Race Report: OUC Half Marathon 2010

More photos on Flickr

I did it! I completed my 7th half marathon with a great finish time and qualified to join the half fanatics -- this was my 2nd half marathon in 7 days. But most importantly, I had an absolute blast!

Official Stats:

• chip - 2:31:03
• pace - 11:31.8
• clock - 2:32:27
• overall - 1974 / 2306
• age group - 165 /202
• gender - 923 / 1156

Pre-Race:
The best part about this race is that the start is literally 1 block from my apartment. The race started at 7 am, so I was going to wake up 6:15, get ready and walk over a few minutes before the start. Of course, I naturally awoke at 5:15, so I got up and got ready. This workout well because I could meet my Galloway group for the annual OUC group photo. I then went back to my apartment for a little bit to stay warm and eat a few shot blocks before walking back to the start line.

Race Strategy:
I caved and ran with a watch, because with the great weather we had this morning I had a feeling I would do much better than expected and would want to have the data. However, I started slow, listened to my body, and really enjoyed the race.

I ran with Penny, Julie, and Jen for the first half, having an absolute blast, then sped up for the 2nd half since I was still feeling really good. As you can see from the pace chart below, I was on pace to finish in sub-2:30 until mile 10, but I couldn't speed up enough during the last 5K. After last week's performance, I'm thrilled I did this well and still negative split the race. The last 4-5 miles hurt, but I felt really strong throughout the whole race and dug deep for a strong finish. This is only 3 minutes slower than last week, but a course PR by over 7.5 minutes.

Gear: 
I struggled with what to wear since it was 45º at the start, but I knew I would warm up and could run faster if I was a bit cooler, so tried not to overdo it. I really wanted to run in a skirt, and paired with knee high socks it was plenty warm. I loved this outfit and it was so comfortable to run in it. Who would have thought I'd become a girly runner :)

I also wore my arm warmers, buff, headbands, and windbreaker. I unzipped the arms of the jacket early on, turning it into a vest, and stuffed my accessories in the pockets as I shed them. I swapped my headband for a dry bondi band half way through, which was nice. My pockets were all full and bulky, so I was happy to toss the vest to Jason when I saw him on his bike at mile 10.

Post-Race:
After I finished, I stuck around for a bit to cheer others, then walked the 1 block home. I love doing a race this close to home! I was really sore, I so I did 20 minutes of yoga stretches as soon as I got home and that helped a ton. We then went for a leisurely bike ride to lunch at Harmoni, dessert at Delish, and Orange Cycle. After running a ton more errands, we ended the evening with dinner at the Melting Pot. Yum!

Overall Experience:
I'm really glad I did this race--I almost didn't. The weather was perfect, the route is familiar, the medal had a new ribbon, the support at the water stations and from the neighborhood was awesome, and I felt amazing during the whole race. They have music on the course, and many of the water stations were themed. Even the cops directing traffic got into it and cheered us on. I don't remember having this much fun at a race since my first half marathon on the same course.  Now I take a bit of a break, maybe doing some festive 5Ks for fun, then tackle #8 on January 2nd in my quest to run 6 in 6 months.

Race Report: Space Coast Half Marathon

I don't even know where to begin, so I'll just jump right in.  I nailed it! =) Not only did I finish my 6th half marathon with a HUGE PR, but I finally finished in under 2:30! My previous PR was 2:35:38, per my watch as it was an unofficial race put on by our training group. Today's time of 2:28:16 was over 7 minutes faster than that. I'm ecstatic! After so many setbacks, it feels great to finally have redemption!

official stats:

• chip time - 2:28:16 
• clock time - 2:31:41 
• average pace - 11:20 min/mi
• 5k split - 37:44 
• 10k split - 1:13:41   
• 15k split - 1:47:45 (PR)
• overall place - 1060 / 1586
• age group place - 75 / 122

expo/packet pickup: The expo was tiny, but I've seen worse. It was nice to check out the space history exhibit while there, and see the rocket garden. However, if they are not going to make the expo worth it, I wish they would offered race day packet pick up.

pre race: Yesterday, I really didn't think I would finish in under 2:30, let alone almost 2 minutes under. I was still going to try, but I thought it was a pipe dream. This morning, I was a lot more confident and after the first few miles I knew it would happen if I pushed. I just told myself to dig deep, that it would probably hurt but that pain was temporary. I was prepared to suffer, without getting injured, to make it possible. To tell you the truth, yes it hurt a bit at the end, but I didn't really suffer.

weather: The cool weather was a huge factor in making this happen. It was cold at the start, but perfect racing temperature. I had a jacket on when we got there, but I quickly took it off and returned it to the car. I told myself to suck it up for the first mile or so because I knew I would warm up in no time. I wore a skirt, arm warmers, and my buff around my neck. I lowered the arm warmers a few miles in and tossed both to Jason after mile 5. I think my speed improved even more after that lol

the course: The course was flat and fast as advertised, with a great view of the Indian River the whole way. There were a few tiny inclines, but overall very easy. It was an out and back, so it got a little crowded once the full marathon joined us for their second half. It was hard for the wheelchairs to navigate this part, but it all worked out.

support: the half marathon had 7 themed water stops that we passed twice. Each stop had water, gatorade and gu! They even had gu roctane, so I could have run without carrying anything at all. I knew this, so I only carried 2 gu roctanes just in case. I took ate a regular gu at mile 1 (forgot to do it before the start) and mile 4, a gu roctane at mile 7, and gu roctane with caffeine at mile 10. Fun fact: all the pace leaders wore running skits, including the guys!

race strategy:
As always, my strategy is to run negative splits because I know what happens when I start out too fast. In the past, I've had my Garmin to help me achieve that, but since it broke and I didn't replace it, I went old school for this race. I wore a stop watch with a lap button (that I pressed manually at each mile marker) and printed out a pace chart for a 2:30 finish on one side and 2:34 on the other. After mile 1, I decided to go for it and not even look at the 2:34 one. I ran the whole thing using 2:1 intervals.

I lined up at the start with the 2:30 pace group, but vowed to run my own race and keep them in my sights. I am glad I didn't follow them because I lost them within the first mile and didn't see them again until after mile 12 when I passed them :) There were many times when I wanted to surge ahead to keep up with someone, but kept reminding myself that I do best when I run my own race, start slow and conserve energy to speed up at the end. I tried to pick up the pace at every mile, but kept it relatively comfortable through mile 6. Once I neared the turn around point and saw the 2:30 pace group ahead of me coming the other way, I began to push the pace to catch them.

