It has been bitterly cold here on the ice planet Hoth, also known as the midwest, so I was happy to see that the weather on Saturday was going to be a relatively balmy 25 degrees - it would be a shame if the "Frostbite" in the Frostbite Footrace turned out to be literal.
This was a new race for me, which is always an exciting thing. I love that I live in an area where there are actually a few races available in the winter months - it really shows that we have a dedicated running community. It was also a new distance, an 8K, which we all know means an automatic PR.
The race was held at Scott County Park, the same place where I ran the Governor's Cross Country Race in the fall. So, I knew that I could expect a beautiful setting... and lots of hills. Although I haven't done any focused hill training lately, I have been making sure to include hills in most of my runs, so I felt semi-prepared for it.
After I got my race packet, I did a short warm-up run. I never used to warm up before races, but I have started doing so, and it really seems to improve my performance. And on a cold day, the warm-up also served as an opportunity to check what I was wearing. I started the warm up with a pair of tights under a pair of fleece pants, a long sleeved technical shirt, a windbreaker, a vest, and a hat and gloves, with my buff around my neck as an option to pull it over my face. I'm glad I did the layer check, because I ended up ditching the vest - if it felt a tad warm running just half a mile or so, it would be a mistake for the race. The other layers stayed, and I felt fine.
I was chatting with some friends at the starting line when all of a sudden, the gun went off! Oh, all right then - I guess it's time to start running! A minute or so later, I remembered to start my Garmin. Race results haven't been posted yet, so my final time is a bit off. I'll have to update later.
The course had been semi-cleared. That is, there was no ice and no real danger, but much of the road was covered in packed grey snow. It is much harder to run on uneven terrain like that - I really notice a difference in my effort. I tried to run in the clearest parts of the road whenever possible, even if that meant a bit of weaving.
As I expected, the course was very hilly. Most of the hills were longer, gradual slopes, but around the 3 mile mark, we went through a big dip. I heard pretty much every runner around me groan in anticipation of that hill. I tried to focus on the positive - that although it was steep, it wasn't too long, and that I was over halfway finished with the race.
The weather was not too bad, especially compared to what we've had for the past week or so. As always, once I started running, I wasn't cold at all. The wind posed more of a problem. In the middle miles, there were some cross winds that blew snow on us. It looked really beautiful, actually, like sand blowing in the desert. I resisted the urge to find another runner to use as a human shield.
The hardest part of the race was the last half mile or so. It was uphill, and a wicked headwind arrived just in time to make a hard hill even harder. I ducked my head to drive into it and played my "I love hills" mental game. I told myself, "You're really strong on hills. The other runners are struggling right now, so this is your chance to pass them. They're tired, but you are strong." (Whether or not any of this is true is really beside the point.) I also invoked the spirits of Frayed Laces and The Running Laminator, telling myself, "DDYA: Don't Deny Your Awesomeness."
My awesomeness allowed me to kick past another runner, chicking him into the finish chute.
After a short walk to catch my breath, I went inside to drink some hot cider, which was fantastic, then swapped my base layers for dry ones. I am also happy to report that my efforts were good enough for third place in my age group!
Paula Garmin gives me a finishing time of 42:25, with an average pace of 8:47/mile, which is awesome, albeit a tad inaccurate. Again, I'll update when I have my official finishing time.
Hilly challenging course at a time of year that guarantees lousy weather? I'll be there again next year.
Showing posts with label PR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PR. Show all posts
Monday, January 19, 2009
Monday, December 15, 2008
Race Report, Jingle Bell Run 5K
On Saturday morning, as I got ready for the Jingle Bell Run 5K, I was a bit ambivalent about how things would go. After all, last week I surprised myself by rocking out a PR and age group award at the Reindeer Ramble which, given that the conditions for running were so lousy, felt like a bit of a fluke. Steve noticed my mood and said, "You know what? Just go out there and run it hard. Push yourself - it'll feel good." I figured, "Why not?"
I picked up my bib and race packet (which included shoelaces with jingle bells on them and a pair of gloves), then saw Sara, Chris, and Hadley - a group of runners who I met after last week's race. It's a great to have people to hang out with at a race, so I was happy to see them. The four of us chatted, compared gear, and so on before the race started. They asked me if I was going to PR two weekends in a row. I said I really didn't think so, since I was so happy with my time the week before. An age group award also seemed unlikely - the group was 30-39, twice as big as usual, and often including some very talented runners. But I said I'd do my best, because you just never know.
