Race Report: Gasparilla Marathon

We're marathoners! See more photos on Flickr.

Words cannot possibly describe how elated I am at having finished my first full marathon and that I met all my goals! Per my Garmin watch, I ran 26.3 miles in 5:22:08 @ 12:13 min/mile. How happy am I that I finished in under 5:30 even by the clock!? VERY! =D

Official stats:

• chip: 05:22:33
• clock: 05:27:55
• overall: 1761 / 2087
• gender: 672 / 855
• age group: 114 / 142

Pacing Strategy 
I executed my pace strategy perfectly, running mostly negative splits, and it really paid off:

• 13 min/mile average through mile 5
• 12:30 min/mile average by mile 15
• 12:15 min/mile average by mile 20
• hang on for dear life and try to maintain that pace through the finish

I also switched up my run/walk intervals through out the race. I started with 1:1, then switched to 2:1 around mile 14, then 3:1 around mile 20 or 21. I felt good earlier on and was tempted to switch intervals sooner, but I knew I needed to save my energy for the end and it worked.

Nutrition
I fueled like clockwork, eating a regular gu every 3-4 miles and nothing but gu roctanes after the halfway point. I also drank water at ever other water stop or as needed. They advertised water stops every mile, but I think it was more like every 2 miles or so. Definitely not as good as BCM, but enough to make it work.

Running Solo through mile 24
I ran this race all by myself, which turned out better than I expected. When I first started, I worried how difficult it would be since I had never ran more than 10 miles alone. I was going to bring my ipod shuffle, but decided against it at the last minute because I wanted to take it all in. I passed some ladies from my Galloway on the course and chatted with other runners around me from time to time, so I was never truly alone, but was never with anyone for more than a few minutes. It was nice being able to run my own race at whatever pace and interval I wanted to, and not get swept away to start too fast or slow down.

Running with Dad
The best part of the race was when my dad joined me at mile 24 to run the last 2.2 miles with me--after he finished the half marathon in 02:19:51 2.5 hours earlier. I knew he'd be there, and it's what kept me going through the last few miles. Around mile 18, I started counting the miles until I'd see him. I was hurting by the time I saw him, but I was not about to quit. I was holding onto my 12:15 pace and I even shaved a second or two while running with him. We passed a water stop and he asked if I wanted water; I just groaned and said I just wanted to finish and kept going. LOL

Finishing it!
Just before mile 26, where Jason was meeting me, I had a walk break and I decided to walk until the mile marker then sprint to the finish. The mile marker never came, but I started jogging anyway because it hurt more to walk. I finally saw Jason as Dad ran ahead of me to get a pic as I crossed the finish line. Jason tried to run it in with me but his legs wouldn't cooperate -- he had finished the marathon an hour earlier in 4:14:23 and was hurting. It didn't matter. Seeing him was all I needed to give it all I had and cross the mat before the clock hit 5:28. I was elated that I had met my goal even by the clock, and I once again cried tears of joy.

What's Next?
I had a great time and I'm already addicted and looking for my next race. Tonight after we get back from our celebratory dinner at Texas de Brazil, I will apply for the NYC Marathon lottery and register for the Breast Cancer full marathon in 2011. But I'm itching to do something sooner, so I'll be looking for a 1/2 or full marathon in the coming months and also plan to do train for a 50K!

A HUGE thanks to everyone who has been following my progress and offering me encouragement the past few months. It's been a huge help and I am forever grateful.

Gasparilla Marathon Pre Race Thoughts

Race weekend is finally here, and I'll be running my first marathon in less than 24 hours! We're packing everything but the kitchen sink and heading to Tampa shortly to go to the Expo, pick up our packets, and have our last supper :)

My goals for this race are very similar to the goals for my first half marathon:

1. Start
2. Finish
3. Finish with a smile on my face :) 
4. Pace myself properly so I have enough left to finish strong and run across the finish line.
• start at no faster than 13 min/mil pace using 1:1 intervals
• maintain this easy pace and intervals for the first 5-7 miles
• pick up the pace a bit as I near the halfway point
• see how I feel after the 1st half, and increase my speed towards a 12:30 average 
• if feeling good, switch to 2:1 or bigger intervals as I near the finish and possibly run the last 1/2 - 1 mile straight
• be flexible and listen to my body
5. Fuel properly so I don't hit the wall: 
• regular gu or shot blocks before the start
• gu or shot blocks every 3-4 miles
• gu roctanes starting at mile 12 or 16
• water every 1-2 water stops
6. I'm trying not to set a time goal, but I know I can finish in under 6 hours. 
• My main goal is to finish with a time closer to 5:30 than 5:45. 
• The Galloway prediction formula says I should be able to finish in 5:15, but I want to enjoy this so I'm not going to try that. 
• If I pull of 5:15, great! But I'll be thrilled with anything near 5:30.
7. And most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Marathon Packing Checklist

Since this is an away race and I won't be sleeping at home the night before the marathon, I'll need to pack everything I could possibly need for the race, and then some. With the flaky weather we've been having lately, I plan to pack for every eventuality.

