Race Report: UCF Distance Dare 2011

It was a perfect morning for a race, and I added 2 new PRs to my collection at the U Can Finish Distance Dare (5 miler + 2 miler)! Not only did I PR, but I exceeded my expectations/goals for both races and had a blast!

Pre-race: I was around 60º when I woke up, so I debated what to wear. I knew I would warm up quickly, so I still wore a running skirt and short sleeve shirt, but decided to wear leg compression sleeves as they would help keep my calf muscles warm and could only help my performance. It was quite cold when we got to UCF, so I put on my arm warmers and windbreaker jacket for the warm up. I ran an easy mile around the memory mall, and got warm enough to shed both the jacket and arm warmers before the start. I'm really glad I did or I would have overheated during the race. The temperature was perfect for both races and greatly contributed to my performance.

5 Miler: I lined up behind the 10+ pace sign as I was aiming for a 10:30 average pace and didn't want to go out too fast. I wore my dad's Garmin, and I have to say I don't really miss it. Having it in my hand is so easy to constantly check my pace, and I spent the entire race looking at it. I started faster than my planned 11:15 pace, but I was feeling good and not struggling, so kept it up as long as it felt comfortable. I took a gu roctane at the first water stop, just before mile 2, then gradually kicked it into high gear for the last 5K and pushed hard as you can see from my splits: 10:53 - 10:55 - 10:07 - 9:56 - 9:27. Seeing that my last 2 miles were sub-10 gave me hopes of a PR at the 2 mile race. I used 3/1 intervals the whole way.

I used the virtual partner feature to stay on pace, but it stopped the watch when it got to 5 miles, which was just short of the finish line. As is the norm, I ran more than 5 miles since I've yet to master the tangents, but I only have my time for the 5 miles. I was thrilled to finish 15s per mile faster than planned and yet I didn't feel destroyed. My official finish time was 52:06, which is 10s per mile slower, but still a PR by almost 3 minutes. I'll take it! 

5 Miler Results:

• garmin: 51:19 @ 10:15 pace
• chip time: 52:06 @ 10:25 pace
• clock time: 53:10
• overall: 958 / 1436 (67%)
• ag: 56 / 116 (48%)
• gender: 414 / 771 (54%)

*****

2 Miler: I had about 20 minutes between the 2 races, so I hung around the finish line with Jason for a bit. It was just enough time to catch my breath and regain my legs, eat 2 shot blocks, and drink some water before walking over to the start of the 2 milers about 5 minutes before the start. I noticed there was a huge crowd and no starting mat, so I lined up pretty close to start - within the first 5 rows. My goal was sub-20, which I thought would be hard to do on tired legs and no walk breaks, but the weather was just amazing and the adrenaline was still pumping from the 5 miler. 

My plan was to go out hard and try to hang on for dear life. When the horn went off, I took off at a hard pace. I looked at my watch and to my surprise I was averaging 8:30 for at least the first 1/2 mile. I knew I couldn't maintain that the whole time and slowed a bit, but kept pushing to stay sub-9. I ran the whole 2 miles, minus a few seconds at the water stop, and had to talk myself into staying strong and not walking the entire last mile. I just kept telling myself to keep pushing because the faster I ran the sooner I could stop :) As you can see from my splits, my pace was pretty consistent: 8:56 - 8:55. 

My official time was 18:04 @ 9:01 pace, which is a PR by almost 3 minutes, but my pace by my watch was 8:55. Furthermore, I finished 6th out of 65 in my age group (top 9%). I'm in complete shock!  I've come a long way since I toed the line at my first race 3.5 years ago. It was the Winter Park 2 Miler, which I ran in 28:54; today I finished almost 11 minutes faster than that. It's amazing how easy it is to run fast in cooler weather, and how big of a difference a little speed work and consistent training makes on performance. I really need to find 5K to run soon because if I can pull this off for 2 miles without any walk breaks, I can easily run my coveted sub-30 5K.

2 Miler Results:

• garmin: 17:51 @ 8:55 pace
• clock/chip: 18:04 @ 9:01.7 (there was no starting mat)
• overall: 195 / 807 (24%)
• ag: 6 / 65 (9% - holy crap!)
• gender: 68 / 490 (14% - wow!)

*****

Below is a screen capture of my PR collection so far from my running history spreadsheet (http://bit.ly/kitzzyrunprogress). Legend: orange = PR in 2011; light green = sub-12; dark green = sub-11; blue = sub-10. My goal is to have all dates in orange (except the 12K because I didn't run one this year), and the pace column be green or blue by year's end :) I'm well on my way!