As you can see from the chart above, I nailed every target split within a minute or more and picked up considerable speed during the second half. I am always in awe that I can make up this much speed at the end of the race. I'm shocked at how many miles were under 11 min/mile and can't believe my last 5K was 4.5 minutes faster than my first 5K, and only 1 minute slower than my current 5K PR. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't hell either. I dug deep and kept pushing and finished really strong! I was hurting when I finished, mainly my calves and this weird cramping I get in my abdomen/abs when I push really hard, but that didn't last. I was so happy that I cried :) I clearly need to work on my core =P

swag: The finisher's medal is gorgeous, and we also got a finisher's beach towel that I love. The race shirt is a long sleeve tech shirt.

post-race food: They had the usual fare of bananas, bagels, and orange slices after the race, but they also had an egg/pancake/sausage breakfast and pizza. Nice! While pizza is a nice sentiment, I find the smell repulsive after running that hard, so I fed my support crew instead :)

post-race:  I thought it was a nice touch that the announcer called out everyone's names as they approached the finish line with plenty of notice for spectators to get their camera's ready. Once I crossed and it sunk in that I had done it, and that I wasn't injured and still felt great (albeit a little sore), I choked up a bit and cried a few tears of joy. I couldn't stop yelling at Jason when I saw him that I did it, and this continued at random intervals through the rest of the day. lol

After I refueled, we went to the car to drop off Jason's bike and I changed into dry clothes, then returned to the finish line to cheer on the marathon finishers. Congrats to Yolanda and Jillian on finishing their first Marathon, and to all my running buddies too numerous to mention that completed the marathon, many with PRs.

photos: See all the photos (and video coming soon) on Space Coast Half Marathon Flickr album.

overall experience: This was a fantastic race and I'm definitely going back to do the full marathon someday! It may be my favorite half marathon so far, and it reminded me how much I love racing this distance. It's enough of a challenge that I can't do it totally on a whim, and it's long enough that I have time to ease into a pace, but it's short enough that I can still function the next day :) When I got home, I registered for the OUC Half Marathon next Saturday. It was my first half marathon, it is only 1 block from my front door, and it will qualify me to be a half fanatic!

thanks: A big thanks to everyone who left encouraging comments on my previous post and on facebook and for your votes of confidence. I carried them through the race and it really helped. And of course, a HUGE thanks to Jason, the best boyfriend/support crew/paparazzi/cheerleader any girl could ask for. He didn't run this one, but biked along taking photos and cheering me on. I love you!

Race Report: Tamarac Turkey Trot 5k

We are in Plantation, FL to spend Thanksgiving with Jason's mom, and thanks to Robin we found a local Turkey Trot 5k to run this morning. We hoped his parents would come out and watch, but they did us one better and signed up too! It was their first 5k, and they did awesome!

I ran with Robin, using 3/:30 intervals, until about the last 10th when I sprinted to the end, but I still did not run all out. This race was not about getting a PR or leaving it all out there, especially since I'm tapering for the half marathon on Sunday. This race was about getting in some exercise this morning, being thankful that I can do this at all, and having fun with family and friends. Oh yeah, and burning a few calories before the feast that will follow later was a nice bonus :) 

Robin kept telling me to go ahead, and I was tempted to skip the walk breaks, but I was having fun running with her. The time flew by and the finish line was in sight before I knew it.  I felt great the whole time, even while nursing a side stitch, and I finished strong. Everyone else is complaining about sore legs, but mine feel great =P I do feel like I need a nap though :)

Stats:

• clock: 39:59
• chip: 38:21 
• pace: 12:21
• ag: 59 / 76
• overall: 1162

Happy Thanksgiving!

Check out the photos on Flickr and the video Jason put together below:

Race Report: Founder's Day Distance Dare (10K + 5K)

I ran the Founder's Day Distance Dare at Celebration this morning. The distance dare consisted of running a 10K race at 7:30 am, followed by a 5k race at 9:15 am. It was tough. I'm really not in racing shape for either of these distances, but I ran my heart out and I'm very pleased with the outcome. I didn't PR at either distance, but considering most of my recent runs have been in the 12 min/mile pace, I'm pleased that I ran each race only a few minutes slower than my current PRs and closer to an 11 min/mile pace. My total time for the distance dare of 1:44:49 did earn me a 5-minute 15k PR and I finished 93 / 124 in the distance dare.

Pre-Race
When I woke up, my running skirt was still damp, but I draped it over a box fan and it was dry by the time we left.  It was a bit cold, so I wore my arm warmers, headband, and buff, but not long pants since I knew I'd regret it after a few miles of hard running. We got to Celebration around 7 am, parked and walked to the start about 1/2 mile away.  I ran an easy mile to warm up, then ate a gu as I walked to the start. Jason wasn't racing, so he brought his nifty new video camera to capture the moment. 

Race #1 - 10K
The 10K course was gorgeous. We ran along a golf course and then through residential streets. The last mile and a half was along a narrow sidewalk and I think that slowed me down a bit, along with the side stitch I was nursing for at least half the race. I no longer have a Garmin, so I used a stop watch and took manual splits every time I passed a mile marker. I pushed pretty hard throughout, took a Gu Roctane at mile 4, and finished strong with a really fast sprint to the finish. All things considered, I'm thrilled I missed a PR by only 1:12.

• overall = 865 / 1092
• ag = 67 / 101
• gender = 430 / 611
• clock = 1:10:49
• chip = 1:09:47 (11:13)
• splits = 11:47 - 11:49 - 11:05 - 11:26 - 10:53 - 10:41 - 2:08 (these are splits from my stop watch. I logged this run on the iPhone as well, but I'm not sure of it's accuracy since it says I ran 6.4 miles. If that's true, it's definitely a PR, but I'm going with the official results.)

Race #2 - 5K
By the time I finished the 10K, caught my breath, and drank some water, I still had 30 minutes to go before the 5K start. That's plenty of time for your muscles to cool down, so I kept walking around the parking lot to keep the blood flowing and took another Gu Roctane 10 minutes before the start. I knew there was no way I'd PR at the 5K because my legs were already pretty tired, but I was going to give it all I had. The time flew by, but I was tired and had a side stitch for most of the race, so I had positive splits (rare for me). I just couldn't find the energy or strength to push any harder and my finish wasn't as strong as the first time, but I'm still pretty pleased with my performance.

• overall = 403 / 302
• ag = 31 / 58
• gender = 205 / 427
• clock = 35:02 (11:16)
• watch = 34:50 (there was no mat at start so official results list the same time for clock and chip)
• splits = 11:12 - 11:15 - 11:28 - 0:55

Post-Race
I grabbed some water and a banana then kept walking around the parking lot while Jason gathered his things. My legs were pretty sore at this point, so I wanted to keep moving so they wouldn't give up on me. We were both starving, so we quickly walk to the car and drove to the nearest Perkins and made massage appointments for the afternoon. We just got back and I feel wonderful :) 

Closing Remarks
I enjoyed this race and will probably do the 10K again. The announcer called out your name as you crossed the finish line, for both races--that was a really nice touch. The 5K was ok, but included the worse parts of the 10K so not sure I'd do the distance dare again. Plus I've kinda come to hate the 5k distance. I just have no interest in running that fast. 

I tried something new on race day today, and it went better than expected. I raced in my new SkirtSports Gym Girl Ultra running skirt, and I'm really impressed. I had tried it on at the store, and ran around the parking lot of my apartment yesterday to test it, but this was it's first real test. It has real compression shorts underneath and they stay put! There is a pocket on each side of the shorts that is perfect for gels and my iPhone. I could run a marathon in this skirt and not worry about chafing or being uncomfortable. Now I just need one in a fun color that's not black or pink =P

Jason did not run the race, but he came to support me and put together this fun video.

Race Report: Urban Dare Orlando 2010

This afternoon Jason and I completed Urban Dare Orlando dressed up as a priest and a nun (they had a costume contest too). I'm glad it was chilly and windy because these costumes may have been a bit warm otherwise. Urban Dare is like a 1-day Amazing Race where teams of 2 solve a set of 12 clues to find checkpoints where we take photos or perform dares in a race to the finish.

We grabbed Publix subs for lunch while we walked to the start at "The Other Bar" on Wall Street, less than a mile from our apartment, where we got our passport and bibs. After the costume contest, which we did not win, we were handed the clues sheet and we were off. Jason took a photo of the clues and sent it to Sean, who was playing along at home helping us decipher the clues. The clues are not in any logical order, so we needed to decipher them and figure out the optimal path to each checkpoint.

