said “Breathe Deeply. Appreciate the Moment.”

Once we got to the race, I kissed the boys & hubby goodbye and joined the masses heading to the starting line. While waiting for the race to start I chatted with several runners – whenever they heard I was a newbie runner everyone was so encouraging and positive. It was a great atmosphere! They were a little slow getting the race started but when the start was finally announced, everyone let out a big cheer and we were off!

I was really worried about going out too fast, especially with such a flat course, but it didn’t take me long to get into a comfortable pace (thank goodness for the playlist I created last night!).

It was great seeing my guys cheering as I reached the first mile marker. I swear there’s no better sound than the kiddos yelling “Go Mommy Go!”

I was psyched about how good my left leg was feeling – the kicker for me was the heat. The sun was so intense – it was pushing 80 degrees already! About half way through I was wishing I had worn my visor just to help keep the sun from beating on my forehead.

When we made the last turn, I could see where we had parked and knew I was close to the end – time to push. I had promised myself to finish strong!

 (I love that my hubby caught me smiling here – I had just spotted my guys near the finish)

(The only other minor negative of the day apart from the heat, was that the race timer was not working properly so the “official race times” were off — good thing I kept my own time on my watch!)

After the race, I milled around chatting with other runners in the food line and with some of the sponsors. I ended up talking with reps from EAS Myloplex about what makes a good post-workout drink.  I had brought the new Gatorade Recover 03 with me to the race but it was unbelievably sweet and I just couldn’t drink it! I tried the Myloplex Lite Chocholate Cream and really liked it.  The reps even asked me if they could take a picture of me holding the product in front of their booth – of course I said yes! How fun!

As we headed home, I just felt very satisfied. It was so cool to set a goal like this and have it realized in a few short weeks! So I have my first finisher medal and must admit I’m thinking about my next race….I might be hooked!

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Filed Under: product reviews, race, race report