Marathon 2 Training - Week 20

I'm on the home stretch now. Only 1 more long run left, 6 weeks until marathon day, and 4 weeks until the tune up half marathon in Ft Lauderdale. This was a great cut-back week, and despite skipping a run due to a cranky hamstring, I still ran 18 miles and everything feels good. This week I'll be racing the UCF Distance Dare in hopes of collecting 2 more PRs. I'm pretty confident about the 5 miler, but the 2 mile PR will be a tad harder. I plan to give it my all at both races and see how it goes, but if any body part protests I'll be pulling back. I don't want to get hurt the week before a 29 mile long run.

This week's stats:

• Ran 18 miles
• Biked 19 miles
• Walked 9 miles
• 2 Yoga sessions
• Total: 46 miles; 9 hours

Half Marathon Streak

After my marathon in November, I want to run a half marathon per month until at least April/May. This will be a great way to keep up with my running, have some fun soaking up the race atmosphere, and qualify for level 2 of half fanatics. Who's up for the challenge?

So far, these are the races I'm considering.

1. November - 13.1 Fort Lauderdale (registered)
2. December - OUC (Downtown Orlando) or NTC (Clermont)
3. January - Ocala
4. February - BCM (registered)
5. March - Orange Blossom
6. April - Iron Girl
7. May - Flying Pig? (Cincinnati)
8. June - 
9. July - San Francisco?

I need suggestions for the rest of the year, preferably in Florida but I am willing to travel for a 1 or 2 of these. 

Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge 2011

I participated in the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge last year, and it really helped me stay on track during the holidays. I'm doing it again this year because it will be just the motivation I'll need after the marathon.

The challenge runs from November 19 to January 6, to cover Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. You earn points by working out like you normally do, plus extra points for a few other things geared towards taking care of your entire body, mind, and soul.

This year she has 3 different levels so we all have a chance to win some fabulous prizes. She also gives away random prizes just for participating, so check it out and make your health a priority this holiday season.

September 2011 Recap

September was an amazing month, and I cannot believe I forgot to post the recap. It started with an amazing birthday and a 10K PR, continued with a great 23 mile training run, and finished with a 15K PR. I ran over 20 miles each week, including a 33-mile week, and for the first time ever I ran 100+ miles in one month! I even biked a significant amount! What a great way to celebrate my birthday month :) October is shaping up to be just as awesome, then November begins the taper and countdown to the marathon.

Stats & Goal Progress (75%)

• ran 102 miles; 606/700 (87%)
• biked 63 miles; 811/2000 (41%)
• walked 40 miles; 283/400 (70%)
• yoga = 9 sessions; 3 hours
• core/strength = 3 sessions; 40 minute
• total = 205 miles; 42 hours; 1700/3100 (55%); 314/365 (86%)

Accomplishments

• 10K PR on my birthday!
• 15K PR (still need to post this race report. sneak peak)
• 23 miles long run

Goals for October

• run 100+ miles
• walk 35 miles
• bike
• 16  yoga/core/strength sessions (3/wk)

Upcoming Events

• 10.08 - 26 miles
• 10.23 - U Can Finish Distance Dare (7 miles)
• 10.29 - 29 miles (last marathon long run then taper begins!)

Marathon 2 Training - Marathon in the Rain

Yesterday I ran a marathon, as a training run with my amazing group. I ran 26.27 miles in 5:52:48 @ 13:26. Including water and bathroom breaks, I was out there for almost 6.5 hours. Splits: http://j.mp/q6rBYS

While this is a huge accomplishment on it's own, we did it in the pouring rain and I have to admit I actually enjoyed it :) Nine (9) of us started at 3:30 am to willingly run in the rain. It had already started raining, so we knew what we were in for. This is a lot harder than begin caught in the rain, because it takes deliberate mental strength to start when it's already wet all over, but we all had to run at least 18 miles and didn't want to reschedule or have to do it on our own. 