We tried this a few years ago and had a horrible time because I was in terrible shape and Jason is very competitive. This time we focused on having fun, wearing team costumes, and not even trying to run it since our paces are so different (a lot of teams walk). It went a lot better and we even stopped for italian ice at Twisted Bliss since it was right next to one of the checkpoints. :) We covered about 7.5 miles in 2:15:58 and placed 15 out of 70, which is far better than we expected. We were surprised that not even half of the teams had finished before us. Taking the time at the start to decipher the clues and figure out the optimal path to reach each checkpoint worked out great.  I wish there had been more dares or photo hunts, but we had a good time. Check out the photo album for the clues and challenges we faced. Below are a few previews (click to enlarge).

Race Report: Miami Beach Halloween Half Marathon

I completed my 5th half marathon last Sunday, on Halloween. This was my come back race, since I haven't raced since August due to injuries and illness, and my last half marathon was in May. I've been sick the past 2 weeks and almost had a root canal, so I my last run was 12 miles two weeks ago. My legs didn't quite appreciate jumping into a half marathon after that, but I finished only 8 minutes slower than my previous slowest half; I'll take it.

We drove to Ft. Lauderdale Friday night and stayed with Jason's mom. We headed to Miami Beach Saturday morning to pick up our packets and check out the expo. Umm ... what expo? There were maybe 3-4 tables total, and I think only one was a vendor, but I did get some more free packets of biofreeze :) The race shirt is a really nice tech shirt (pictured to the right).

On race morning, we all got dressed up in our costumes: Dad was Lt. Dangle from Reno 911, Jason was a priest (he ran in a priest dress the whole race but took it off after and refused to put it back on for the photo), I was a catholic school girl, and Mom wore dad's race shirt (she was our photographer and cheerleader). When we stepped outside we immediately felt the humidity and the ground was wet with fresh rain. I was glad I didn't wear the clown costume I originally planned because it involved a huge hat that would have gotten hot and heavy quickly.

This was a point-to-point race, so we took a shuttle to the start from where we parked near the finish line. We were running late because we had to go back to the hotel for dad's bib # and chip, but we made it in the nick of time. The shuttle dropped us off at the start line with only a few seconds to spare. This turned out to be a blessing because the front runners took a wrong turn and ended up running an extra 1/2 mile, but it was fixed by the time we crossed the mat.

It was drizzling for the first few miles, which felt nice, but it didn't last. Most of the run was near the ocean so we had a nice breeze until the sun started beating down on us towards the end. We ran on the MacArthur Causeway for the first 3 miles along docked cruise ships at dawn. It was gorgeous seeing all the cruise ships lit up with the ocean in the background and the sun rising; I wished I had ran with my camera to take some photos, but I left my phone with mom since it was raining at the start. This also meant I had no pace data, except for manual splits on my stop watch. I missed the first mile marker (or it was not there) so I ran the first 2 miles a bit too fast. I slowed down after that, but never recovered.

We took a right turn when we got off the bridge and made our way to Lummus Park for an out and back along the Serpentine Walkway and Beach Walk Esplanades next to the beach. This was nice because I could focus on watching everyone's costumes to help pass the time until the turn around and looking for Dad and Jason. I saw mom around mile 4, and Jason and Dad somewhere on the out and back. They both looked like they were struggling too. Even though we had a nice breeze most of the time, it was still pretty humid and most of us were in costumes that didn't breath as well as regular running clothes. I felt like my shirt was suffocating me, so half way through I shed it, tucked it on the back of my skirt, and ran the rest of the race in the wicking tank top I wore underneath. I immediately felt better.

I knew I wasn't going to PR, so I didn't push myself too hard. I remember this being a conscious decision, thinking that I probably had more to give if I dug deep enough but I didn't feel the need for unnecessary suffering. I was hurting towards the end of the race regardless and really wanted to just walk the last few miles, but I pushed through and ran every single run interval even if it was slow -- mainly because I wanted to finish and walking that far would take too long :) There was a small hill just before the 13 mile marker, which was just cruel, but the view of the ocean when you got the top was well worth it.

I rounded the corner and it wasn't long before I saw mom and Jason. She ran along side me cheering and giving me the push I needed to finish strong while Jason took photos. I was hurting, but everyone was cheering for me so I dug deep and sprinted to the finish grunting because it hurt lol. I think that's the cause for my sore thighs :P I collected my coveted medal and then proceeded to refuel and rehydrate. They had a nice spread of food at the finish -- rice, beans, chicken, cookies -- but I couldn't stomach any of it at the time so I settled for some orange slices, plenty of water, and then stood in line for my free massage. There was also an after party with more food at Nikki Beach, but we never made it there.

Overall, this was a really fun race with great support. They had water at nearly every mile, with plenty of volunteers to encourage us. I loved seeing all the creative costumes, running along the ocean, and the medal rocks! I probably won't run it again because I'm not a fan of Miami Beach and it's a long way from home. However, I'll definitely want to do another Halloween race. I love running in a skirt, or maybe I just love dressing up, so I'm now in search for the perfect running skirt -- the ones I have don't have long enough shorts to cover my thighs.

Official results:

• Clock - 2:51:43
• Chip - 2:49:27
• Pace - 12:56
• Overall -  883 / 1092
• AG - 57 / 65
• Gender - 448 / 598

Race Report: Cool Summer Mornings 5K #2

Yesterday was an amazing day. We were up at 5 am, and didn't get home and in bed until midnight, but it was so worth it.

The day started with a 5K in Clermont that I didn't even want to run. I figured I'd do awful, and I had tummy issues in the morning, but I somehow didn't feel pressured and I did much better than I expected. I missed a PR by a mere 30 seconds and placed 3rd in my age group! Considering this course includes a few hills at the start, and it was hot as hell, I am really pleased with my effort.

Stats:

• age group: 3/9
• female: 25/49
• overall: 51/85
• time: 32:47 @ 10:33
• splits: 10:43 - 10:21 - 10:51 - 8:08 (.1 in 46s)

It was a small race, but there were 9 in my age group, so I'm excited that I beat 6 other people. I ran using 3:1 intervals for the most part, and walked up the 2 hills at the start. I walked extra during the last mile because of a side stitch, so I didn't run negative splits. I ran 1 mile to warm up before the start, which I finished with 10 minutes to spare and do a few stretches. That really helped. I'm doing this race again in 3 weeks; maybe I can do it in under 32 minutes.

I ran another mile to cool down, refueled, then I cheered on Jason at the spring triathlon. The 5k started at 7, and the tri at 7:45, which worked out great; he could cheer me on as I passed the finish line before the 2nd turn around, and I was done with plenty of time to see him exit the water. He did amazing.

After we showered and ate, we checked out the sale at David's World while we still had Dad's truck. Jason bought a new touring bike and I finally got a pair of cycling sandals, another grocery bag pannier and rear rack for my road bike. I'm hoping to alternate between the comfort bike and road bike when commuting to work. We'll see how that goes.

We had lunch at Sweet Tomatoes then went to Universal Studios to see Counting Crows. We bought annual passes, so we didn't feel rushed and we'll be back very soon to check out the Harry Potter World. While we waited for the concert to start, we rode ET and saw a hilarious taping of two Family Feud episodes hosted by Steve Harvey.

I just love it when all the stars align to create the perfect day. I slept like a baby and then went to the Cycling Savvy Bike Handling class this morning. I'll post more about that later. We're planning to go back to Universal Studios on Wednesday, check out Harry Potter World, spend the day at the park, then see Weird Al in concert! I can't wait!