The weather was much nicer than the week before - in the 40's, with a bit of wind and a bit of rain, but nothing to freeze my toes like before. The course, however, was more challenging - an out and back with some hills, including a long slow hill just before the 3 mile mark that I knew would be tough.
We lined up at the start, and I did something I don't usually do - I moved up towards the front. It was a small race, and I told myself that I deserved to be up there as much as anyone else did.
And we were off! I blazed through the first mile in under 8:00, which is incredibly fast for me. The crazy thoughts crept in - was it too fast? Would I regret it later? I silenced them by telling myself that I was doing great, was on track for a PR, and was running a great race. I made an effort to relax my shoulders and just keep going.
A few women passed me, but they looked much younger (I later found out they were high school students), so I didn't let it bother me. I waved to the runners headed back, including the woman in the lead who was zooming through the course with a pair of red and white striped knee socks worn over her tights.
I hit the turnaround point feeling the fatigue of my efforts, but reminded myself how little there was left to run. I focused again on relaxing my shoulders, always a problem when I'm tired. I also listened to my iPod and gave encouragement to the runners heading to the turnaround (including my friends from before the race).
The long slow hill towards the end was indeed as tough as I thought it would be. When I run hills, I always tell myself that although they are challenging, they are easier for me than for everyone else and that I can plan on picking some people off along the way. This may not be true, but it keeps me going, and sure enough, I did pass a couple of people along the way.
Once the hill was over, I rounded a corner and sprinted for the finish line as hard as I could, especially when I saw the clock. I passed another runner and finished in a NEW PR of 24:44! I believe this record will stand for longer than the six days the last one did.
I was exhausted, so I walked around a bit, taking care not to stop. I went to my car and grabbed the race t-shirt (very cute long sleeved shirt with Santa on it) so I could change out of my sweaty clothes and not end up shivering like I did the week before. I watched Sara finish, then she and I cheered on Chris and Hadley.
It was a small race, so the food was limited to water, hot chocolate, and bananas, but that was fine with us. We hung out and chatted, waiting for the awards ceremony. Sara was positive I'd come in first in our age group and that she was in third. I wasn't so sure; there was a woman in front of me who might have been in her 30's, and I also didn't think there was anyone our age between me and Sara. Regardless, I was very happy with my time.
Turns out she and I were both right. I was first in our age group, and she was in second behind me. All in all, it was a great way to spend a Saturday morning.
I picked up my bib and race packet (which included shoelaces with jingle bells on them and a pair of gloves), then saw Sara, Chris, and Hadley - a group of runners who I met after last week's race. It's a great to have people to hang out with at a race, so I was happy to see them. The four of us chatted, compared gear, and so on before the race started. They asked me if I was going to PR two weekends in a row. I said I really didn't think so, since I was so happy with my time the week before. An age group award also seemed unlikely - the group was 30-39, twice as big as usual, and often including some very talented runners. But I said I'd do my best, because you just never know.
The weather was much nicer than the week before - in the 40's, with a bit of wind and a bit of rain, but nothing to freeze my toes like before. The course, however, was more challenging - an out and back with some hills, including a long slow hill just before the 3 mile mark that I knew would be tough.
We lined up at the start, and I did something I don't usually do - I moved up towards the front. It was a small race, and I told myself that I deserved to be up there as much as anyone else did.
And we were off! I blazed through the first mile in under 8:00, which is incredibly fast for me. The crazy thoughts crept in - was it too fast? Would I regret it later? I silenced them by telling myself that I was doing great, was on track for a PR, and was running a great race. I made an effort to relax my shoulders and just keep going.
A few women passed me, but they looked much younger (I later found out they were high school students), so I didn't let it bother me. I waved to the runners headed back, including the woman in the lead who was zooming through the course with a pair of red and white striped knee socks worn over her tights.
I hit the turnaround point feeling the fatigue of my efforts, but reminded myself how little there was left to run. I focused again on relaxing my shoulders, always a problem when I'm tired. I also listened to my iPod and gave encouragement to the runners heading to the turnaround (including my friends from before the race).