It was only a light rain when we started, so it we welcomed the cooling effects because it was still warm out. But within a 1/4 mile it started to pour and we were all questioning our sanity. Although we were all complaining, not one of us really had any intention of turning back. We all welcomed the new challenge and were in for the long haul. The rain was never heavy for long, but it was constant. On the off chance when it stopped raining, the wind would pick up and spray us with water from the trees above, so we were never dry. Thankfully, it was not cold so it made it feel refreshing and I would much rather be drenched in rain than sweat. So once I got over being wet, it was fun splashing around puddles. We tried to avoid them so our shoes wouldn't be squishy, but it was a futile attempt since the rain never stopped and the streets just accumulated more water. I was pleased to learn that my shoes and socks were great at keeping my feet dry because I never felt uncomfortable. 

At 8 a.m., I still had 8 miles to go while most everyone else was finished. Despite the rain, we picked up 3 more runners and went out for another 5 - 8 miles. I knew I'd have company through 23 miles and was prepared to run the last 3 alone, but my group is amazing and would have none of that. I'll admit that I am grateful because it would have been mentally tough to keep going alone in these conditions. I had these 2 guys with me through the very last soggy step, and it really helped me forget about the rain and pain and finish with a smile. I felt like a celebrity running with an escort :)

When we returned to the start, our fearless Director Laura was waiting for us with donuts and coffee, and a ribbon that said "All Star" that my group bought me (I had posted on Facebook earlier about running a marathon even without a medal at the end). I am so very touched by my group's compassion, and impressed by their determination to accomplish their goals regardless of the circumstances. Many of them were beginners when we started in June, and have now completed several races with impressive results. Their hard work has paid off, and I'm so very proud of their accomplishments and thrilled I am able to be part of their journey. 

I'm really glad we did not cancel this run and I got to experience these conditions, because you never know what race day will bring. I've now run in scorching heat, freezing cold, and pouring rain. I swear, I don't even know who this person is anymore because 3 years ago I would have laughed at you if you said I'd even attempt any of those things. Training for a marathon is grueling, but it is so rewarding and I learned so much about how far I can push my limits and I'm not done yet! :)

Race Report: Miracle Miles 15 2011

On September 24, I ran my 2nd 15K in 1:42:48. That is a 7 minute PR from my first 15K in 2009 (1:49:50 @ 11:48). Technically I ran a 15K in 2010 in 1:44:49 @ 11:16, but that was really a 10K and 5K on the same day with 30 min break, so I'm not really counting that. If I were, I still beat that time by 2 minutes.

Official Results

• clock: 1:44:39
• chip: 1:42:48
• pace: 11:01.7 (based on 9.3, but I ran 9.43)
• ag: 86 / 169
• overall: 1053 / 1698
• gender: 493 / 956
• Runmeter: 9.43 miles in 1:42:56 @ 10:55, Map/Splits: http://j.mp/q7zsFk.

Pre-race: I met my group at Lake Eola at 6:30 am, which meant we got to sleep in! :) We ran an easy 2 miles to the start at 1:1 intervals, and got there shortly after 7 am as the 5k was starting. We had just enough time to stretch, take a group photo and line up at the start.

Race: We started pretty far back, which is fine by me to avoid starting out too fast. Most of us started together at 2:1 intervals with the intention of switching to 3:1 intervals somewhere near mile 4 or 5, but it was so hot and humid that we decided to stick with 2:1 for the whole race.

The course was great, with plenty of support, but could have used more shade and less hills :) The race started at 7:30 am, which is really too late for this time of year. We were on pace for a 1:40 finish, but started to fade at the end as the sun really started beating down on us. Jass pushed us to finish strong and I was happy to cross the finish line in under 1:45 with a 7 minute PR.

Post race: after refueling with some oranges, bananas, and ice pops, we walked the 2 miles back and a few of us hung out at Panera for a bit plotting running a coast to coast relay. Good times! Even though this race is always challenging because of the heat, I love the course and distance, so I'll be back!

Marathon 2 Training - Week 16

Seems I overdid it a bit on cross training last week, so this week I was a bit burnt out and chose extra rest instead in preparation for running 23 miles on Saturday. I still managed a bit of yoga, walking, and cycling, so I'm good with that. The 23 miles went great as you've already read from my previous entry, and this week I plan to take it a bit easy also to recover properly from that hard effort and be ready to rock the Miracle Miles 15K on Saturday. I'm treating this race as a marathon dress-rehearsal, but even my marathon race pace should net me a 15K PR since the only other time I raced this distance was at the same race 2 years ago, unless we count the Founder's Day distance dare last year but I think I can pull off something close to 1:40. We shall see.