Three Things Thursday: Bike Camping, Watermelon 5K, Week 26

I've been a blogging slacker, among other things, so I'm going to use this Three Things Thursday post to catch up, in reverse.


#1 - Slow Week / Bike Camping 

This has been a slow week so far, exercise-wise. I had Monday off and I did absolutely nothing, other than walk to Publix for what I'm sure was junk food. Then I called in sick on Tuesday and Wednesday, which also meant no biking. I could have, and should have, done some yoga, but I instead got distracted resting and playing with my new iPhone 4 -- it was a much needed upgraded from my original iPhone!

I seem to have developed plantar fasciitis (boo!) so I've not been doing any speed work and trying to take it easy on the runs I do. It's not too bad yet, but I don't want to make it worse. While I do want to work on speed this year, it is more important that I stay strong and healthy and make it to the start line of the full and half marathons I have planned. I need to keep reminding myself of this over and over =P I got a night splint and that has been helping, but it's still lingering.

So far I've gotten both runs in this week, shorter than usual, and I expect to make up for the lack of exercise this weekend. I've got a 12 mile run scheduled for Saturday, then we are going camping at Blue Springs by bike, which means 40+ miles each way. Jason will be hauling all our gear in the bike trailer. This ought to be interesting :)

#2 - Watermelon 5k Race Report

On Sunday I ran the Watermelon 5k with my parents. We wore matching shirts that I made us and had a blast. Jason volunteered instead of running it. The humidity was insane, and the race is pretty crowded, so there were no attempts at a PR; I just wanted to have fun. Dad lined up a little bit ahead of us and because of the heat/crowds finished in over 30 minutes for the first time ever (lol). I stayed with mom the whole time and took photos and video of us as we ran. It was a blast and nice not to feel pressured to run fast. I'm sure my foot appreciated it too.

See all photos and videos on flickr

#3 - Week 26 Recap

Week Totals (rounded)

• run - 15 miles
• walk - 11 miles
• bike - 68 miles
• total - 94 miles / 12.5 hours

Workout Summary
See details on Dailymile

• Monday - biked 29 miles (roundtrip to work)
• Tuesday - ran 4 miles (hills); walked 2 miles (bus stop)
• Wednesday - biked 29 miles (roundtrip to work)
• Thursday - ran 2.5 miles (easy; plantar fasciitis); walked 2.5 miles (bus stop)
• Friday - walked 3.5 miles (bus stop + cvs)
• Saturday - ran 5 miles; walked 3 miles (errands, etc)
• Sunday - ran watermelon 5k; biked 9 miles (roundtrip to race + publix)

Triathlon, We Need to Talk (aka Race Report: 2010 CF Tri #1)

Dear Triathlon,

We need to talk. I'm sure you've sensed that things have not been the same between us for some time now. As you may recall, I was hesitant to get involved with you last year, but once I got a taste I couldn't get enough. We started spending more time together, and it almost cost me my relationship with running. I came to my senses just in time to give it a real go with running, and we were very happy. But you just couldn't take a hint and lured me back into the pool.

Even though I was still spending plenty of time with running, he turned on the charm for fear of losing me to you again, and I couldn't leave. I still thought I could make it work with both of you, but today's encounter made me realize that my heart truly lies with running, and I'll never feel the same way about you. I loved the times we've had together, and I never would have realized how much I love running if it weren't for you, but I think it's time that I stop seeing other races and commit to running.

I hope we can still be friends and hang out from time to time for fun, but that's all we'll ever be. I know you'll find someone who can truly appreciate it you.

Sincerely,

Kitzzy

*****

So I as you can see, things did not go as planned today. However, I'm oddly at peace with it. I met only one of my goals, I finished and had fun, but a comedy of errors netted me the slowest time ever and an epiphany :) Official results are not in yet, so I'll update this post with that info later. So let's take it from the top.

Pre-Race
I woke up before the alarm, and got the last of our gear together (mostly hydration since we packed our transition bags last night). Jason secured the bikes to the back of dad's truck, and we were on our way before 6 a.m. Comedy of errors #1 happened on the ride there as the exit we needed to take was closed for construction (or we missed the detour sign) and we had to make an illegal u-turn or go 20+ miles out of our way. We made it there in plenty of time, found parking, got our packets, and set up transition before heading to the beach.

Swim
I thought I was being silly thinking it would take me 15 minutes to "swim" a 1/4 mile, but in fact it took me almost 18! It was a beach start, with at least 50 yards of running in the water before we could swim. Once I finally started something that resembled not drowning, my garmin wrist strap (without the watch) started coming loose (#2). I was already far enough that I could not touch the bottom, so I had to somehow tread water while trying to fasten it. I quickly gave up that idea and shoved it in my bra. For the rest of the swim I worried it would float away and be lost forever. I managed to hang on to it, but my concern grew when my top unzipped (#3). It's really difficult to zip up your top and not drown. My "swim" stroke was all over the place. I tried breast stroke, something akin to side stroke, backstroke/float, doggy paddle, and freestyle but only breathing on the left side. I am just happy that I kept moving forward and did not need an assist from the kayaks or hang on to a buoy.

Bike
I took my sweet time getting to transition while putting on my garmin wrist strap. When I got there, I realized that I forgot to unbuckle my cycling shoes (#4). I got all my gear on and headed to the mount line. I tried to mount too soon (#5), but they didn't care since there was no one else around. Of course, I could not clip-in (#6) and the start is on a fraking hill! ugh!

I start riding up the hill with only one foot clipped in. Yeah, that worked as well as you would imagined (which means not at all) and I almost fell off my bike (#7). I  managed to recover in time to unclip and get upright before hitting the ground. So now I am off my bike straddling it as I walk up the few feet left on the hill (#8). As I try to mount my bike again, my gu (which was taped to the bike) falls on the ground (#9). The nice volunteer handed it to me and I was on my way, but my confidence is already shattered due to this stellar start.

I managed to clip in on both feet just before the first turn up ANOTHER hill. Frak me! I already knew I was not going to meet my time goal for the race, let alone on the bike. I had a hard time getting my heart rate down, catching my breath, and my arms hurt for some reason (oh yeah my "swim"). I gave it my best shot and was averaging around 14 mph for a bit, even passing people for a while, but then the hills began and my speed plummeted.

The course was 2 extra miles from last year. That doesn't seem like a lot, but those 2 miles had ALL the hills. Frak me! I went nuts on all the downhills not touching the breaks (max speed of 30 mph) to try to make up some time, but I might as well have walked up the hills because I was riding THAT slow. But I was determined to finish this thing without getting off my bike once -- and I succeeded -- mainly because I didn't want to trying to clip-in again. So forget 15-16 mph, I was lucky to average 13+ mph. I finished 10.4 miles in 47 minutes @ 13.3 mph.

Run
The bike dismount went well. As I was walking to rack my bike, I thought I'd multi-task and move my garmin from the bike to my wrist, and I dropped it on the ground! (#10). Grabbed it and finally get it to snap in place after a few tries. I finally made it to my spot, racked my bike and switched shoes. Of course, I had trouble getting on my running shoes (#11) but I did the best I could, grabbed my water bottle, hat and race belt, and began walking towards the run course while trying to fasten on the race belt which was proving more difficult than anticipated because my hands were full with the damn water bottle (#12). As I grab for my second gu, I too dropped that on the ground (#13), but I swallowed it and chased it with water and was on my way before long.