Here's the list so far. Comment and let me know if I am forgetting anything!

Running Clothes

• sports bra
• race ready shorts w/pockets
• running shoes
• running socks
• running tops: short sleeve, long sleeve, tank
• running tights/pants

Running Accessories

• arm warmers
• black hat
• bondi bands: skull and bones + spares
• gloves
• hair tie
• pirate eye patch
• race belt
• wrist sweat band 
• pearl izumi jacket

Electronics

• garmin + strap + charger
• iphone + charger
• ipod shuffle + charger
• headphones
• camera + charger + extra battery
• laptop + charger

Nutrition/Snacks

• gu
• gu roctane
• shot blocks
• mini luna bars
• bananas
• bagels
• chocolate covered pretzels
• oyster crackers

Other Clothes

• 2 shirts
• sleep pants
• warm up suit
• extra sports bra
• underwear
• pants / shorts
• crocs
• jacket

Injury Prevention / Treatment

• biofreeze packets
• body glide
• moleskin
• sunscreen 

Misc

• ear plugs
• water bottle
• laundry bag
• garbage bags
• chapstick
• money
• ID

Last Pre-Marathon Run and Corporate 5k Update

It is Thursday, which means corporate 5k training after work. The group is on week 2 of C25K, which means a total of 9-10 minutes of running that we do on a 2.5 mile loop and walk the rest. Since I pushed it a bit at the race on Sunday, I just did that on Tuesday with them. However, today I wanted to do one last run before Sunday's marathon, so I ran the 2.5 miles on my own at 5 p.m. before I went out with the group at 5:30 p.m. The run felt good, but I'm tired of the weather being hot one day and cold the next. It's so unpredictable that I pack a huge bag of clothes for every weather just in case.

Corporate 5k training and recruitment is going great! We have a consistent group of 9-10 show up each week to run/walk, and everyone seems to be having a great time.  I'm documenting everything with lots of photos and videos to edit into a video after the race. Many have posted little profiles on our team blog with their background and goals. I hope to also record little video testimonials in the coming weeks.

As of this afternoon, we have 19 officially registered for the race and a few more are joining tomorrow; it's pay day! :) That's already more than double the size of our team of 9 last year, and it's not even March yet! It's great seeing our little team grow every day and motivating others in our department to "learn to live well" :) I'm excited to see our team continue to grow and getting everyone across that finish line on April 15th!

What Taper Madness?

I don't seem to be experiencing the typical taper madness. I can't wait for Sunday to get here already, but I'm not really freaking out over it. In fact, I'm concern that I may be too overconfident about completing this marathon and taking advantage of taper too much (maybe this in itself is a symptom). Am I not respecting the distance enough?

A few things I think have helped me avoid taper madness:

• I've read all about it and know what to expect and that I'm ready for this. 
• I've kept myself too busy blogging and taking photos daily to have any time to obsess over my running. 
• Putting together a team for the Corporate 5K at work and training my coworkers to run their first 5K is a nice distraction. 
• I scheduled other low key races in the weeks leading up to the marathon to keep me distracted by obsessing about those instead =P
• I've been really busy at work, making the days pass quickly.

Most of all, I think I just welcome the rest and know that I've done all I can so it's ok to take it easy. I am sure I'll be singing a different tune and freaking out plenty on Saturday night, but that day will be packed with plenty of distractions, so I should be ok.

Is it Sunday yet? :)

PS - Track me on race day.

bondi bands

I'm going to take a mental break today and post some of my favorite bondi bands. I am obsessed with their wicking headbands, and I'm in the process of buying 5 more. I already own 3: "will run for chocolate", "tri like a girl", and the skull and bones pictured here. The one I'm wearing in this picture is my newest addition that I'll wear at the Gasparilla Marathon since it's a pirate themed race :)

Below are some pics of the ones I'm considering adding to my collection, but I just can't decide. So help me out; browse through the bondi band site and post your favorites in the comments.

Seeking Race Recommendations

I think the reason I'm finding blogging daily for 30 days overwhelming is because I put too much thought into these posts. Even when I think I'm going to post something short and sweet, it turns into several paragraphs that I've spent hours editing to near perfection (I say near because I always miss some type or another).

So today I'm putting the burden on you :)

I am hooked on distance running and know Sunday's marathon won't be my last. I want to become a Marathon Maniac someday, but will probably try to become a Half Fanatic first since running 2 half marathons in 16 days or 3 in 90 days is totally within my current skill level. Anyway, I've already made this post longer than I intended, so now it's your turn.


Comment with your recommendation for a half or full marathon that's not to be missed and tell me why I should add it to my race schedule.