Week Summary: ran 32.5 miles; walked 10 miles; biked 5.5 miles; 25m yoga (x1); 0 core/strength

• Mon - walked 3.8 miles
• Tue - walked 2 miles; ran 4.5 miles
• Wed - walked 1 mile
• Thu - ran 5 miles (ladder); walked 3.5 miles
• Fri - REST! Slept-in util 7 am! :)
• Sat - 23 miles! 25m yoga; walked 5.5 miles
• Sun - 1 hour massage

Goals for this Week: 

• run 20+ miles
• Miracle Miles 15K
• walk 10 miles
• bike x1
• yoga x1
• core/strength x1

Marathon 2 Training - 23 miles!

I was up at 2:45 this morning, decked out in all pink -- including my super hero running skirt and pink glow-in-the dark bracelet, and looking forward to tackling 23 miles at 3:30 am. The air was cool, and I knew it'd be a great morning.

We started with a group of 10, pretty big considering the early start, which helped the time fly as I had lots of people to talk to. The first 10 miles were nice and easy at 1:1 intervals; I felt great after that loop. We circled back to the school at 6 am to pick up 5 more runners and drop off 2, so now there were 13 of us, and we switched intervals to ran the next 10 miles at 2:1. I started to feel sore and tired somewhere after mile 16, but pressed on. I was still running strong and picking up the pace a bit as we went along, so I know it was more mental fatigue than physical. We returned to the school twice, and after 20 miles switched intervals once again. We finished the last 3 using 2:30/1 intervals and I was still able to pick the pace a bit more.

Despite having to return to the start several times, keeping the stops as short as possible really helped with my motivation and not let my legs get tight. I was sore, tired and mentally done when the 23 miles where done but I still felt strong and like I could have run 3.2 more if I had to. I fueled like clockwork, eating a gel and endurolyte pill every hour, and it worked great. I also re-applied body glide after 10 miles, and nothing is chafe this time. Yay!

After the 23 miles, we walked a lap around the track to cool off, then I did 25 minutes of yoga as soon as I got home. It really hurt at first because I was very sore, but I felt great when I finished and really glad I took the time to do it. After a shower, I put on my compression leg sleeves and compression capris with ice packs, and quickly started feeling back to normal. I've been doing laundry and napping between loads, but I think there is another nap in my very near future :) 

Fun stats about this run:

Total: 23.03 miles, time w/breaks 5:34:03, active time 4:54:06, average pace 12:46.

During the last marathon training cycle, I ran 23 miles in 5:15:34 @ 13:46 min/mile pace in the freezing cold. Today I ran it exactly 1 min per mile faster, in high humidity, and still felt great. Having cooler weather was a blessing.

1st 10 miles, 1/1 @ 13:14 avg pace
2nd 10 miles, 2/1 @ 12:29 avg pace
last 3 miles, 2:30/1 @ 11:55 avg pace

first half = 13:13 avg pace
second half = 12:16 avg pace

first mile = 13:51 avg pace
last mile = 12:00 avg pace

map and full splits: http://j.mp/r7L32z.

Next weekend is the Miracle Miles 15K, and I'm really excited to see what I can do. Bring it! =) 

Marathon 2 Training - Week 15

Great easy week. It was a low millage week, but I made the most of it with some quality workouts and lots of cross training. It felt great to fit in all that yoga and core/strength workouts, but I think I was a little burned out of it by Sunday because I did absolutely nothing, not even yoga or walking or my bonus run (I had already met my goal of running 20 miles so didn't feel the need to push it).

I have a tempo run tomorrow and speed work on Thursday, but I may keep those a bit short to conserve energy for Saturday when I'll tackle 23 miles; I'm so ready! I finally registered for the Miracle Miles 15K in 2 weeks, and I'm really excited about that. Life is good :)

Week Summary: ran 21 miles; walked 12 miles; biked 7 miles; 1.5h yoga (x5); 40m core/strength (x3)

• Mon - walked 1.3 miles; 19m core; 20m yoga
• Tue - walked 4.3 miles; ran 5.2 miles (tempo); 23.5m yoga (2); 10m kick
• Wed - 24m yoga; walked 1 mile; 11m core/strength
• Thu - ran 6.1 miles (track/mile repeats); walked 3.5 miles; 25m yoga
• Fri - walked 1.7 miles
• Sat - ran 9.5 miles; biked 6.75 miles
• Sun - REST :) 

Goals for this Week: 

• run 30 miles
• 23 mile long run
• walk 13 miles
• bike x1
• yoga x3
• core/strength x2