I tried running, but I didn't have it in me, so seeing an upcoming hill was excuse enough for me to walk and ease into it. I practically walked the entire first mile and then some. I alternated small bouts of running with walking until the first turn around, then I got my second wind and started running slowly. I ran most of the 2nd half of the race with the occasional walk break. I saw Jason just after mile 2 and took the opportunity to get rid of my water bottle.  I had less than a mile to go, so I tried to run most of it, then sprint to the finish. Garmin says that my "run" took 41:26.

Post-Race
I saw the clock read just after 2 hours, so I knew I at least finished in under 2 hours (my worse case scenario goal) since I was in a later wave. I was glad to finish, and I knew at that moment that I was done with triathlons (at least for this season). I was not upset at all; I was relieved and at peace. I gave it one last shot and it confirmed that running is the only one for me. I had already registered for the 3 race package, but I'm going to try to switch them to 5Ks instead. That way I can run and still come support and take pics of Jason.

So that's the story of how me and triathlon broke up. I may see him occasional someday, but we just have bad timing right now. If it's meant to be, we'll find each other again someday :)

Official Results by Gender (out of 168 females)

• overall place: 153
• overall time: 1:54:01
• swim place:  157   
• swim time: 17:32  
• t1 place: 131
• t1 time:  4:08
• bike place:  145   
• bike time: 48:03  
• bike speed: 12.5 (based on 10m, but I biked 10.4)
• overall place after bike:  151 
• t2 place:  137
• t2 time:  2:47  
• run place: 143
• run time:   41:32 
• run pace: 13:23 
• ag place: dfl (out of 20) 

Race Report: Firefighter Challenge and Stair Climb

Well, I survived the Firefighter Challenge, and it was indeed a challenge. It took me 11 minutes to get through it, which was slower than I expected, but I also didn't plan on doing it in firefighter gear, so that slowed me down a lot. I wore a firefighter suit (pants and jacket) for the whole thing (plus an oxygen tank during most of the stair climb), and those suits are super warm; I was sweating the instant I put it on. Here's a summary of what we had to do:

1. sprint across the parking lot
2. pull a weighted fire sled walking backwards
3. ceiling breach and pull (pull a stick attached to the sled up and down 10 times)
   
4. pull a charged fire house across the parking lot
5. turn on the fire house and "put out the fire" (aka knock over a cone)
6. run around the parking lot to the maze (what!? why?)
7. crawl through a maze with reduce profile and save the baby
8. climb 19 flights of stairs, which I did wearing an oxygen tank for the first 12 flights 

Running in the suit was a challenge in itself. I was out of breath by the time I finished putting out the fire and began the run around the parking lot to the maze. Whose idea was it to add that to the challenge? My guess is that it helped spread out the field.

By the time I got to the maze, I was glad to take a break and crawl on my hands and knees. I thought having a baby doll in there for us to save was a nice touch, but I was basically dragging it around the maze so I am sure it wouldn't have made it out alive anyway. When I exited the maze, with the baby, I was already exhausted but kept running towards the stair well.

For a split second, I considered not wearing the oxygen tank for the stair climb (it was optional, just like the suit), but when the guy asked me I just said sure. I regretted that decision the moment he put it on, but I was determined to get the full experience. The tank was so heavy that I could barely manage to walk up the steps, let alone try to run. I was so hot with all that gear on, that I was overheating and I just wanted to stop but kept at it. I was breathing heavily and barely moving, but somehow was making progress. I wanted so badly to take off the tank, but I didn't even have the strength to do that.

When I got to the 12th floor, one of the volunteers was walking up with me and carried the oxygen tank to the top for me. That made a HUGE difference. My legs no longer felt like led, but I was so beat that I still couldn't run. I was so glad when it was over and they stripped off the firefighter suit. The guy who walked up the last few flights with me was concerned for my health and kept trying to get me to go see the EMTs, but I knew I just needed some air and water. That did the trick.

The official results show that it took me 3:52 to complete the outside obstacle course and 7:08 to climb 19 flights of stairs. I finished 17 out of 21 in my age group, 38 out of 43 women, and 111 out of 121 overall. I'm just glad I wasn't last, but these results are a bit skewed because not everyone did the challenge with gear on so those that wore regular clothes or didn't wear the oxygen tank up the stairs could move much faster. I considered doing the challenge again without gear to see how much faster I could finish, but I was exhausted and hungry. We headed to IHOP for a well earned breakfast instead.

View more photos on Flickr.

Race Report: LBLO + Virtual Rock Your Socks Half Marathon

This morning was the Left Behind Left Over Half Marathon (LBLOHM), which I'm also using as my run for the Rock Your Socks Virtual Half Marathon. The LBLOHM is an unofficial race put on by Track Shack's Marathonfest/Galloway training groups to commemorate the end of our winter session, and to give those of us not traveling out of state for a spring half or full marathon a goal race. Everyone brings snacks for a post-race potluck, and Track Shack provides leftover bibs, medals, shirts, and other goodies.

I woke up around 3:45 am before the alarm went off, and got dressed in shorts, my galloway singlet, and my newest bondi band purchase (pictured to the left). Isn't it the cutest? This will now be my official race day headband :) I also wore a wrist sweat band to wipe off excess sweat off my face because I knew it would be a very hot and humid race when it barely felt cool when I stepped outside to check out the weather at 4 am.

This was indeed the warmest half marathon I've ever run (previous ones were in December and February), so I'm thrilled that I managed to push myself hard and finish 13.23 miles in 2:35:38 @ 11:45 pace, which is a new PR by 3+ minutes. I hit the 13.1 mark in 2:33:41. I was really hoping to finish under 2:30, but sub-2:35 is a much more realistic goal -- especially considering the weather -- and I gave it my all until the very end. Even after learning we had run a little extra, I pushed to the finish line anyway. I started slow, using 2:1 intervals and was almost last, then picked up the pace halfway passing a ton of people, but I still couldn't speed up as much as I wanted. I won't bore you with all 13 mile splits, and although they were not perfect splits, I did negative split the two halves (as well as the each quarter and third) -- my average pace for the 1st half was 11:54 and 11:36 for the 2nd half.

After the race, there were plenty of snacks available, but I knew I couldn't stomach any of the sweets.I settled for a banana and ice pops instead, then ate a friend egg and bagel when I got home. I also went home with some nice track shack tech shirts. This was a great way to end the winter season and get me excited for marathon training starting in two weeks. Next week I'll be tackling the Firefighter Challenge, then June 5th is the Galloway group kick off and magic mile time trail. I hope I can push myself and run the mile in under 9 minutes. We'll see.

Race Report: Bay to Breakers 2010

See more photos on Flickr

I ran the Bay to Breakers 12K this morning, and it was awesome! We're definitely coming back next year and dressing up, but I will not wear a wig -- though it did help keep me warm in the breezy morning.

We awoke before 5 am to get into our costumes, hopped on a bus by 6 am, and were lined up at Corral C by 7 am. We lined up at the front of the corral and enjoyed admiring all the costumes while we waited for the 8 am race start. It wasn't long before the famous tortilla toss began (you can see a blurry tortilla above our heads in the pic to the right). While we waited, a lot of people asked us to pose for photos, and Jason even got interviewed on camera about his awesome costume! How cool is that?

My main goal above all else was to have fun and take in the full experience. I initially planned to run using 2:1 or 3:1 intervals and take photos during the walk breaks, but I abandoned that idea and let the excitement carry me. I figured I'd walk every mile or so, or at the water stops, or whenever I saw a cool costume I wanted to photograph. While I know I can run this distance faster, I'm pleased with a sub-12 min/mile pace since I ran most of the 7.5 miles without walk breaks, except for the big hill and 2 water stops. I chose to walk up that entire hill, and take photos, so I wouldn't deplete my energy for the rest of the race and still enjoy myself. After a quick pause at the water stop at mile 5, I picked up the pace for the last 2.5 miles and made up all the time I lost walking up the hill.