Race Report: Breast Cancer Marathon Relay

Our team, Smells Like Run Spirit, finished the Breast Cancer Marathon Relay in 4:30:21, coming in 87 out of 247 (looking at the results again, this is inaccurate because there are teams listed multiple times since people clearly failed to remove their chips after their leg. Removing the duplicates, 71/190 seems more accurate). That's the fastest marathon finish time I'll probably ever be associated with, by about an hour, LOL! This was so much fun, and I was so impressed with the race that I plan to do the full marathon on my own next year.

My goal was to run the 5 miles in 55 minutes, or at least PR (< 57:24), and I nailed both! I'm surprise that I ran this well without walk breaks, but the weather was perfect and the energy of the crowd contagious; I'm sure the GU Roctane I took at the start of the leg also helped. I only stopped 2 or 3 times for a few seconds to wash down the gu and eat some grapes during the first 2 miles.

My plan was to run each mile and walk through the water stops, but I felt so good that I didn't need any water during the last 3 miles. I paced myself really well and ended up with perfect negative splits (11:36 - 11:27 - 11:16 - 10:49 - 9:51).  I gave it everything I had during that last mile, and I was so happy when I crossed that mat in 55 minutes that I cried. I haven't done that in a race since my first half marathon.

I knew I could do it, but I wasn't expecting it since I didn't intend to push myself nor was I doing my intervals. I think that's why I cried tears of joy when I finished. I always get emotional when I give it my all and it pays off :)  The entire run simply felt amazing, even if a little uncomfortable at the end but it was worth it.

I pulled myself together and caught the shuttle to the finish line. After a few snacks, I reunited with Jason and his dad to wait for my dad to finish the last leg. I walked to meet him and we ran the last 1/3 of a mile together.  Jason and his dad joined us for the last 1/10 and the 4 of us crossed the finish line together. Mom did the first leg but went back to the hotel to rest because she was sick, so she wasn't there at the end. I'm sad she didn't get to share that moment with us and is not in the official finish line photo, but I'm glad she was still able to run her leg. She's now ready to tackle a 10K! :)

Team Relay Leg Splits

	finish time	net time	pace
Mom (miles 1-5)	1:10:05	1:10:05	0:14:01
Jason (miles 5-10)	1:50:16	0:40:11	0:08:02
Me (miles 10-15)	2:45:15	0:54:59	0:10:59
Bob (miles 15-20)	3:24:47	0:39:32	0:07:54
Dad (miles 20-26.2)	4:30:21	1:05:34	0:10:34

View More Photos on Flickr

BCM Pre-Race Thoughts

We just finished a yummy pre-race dinner at Mellow Mushroom. I'm now at the Radisson in Jacksonville, seating on my sleep number bed, and enjoying complimentary internet. Tomorrow morning I'll run 5 miles of the Breast Cancer Marathon as part of the relay team "Smells Like Run Spirit" with my family. 

I've done a triathlon relay before, but this will be a little different because I won't see my relay team until the exchange and the finish. I'll have my phone and camera to help pass the time. I set it up so family members hand off to each other in this order: Bob (Jason's Dad), Jason, Me, Mom, and Dad. After we finish our leg, we'll take a bus to the finish line and wait for dad 100 yards from the finish to cross the finish line together. 

Since I have a marathon next weekend, and this is meant to be a fun run, I'll be taking it easy. My only goal is to finish in under an hour, though I'd love to run it in 55 minutes or PR (> 57:24), but I'm not going to push it. If you want to follow along with me, I'll be updating along the way and sending live results from the race to twitter and facebook or you can setup your own race alerts. 

Thoughts on Daily Blogging

I'm 21 days into this experiment of blogging every day for 30 days, and it's starting to become a chore. I'm not giving up, nor do I regret undertaking it, but I'll be glad when I can have my evenings back. Other than finding something interesting and new to blog about everyday, the biggest downside is that I can't relax when I get home and watch tv because I have to blog first. Writing a post takes longer than I anticipated, even if I already know what topic I want to discuss, because I make endless edits before publishing it.

I do like how it has forced me to reflect on topics I've been putting off or that I may have never considered writing about without this challenge. It's certainly kept me distracted from taper madness and made the last 21 days fly. Even though I have very little time to unwind and watch tv after work, I think that's also a plus. It's been nice to unwind reflecting on the day, writing about it, and looking at the photos I took that day. It only seems like I've had less time at home before bed, but I've just been more productive with my time.

I'm looking forward to documenting the next 9 days leading up to my first marathon. There will be plenty to talk about, including volunteering at a 5K and attending the BCM Expo tomorrow, pre-race dinner Saturday night,  Breast Cancer Marathon Relay with the family on Sunday followed by a post-race lunch, 2 corporate 5k training runs, Gasparilla Expo, pre-race dinner, and finally the marathon!

I'll certainly undertake the challenge again, but perhaps during a less busy time -- like when I'm not also taking daily photos. :)