The long slow hill towards the end was indeed as tough as I thought it would be. When I run hills, I always tell myself that although they are challenging, they are easier for me than for everyone else and that I can plan on picking some people off along the way. This may not be true, but it keeps me going, and sure enough, I did pass a couple of people along the way.
Once the hill was over, I rounded a corner and sprinted for the finish line as hard as I could, especially when I saw the clock. I passed another runner and finished in a NEW PR of 24:44! I believe this record will stand for longer than the six days the last one did.
I was exhausted, so I walked around a bit, taking care not to stop. I went to my car and grabbed the race t-shirt (very cute long sleeved shirt with Santa on it) so I could change out of my sweaty clothes and not end up shivering like I did the week before. I watched Sara finish, then she and I cheered on Chris and Hadley.
It was a small race, so the food was limited to water, hot chocolate, and bananas, but that was fine with us. We hung out and chatted, waiting for the awards ceremony. Sara was positive I'd come in first in our age group and that she was in third. I wasn't so sure; there was a woman in front of me who might have been in her 30's, and I also didn't think there was anyone our age between me and Sara. Regardless, I was very happy with my time.
Turns out she and I were both right. I was first in our age group, and she was in second behind me. All in all, it was a great way to spend a Saturday morning.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Race Report: Wild 5 5K
Although Yoda knows i've done a lot of running in the past year or so, I haven't run a 5K since last June. And to be honest, those 5Ks that I ran last year aren't efforts that I am especially proud of. It has really just been this year that I've made the decision to take my running to the next level. To not just go out there and run, but to focus my training, pay attention to my times, or really have any thought in my head but to run. So, in a way, this was the first 5K that counted.
The Lead Up:
Unfortunately, the lead up to it wasn't the greatest. I took a (well deserved) week off after my trisko, but last week, I haven't been able to run much at all. It's an insanely busy time for my husband at work, so I had pretty much full-time Cub Duty. However, I ran 3 miles on Wednesday night with a time of 26:something, so I set a race goal of 26:00. That's a great improvement on my previous PR of 27:46.
The Night Before:
McDonald's Quarter Pounder, fries, and an ice cream sundae. And then a lousy night of sleep. Lovely.
Race Morning:
I woke up focused... but not really on running. I was focused on getting a cup of coffee, having a quick breakfast, getting dressed, waking Jack up, getting him dressed and with a glass of milk, then going to pick up Katie, his "boysitter" (because as Jack will remind you, he is not a baby), getting the two of them settled, and myself to the race - all in an hour and a half.
The Race:
There's only so much you can say about a race that's only 3.1 miles long. My strategy was to just put in a really strong effort and see where I went from there. The weather was pretty well perfect, probably in the 60s or something like that. The course had a few gentle hills, and was an out and back. The first mile felt awesome, as did the second. During the third mile, I started to feel pain in my side, so I dropped my shoulders and focused on my breathing. I gutted through it, kicked it to the end, and was thrilled at the final results:
25:13, a new PR! For those into stats, that's 9th for my age group, 260something overall.
The Lead Up:
Unfortunately, the lead up to it wasn't the greatest. I took a (well deserved) week off after my trisko, but last week, I haven't been able to run much at all. It's an insanely busy time for my husband at work, so I had pretty much full-time Cub Duty. However, I ran 3 miles on Wednesday night with a time of 26:something, so I set a race goal of 26:00. That's a great improvement on my previous PR of 27:46.
The Night Before:
McDonald's Quarter Pounder, fries, and an ice cream sundae. And then a lousy night of sleep. Lovely.
Race Morning:
I woke up focused... but not really on running. I was focused on getting a cup of coffee, having a quick breakfast, getting dressed, waking Jack up, getting him dressed and with a glass of milk, then going to pick up Katie, his "boysitter" (because as Jack will remind you, he is not a baby), getting the two of them settled, and myself to the race - all in an hour and a half.
The Race:
There's only so much you can say about a race that's only 3.1 miles long. My strategy was to just put in a really strong effort and see where I went from there. The weather was pretty well perfect, probably in the 60s or something like that. The course had a few gentle hills, and was an out and back. The first mile felt awesome, as did the second. During the third mile, I started to feel pain in my side, so I dropped my shoulders and focused on my breathing. I gutted through it, kicked it to the end, and was thrilled at the final results:
25:13, a new PR! For those into stats, that's 9th for my age group, 260something overall.
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