The costumes were abundant and really creative, both from the runners and spectators. Running in costume is so much fun, and I am starting to embrace the running skirt. It is no more or less comfortable than shorts (since I had some underneath) but it sure is more fun! :) The course itself is gorgeous and pretty fast -- except for the one big hill, the course was fairly flat and the 2nd half was downhill. I wish I had taken more photos, but I think I captured the essence. You can see all the photos in my B2B Flickr Set. We intended to hang around after the race to see some of the costumes and take more photos, but we were were freezing. So after a quick photo we found Chris and walked back to the apartment for a hot shower, change of clothes, and a warm meal.

Below are my stats:

• Garmin - 7.57 miles in 1:29:15 @ 11:46 min/mile pace
• Chip Time - 1:29:13
• Overall - 10999th of 24304 (top 45%)
• Female - 4232nd of 12477 (top 35%)
• F30-39 - 1375th of 3512 (top 39%)

Race Report: Muddy Buddy Orlando 2010

I did Muddy Buddy with Jason this morning, and it was a lot of fun. Our team name was Alice in Muddyland, so I dressed up as Alice (or my take on what she'd look like as a runner), and Jason dressed up as the rabbit. Doesn't he look amazing? We were impressed at how many awesome costumes there were. I think being hosted at Disney brings out the creativity in people. We even found Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum while we waited for the costume contest to start. Unfortunately, in the midst of excitement and nervousness, I neglected to take more photos so I'll post more when the official ones are available.

After the costume contest, we quickly ran to the car to shed some of the accessories (wig, ears, nose, jacket), listened to the pre-race meeting, then lined up to wait for wave #7 to start, which took at least 30 minutes. Since I have very little experience riding off-road, I started the race running so I would run 3 legs and only bike 2. I did not wear my Garmin, so I have no idea how fast I was running but I was working hard. My goal was to run the whole time, and I did that. Since Jason is faster than me, he got a little break at the obstacle courses while he waited for me to arrive with the bike, but I had no such luck. I was moving the entire time. Every time I got to an obstacle, I was glad to get a breather and riding the bike was a nice change of pace. For a moment, I wished I was riding more than running, but when I ran I was glad I was not riding through some of that terrain.

The Course:

• Leg 1: Ran 1.4 miles, climbed a small rock wall, then climbed down a cargo net on the other side. The grips were pretty small, but the wall wasn't too big and I used the beam on the edge to help me up.
• Leg 2: Biked 1.23 miles, spotted Jason and handed him the bike, then ran to the obstacle. I climbed a 25 ft inflatable wall with a cargo net, then slid down the inflatable slide on the other side. Grabbed a sip of water and started running again.
• Leg 3: Ran 1.12 miles, then walked over a short balance beam. This was not as hard as I thought. Maybe I was not running fast enough because my legs did not feel as wobbly as I expected. This leg of the course had a mini mud pit and I was really glad I was running instead of biking and did not have to carry my bike over that.
• Leg 4: Bike 1.42 miles, handed Jason the bike and asked were the obstacle was. It was a lame crawl under a net a short distance. I wish they had substituted this with running over some tires instead, but I guess it was a nice breather before the final push to the end.
• Leg 5: Ran to the buddy meet up area, including some stairs towards the end where I found Jason. We crawled across the mud pit together, then ran hand in hand to the finish line. This last leg was a bit tough, mainly because I was so tired, but we were running on the side of the road at an incline. My foot felt really funny running lopsided like that.

We're still waiting for official results, but I wore a cheap watch to get an idea of our overall time, which was around 1:05. I'm pleased with my performance and this was a fun race, but I am not sure it's worth the price to do it again. One thing is for certain, I am in far better shape because while it was challenging I did not feel impossible. It was also the kick in the ass I needed to finally sign up for some triathlons. While I may not do my best at these events, I enjoy the variety and would miss it if I didn't try. So this afternoon I registered for the Central Florida Triathlon Series 3 Race Package. I'll be doing a sprint tri each month in June, July and August. I also registered for the Firefighter Challenge to round out my month of crazy adventures :)

Official Stats:

• time: 1:07:05
• coed 56-65: 92 / 149
• overall: 1007 / 1495 finishers

Race Report: Run for the Trees 5K

It's been a very busy day, and I am exhausted, but I didn't want to put off writing this race report or it may never happen. In the span of 3 hours this morning, I biked 13 miles, set a 5K PR, and walked about 2 miles. I then had breakfast, took a 20 minute nap, swam for 1 hour (last lesson), and walked around lake Eola for a bit at Central Florida Earth Day. Oh yeah, and I made vegetable stock and german chocolate brownies. Quite frankly, I have no idea how I'm still awake. But let's back up and take it from the top.

Pre-Race

I woke up at 5:30 am before my alarm. I was a bit anxious about today's race. I got ready and had a bit to eat, then decided to make sure my Garmin was fully charged and download the latest workouts. I put it on the charger and it beeped like it just turned on. So I turn it off (I think, we are living in the dark here) and it never turned on again. I was freaking out because I needed it for the intervals and to monitor my pace, but more than anything it just seemed like a bad omen to start the morning. Since Jason isn't as obsessed with data as I am, he let me use his watch and all was right with the world again. I still was trying to get mine to start because I have it set just how I like it, but I had to let it go and focus on the task at hand. Around 6:45 am, we left the house and biked 6.5 miles to the start. We meant to leave earlier, but made it there with 10 minutes to spare, locked up our bikes, and walked the 1/4 mile or so to the start.

The Race

I started somewhere in the middle of the pack and tried to pace myself well. My legs felt a bit tired from the bike ride, especially the calves, but I pushed through it and let myself take it easy for the first interval while I got into the running groove. I walked 1 minute for every 3 minutes, but really pushed it during each run segment. 

The first 3 minutes was at 10:52 pace, but every other run interval was under 10 min/mile. I was even impressed at how fast I was walking, around 13-14 min/mile. I gave it all I had and was rewarded with perfect negative splits -- 10:20 - 10:16 - 10:00 - 8:50 (.18 in 1:34) -- and a new PR by 1 minute and 2 seconds from last year's race. I'm also pleased that I placed in the top half overall, and even better in my age group and gender (see full stats below).

With a little speed work, I'm sure I could run my coveted 31 minute 5K soon, and under 30 minutes before the year is over. However, all the long distance training I'll be doing starting in June for the 3 upcoming marathons and the 50K ultra may limit my speed and how many 5Ks I can do this year.

Stats

• garmin = 3.18 in 32:13 (10:08) 
• clock = 32:40 
• chip = 32:10 (10:21) 
• overall = 484 / 969 (top 50%) 
• ag = 37 / 97 (top 38%) 
• gender = 230 / 594 (top 39%)

Post Race

I crossed the finish line spent, although I somehow I felt I could have pushed harder, but I know I gave it all I had. Jason had finished over 10 minutes earlier, I quickly spotted his bright red shirt cheering me on across the finish line. While I walked to get water, Mike finished about a minute behind me. He did great for his 2nd 5k and we were leap frogging for most of the race (he ran the whole thing, while I ran/walked). We waited for Jessica to finish, then walked back to the start with Marcus and Cheryl. I also got to meet Morgan from CAUTION: Redhead Running and some other local running bloggers. I love our running blogging community!

After we got our trees and smoothie samples, we biked back home. The ride home was a bit harder because our legs were tired (we had both ran our fastest) and we of course had a headwind. We were starving, so made some breakfast, and I debated skipping my swim lesson because I was so tired. I am glad I took a quick 20 minute nap and went to the lesson because I made some progress on my breast stroke and learned the beginnings of side stroke. 

I'd like to find another 5K to do soon, and hope to do a tri in June, but marathon training will begin before I know it. I'm really looking forward to it and incorporating some speed work. This is going to be one crazy year! =)

Friday Five: Corporate 5K Quickie Race Report

I need to write a proper race report for last night's Corporate 5K, but I have 100+ photos to go through and videos, and a busy day ahead, so I'll do it this weekend. In the meantime, you get a mini race report Friday Five style :)

1. According to Track Shack, the race had 617 teams and 12,633 runners/walkers!
2. Team Stats:
• 34 registered participants; 31 completed the race (we had 9 last year + 1 cheerleader)
• 12 completed their first 5K!
• 7 returned from last year, and our cheerleader Sammy did the race this year
3. One of our runners, Bob Reed sang the national anthem at the race with his quartet Makeshift. View the video on YouTube.
4. Per my garmin, I ran 3.13 in 34:37 (11:03 min/mile pace). My clock time was 43:20 as it took almost 9 minutes to cross the start line. Read my mini race report on dailymile.
5. Below is a group photo of most of the team before the race. You can see more photos on Flickr, and I'll be adding more to that album soon.

not pictured: Alison, Beth, Bob, Danny, Don, Manny, Matt, Patricia, Regina, Shannon

Race Report: Winter Park Road Race Distance Dare (8.2)

This morning I ran the Winter Park Road Race Distance Dare: 2 miles +10K. It was a fantastic race! The weather was perfect, I had my friends and family there, I ran perfect negative splits at both races, and I got 2 PRs! :)

Before the start of the 2 miler with Mom, Dad, Jen and Kerlene

Pre-Race
The race took place on Park Ave, less than 5 miles away, so we rode our bikes there. We got to try out Google maps biking directions, and they worked great. It took us along a nice route of side streets and managed to avoid Mills and Orange Ave entirely. The ride there was a little cold, but it was a great warm up for the race. The ride home was a bit more challenging because my legs were tired and sore from the race, and we had a headwind the entire time.

2 Miler
I first completed this race, my first race ever, 2 years ago. It was the reason I began running in April of 2008, so I've been looking forward to running it again ever since, but missed it last year because I was cheering on Jason at his first triathlon. 2 years ago, I walked most of the 2 miles with a few minutes of jogging sprinkled in and a sprint at the end. Today, I ran the entire 2 miles without walking, and pushed it pretty hard. I almost managed to run it in 20 minutes, but 2.04 miles in 20:47 @ 10:11 min/mile pace (per the Garmin) is pretty damn close! My clock time 2 years ago was 28:54; today's clock time was 20:59. That's almost 8 minutes faster! :)

More Stats:

• garmin mile splits = 2.04 miles in 20:47 @ 10:11 min/mile pace (no walking)
• mile 1 = 10:20
• mile 2 = 10:08
• clock = 20:59 (we had a chip, but there was no mat at the start)
• age group = 16 / 58
• gender = 111 / 381
• overall = 217 / 584

10K
I had a few minutes to spare after I finished the 2 miler, so I found Jason, gave him my arm warmers and buff, got a drink of water, then walked a bit towards the start line. Since I'm supposed to be recovering from the marathon I ran 2 week ago, I did not plan to race this too hard; instead I just wanted to use it as a training run to add millage. However, I really wanted to PR and run it in under 1:10 if the opportunity presented itself.

I told myself that I would not push it too much to make that happen, specially since I had pushed hard during the 2 miler, but I figured that I'm in such great shape from marathon training that I might be able to pull it off without exerting myself too much. To ensure I didn't totally screw myself if I tried to PR, I ran the entire race with 2:1 intervals. This helped me run much faster over all, but still allow for plenty of recovery and prevent injury. The weather was perfect, and I felt great, so I gave it my best shot and it worked! I felt strong the entire race, and I was still able to sprint to the finish in under 1:10!

The Garmin says I ran 6.3 miles in 1:08:36 @ 10:53 min/mile pace! It amazes me that I ran 6.2 miles at a slightly faster pace with walk breaks than I ran the 5 miles without walking at the BCM relay. This is a HUGE 10K PR. My previous official 10K PR was at Disney's Race for the Taste 10K in October 2008, where I finished with a chip time of 1:15:52 (6.34 in 1:15:16 per the Garmin). However, I did run the first 10K of the OUC Half on Dec 2009 in 1:10:31, so I'm happy that I even beat that time and that I finished in under 1:10 even by the clock! :)

More Stats:

• garmin spits = 6.3 miles in 1:08:36 @ 10:53 min/mile pace (2:1 intervals)
• mile 1 = 11:25
• mile 2 = 11:13
• mile 3 = 11:00
• mile 4 = 10:53
• mile 5 = 10:47
• mile 6 = 10:39
• finish (.3) = 8:37 (2:32)
• chip = 1:08:35
• clock = 1:09:50
• overall = 1344 / 1779
• gender = 649 / 981
• age group = 91 / 133

Distance Dare Stats: 

• garmin = 8.34 miles in 1:29:24 @ 10:43 min/mile pace
• chip/clock = 1:29:33 (2 miler clock time + 10K net time)
• gender = 38 / 54

Nutrition
I ate a banana before leaving the apartment, a pineapple gu roctane (no caffeine) before the 2 mile race, and a vanilla orange gu roctane (2x caffeine) about 1.5 miles into the 10K. This most have given me the energy I needed to push through the end.

Post-Race
After the race, I met up with Jason, Jen, Kerlene, and Shannon (whom I have not seen since High School) and we walked over to the Farmer's Market after getting a smoothie sample and eating a banana. We were going to get some omelets, but we all decided to head home instead. After we got home, I had a homemade egg beaters omelet with toast and a homemade smoothie. I was pretty tired and sore, so I took a 2 hour nap, then went for a swim. Now I'm plotting to go get some frozen yogurt, then relax the rest of the evening. I'm going to sleep great tonight! :)

Marathon Aftermath and Virtual Race Report

It's been a week since my first marathon, and I'm still glowing a little :) I am no longer sore, and I'm ready to get back to training for my next adventure. I've applied for the NYC Marathon lottery, and am seriously considering the Flying Pig Marathon in May. You'd think after conquering something like this, I'd be ready for a break from running or at least the early morning Saturday runs, but I truly can't imagine not having running in my life. I'm so grateful for that.

Here's an overview of my post-marathon week:

Sunday - after I crossed the finish line, I kept walking to the food line and beer garden (for Sean, but they ran out just as I got to the front of the line) then to the parking garage to drive to the hotel. After showering, we went to Ruby Tuesday's for lunch. We drove home, posted our race reports and photos, then went to Texas de Brazil for a celebratory feast, then to bed early.

Monday - took the day off from work and had a day full of relaxation that began with a couple's massage at Massage Engy, followed by comfort food at Jason's Deli, then a short nap, then a short walk around Lake Eola. I was pretty sore and that walk was slow and painful.

Tuesday - It finally caught up to me and I got sick, so I stayed home in bed all day. I slept most of the day and was better by dinner, so went for another short walk with Jason after dinner. I was not as sore as Monday, so this walk was a lot more enjoyable and a bit faster.

Wednesday - I started the day with an hour of yoga. I felt much better all day and barely sore, so attempted my first run in the afternoon. I kept it short, slow and with plenty of walking: 2 miles at 1:1 in 29 minutes.

Thursday - Soreness is a thing of the past, but I can't seem to wake up at my usual 6 am. I hate sleeping late because then I wake up with a headache, but I figured I'd indulge my body this week. After work, ran with our corporate 5k team. 1.6 miles in 21 minutes @ 13:07 pace -- 2 rounds of 90s run/90s walk/3m run/3m walk + an extra 3 minute run at the end. Legs felt great!

Friday - Was going to do yoga before work, but slept in again. I figured that was best since I planned to get up early on Saturday for a "long" run.

Saturday - Met my Galloway group for 6 miles at 6 am -- my first long run since the marathon. Ran a total of 6.66 miles easy using 1:1. The run felt great and legs held up fine. I really think walking every day for the first few days, and the massage really helped speed up my recovery. I followed the run with "The Eleven" - 55 push ups and crunches (11 push ups + 1 situp, then 10 push ups + 2 situps, etc). I also rode 18.5 miles that afternoon, and walked a few miles that night to get some yogurt.

Virtual Race Report
Sunday's run was also my attempt at Razz's Virtual Race "Global Warming, My Ass!* 6.66 Mile Run." I ran 6.66 miles in 1:28 and felt good. Since this was 1 week post-marathon, I didn't have any goals for this race except to get it done. It was a pretty chilly morning, so it was an appropriate day to run this race. I started at 6 am and went out for 6 miles at 1:1 with my Galloway group. The first 6 miles of the course was an out and back from Glenridge Middle School to Brandiwines in downtown Winter Park, then I finished the .66 miles with few laps on the track. I took it nice and easy, but I tried to push it a little at the end. A 13:14 min/mile pace is not award winning, but maybe I can place in the bottom 3. I was just glad to be recovered enough to be able to cover this distance at any pace. Next week I tackle the Winter Park Road Race distance dare: 2 miles followed by a 10K. Hopefully I can do a little better then.

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.

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

Race Report: UCF Adventure Race 2010

"Duck Duck Goose" before the race


Adventure Racing 101


high ropes course


zip line at end of ropes course


getting our barings


check point


carrying the canoe


our egg survived the race!


Duck Duck Goose is done!

This was certainly an adventure! =) It forced me to go outside my comfort zone a bit, but I got through it in one piece. I'm very proud that we finished the entire course with all check points before the cut-off. There was a 4 hour time limit, after which you'd start losing check points. After 4 1/2 hours, you were disqualified. We finished in under 4 hours, and were not last! Yay! :)  (I'll update when official results are posted later next week.)

Pre Race
We had nice weather, cool and no rain, but the wind was fierce. This made everything far more difficult. Many teams were running late, so we got a late start, but that was fine because the sun was out by then. They had a little Adventure Racing 101 session to teach newbies (us) the basics. There are 2 rules in adventure racing: (1) race your own race, aka don't follow other teams who are probably going the wrong way; (2) if you don't have it, you don't need it -- we were required to have a helmet while on the bike, and a life vest while on the canoe. The rest of the gear (map, compas, water) was helpful, but you could still race without them.

Race Details
The race had 4 legs that each of the 40 teams completed in different order to spread out the field: trekking, cycling, challenge course, canoeing. Each leg began at the Reflection Pond, where you got instructions and the team passport for that leg. Following the instructions given, we made our way through the course to various checkpoints where we punched our passport. After we finished each leg, we returned to the Reflection Pond for the next passport. The first leg was assigned at random, then you got to choose the order in which to do the rest. We also had to carry a raw egg (some teams had to carry a water balloon) through the entire race with us, and got 2 minutes deducted off our final time if it was still intact when we finished.

Leg 1 - Trekking
We rode our bikes to the Observatory, dropped them off, and followed some trails to find 5 check points. As soon as we got there, we had to go off-road a bit to the check point station and show them our egg before beginning the trek. I fell off my bike and got all muddy right away, but was able to go on. Doug was not so lucky---a stick got tangled in his bike and broke his derailleur hanger, so he walked the bike back to the car and met us at Leg 2.

This leg was a bit frustrating for me because I can't run as fast as Jason for as long, so I was always trailing behind and he found most of the check points on his own. But I didn't give up and tried to run as much as I could.

Leg 2 - Challenge Ropes Course
After biking back to the Reflection Pond and getting our 2nd passport, we made our way to the ropes course and met up with Doug. This leg consisted of 5 check points, a "gear challenge," and the high ropes course.  We had to complete the "gear challenge" before gaining access to the ropes course.

The gear challenge consisted of our entire team making it across the "water" (marked area on the ground) by only stepping on 5 discs and carrying the egg, which could not come in direct contact with any of us so we had to hold it between 2 pieces of foam. The 5 discs had to always be in contact with one of us, or we'd lose it. We got into the groove quickly and made it through in no time.

We then had to put on a helmet and figure out, without any help from the staff, how to get the harness on and tie the ropes with hooks to it (I don't know all the technical terms). Once we did that, they checked it was done properly and let us onto the ropes course. The first part of the course was a huge cargo net. I started off well, but the higher I went the more anxious I got.

Once I made it to the top of the net, I fell apart. My brain could not comprehend how I could possibly not fall while standing on tiny cables. I froze and had to pull myself together before going on. With the help of my team mates, and hanging onto the ropes for dear life, I made it through the first section.

I was still a bit apprehensive as we moved along to the other 3 sections. However, since I had conquered the first one without dying, I felt more comfortable and confident I could do this. I got through the others 3 sections a bit quicker, mainly because I wanted to get it over with, but not without ample screaming =P Oh yeah, did I mention the ridiculous cross winds that made this even more terrifying? 

The last section was a zip line to lower us to the ground. That was fun and not as scary as it looked. (See video.) We forgot we were in a race for a moment, but quickly got back into it and found the 5 check points with little trouble.

Leg 3 - Biking
Jason and I rode back the Reflection pond and completed this leg without Doug, who walked backed to Lake Claire to wait for us to return to complete the last leg with us. This leg was not very challenging, except that biking into the wind sucked. It seemed that no matter which direction were rode, we had a headwind. After we found the 4 check points, I rode back to Lake Claire to wait with Doug while Jason rode back to the Reflection Pond to retrieve our last passport.

Leg 4 - Canoeing
When Jason got back, we grabbed life vests and 2 paddles, then walked over a bit to pick up the canoe, and the boys carried it to the dock. There was a check point along the trail way, then we had to canoe around Lake Claire for the other 4 check points. The wind was insane, making it very difficult to paddle. The boys paddled, and I manned the map/passport and prayed we wouldn't tip over. After getting all the punches, we had to return the canoe and tie it back up before getting the final punch. Jason returned to the Reflection Pond to drop off our last passport, then return to "cross the finish line" at 12:34 p.m.

Post-Race
After we checked in and showed that our egg was intact, they recorded our finish time, we filled out some feedback forms, got a raffle ticket and a t-shirt, then ate some yummy Qdoba (chicken, beans, salad and chips). We hung around after lunch for the awards and raffle, then headed home.

I had a lot of fun and would consider doing this race again next year, but maybe I'll put together an all girl team. I felt a little bad because I know I was holding Jason back during the race, and he had to work a lot harder than us, but we made it through without killing each other; I call that progress :) So what's next? Stay tuned to find out =P

View more race photos and videos on Flickr.