And the training continues...

So far this training/racing season I've been pretty lucky with my running. I've had, for the most part, some pretty great training runs and, of course, some outstanding races with multiple PR's. It's training runs like today, however, that keep me humble. Since I've pretty much blown off the Fleet Feet training group I signed up with, I've been going it alone most runs, but amazingly, have been doing pretty well with keeping up my training schedule. I'm still going by the FF training schedule though, and was set to do 6 miles today. Since the time change this past weekend, I took it upon myself to sleep in this morning since I've been nearly exhausted almost every day. With a forecast of mid-60's, I figured it would still be cool enough at 11:30 (and 50 degrees) to wear pants and a t-shirt to run. This, coupled with the fact that my nutrition of the past 24 hours consisted of a small bowl of rice and chicken for lunch, pb&j with barbecue chips for dinner (at 6:00 p.m. mind you) and a bowl of Raisin Bran this morning immediately prior to going out did not make for a good run. I felt heavy during the entire run, and the hills of Iroquois giving me the business certainly didn't help - although I must admit that pushing myself to run most of the hills felt good, and the fact that they were at the beginning of my run definitely helped. Upon leaving the hilly three-mile section of the park, I hooked a left to run another mile or so up Southern Parkway so I could get in the full 6. Not long after crossing New Cut Road however, I was arguing with myself about how far I REALLY wanted to go and, could I just pull off 5 and still be okay with it? The answer ended up being no, as I went just far enough to have to turn back around and head towards the car, having no choice but to get in the full distance. The pants were definitely a bad idea, but at least they were loose and I did take my fuel belt with me so that helped. I honestly think the biggest issue was my nutrition though. Four miles in I was thinking back to what I had eaten and felt ridiculous to think that I could have a decent run with very little fueling my body. Well, you live and you learn - although after 9 years of running you think I'd have the routine down by now. Nonetheless, the splits for the run today were: 10:17, 10:29, 10:49, 11:01, 11:49 and 11:25 with an overall average pace of 10:59. Funny though, even with this horrible training run, my splits and average end up being faster than a lot of the races I've completed in years past. That has to count for something I think! As a side note, my 3.1 mile, 40 degree run from 2 nights ago ended up looking like this: 9:58, 10:30, 11:11 for an average of 10:31. I think this actually ended up being one of my fastest 5k's.

Rodes City Run - 10k

I'm not too modest to say that I've basically been kicking ass when it comes to my races and training runs lately (at least, kicking ass for me). Still, I went into this race with a goal in mind that I wasn't sure I could achieve. My four miler last week went really well, but as I get into longer distances I have a tendency to convince myself that I cannot run non-stop the entire distance, and these possible walk breaks were what I was concerned about when I set my goal this morning. As has been the case with the majority of the races this year, the weather was 100% awesome - a cool 35-40 degrees and sunny. Couldn't have asked for better. I made my way to the start line with only a few things in mind: I would run or walk based on how I felt, I would place more emphasis on the pace I was keeping rather than the time, and I was determined to run any hills. As I made my way through mile 1 I was feeling excellent, and made it up the first incline without a problem. First water stop about 1.5 miles in meant a quick 5 second walk break, but I was back at it in no time, and found myself running down the hill on Grinstead just after mile 2, picking up some speed. I wanted to try and keep a 10-minute pace, but found that that fluctuated just slightly depending on whether or not I was ascending or descending. When I found myself going a little slower than I would like, I would speed it up, and vice versa if I found myself going too fast. My main concern was a continuous run (somewhere between miles 2 and 3 I decided I wanted to try to run non-stop), and to make sure that I had something left for the finish and wouldn't bonk. The gloves and double-layer I wore started to get a little warm about 4 miles in, but I decided to keep it all on regardless, not wanting anything to slow down the groove I was now in. I had been trying to check the Garmin at each mile, and seeing that my 3 and 4 miles were both sub 10-minute paces, I didn't want to change anything that may create a slower 5 or 6 mile. Coming up to the 6 mile mark I saw that I was just at a 10-minute pace as I passed the mile marker right at one hour. I was feeling super-stoked at this point because my goal was to come in at under 1:03. With the finish line up ahead, I checked the Garmin again to see that I was at 1:00:31 and attempted as much of a sprint as I could muster at that point to attempt sub 1:01. When I hit the STOP button right at the finish, my unofficial time was 1:01:12 - a 4 minute PR! I was so excited! And even more excited to see that my average pace was 9:47. I only had a 10+ minute pace during mile 2, and even that was only 10:09. Coming from someone who has never (until this year anyway) run much better than an 11-12 minute pace, this is something I am super proud of. I think I've finally found what works for me. Going by feel rather than time, and keeping an eye on my pace. With the 10-miler in two weeks it will be interesting to see how this plan pans out, especially on those killer hills through Iroquois. BTW - my splits for this race were: 9:56, 10:09, 9:43, 9:43, 9:33, 9:48 and 9:13 for the last .2 miles. Sweet!

Snowman Shuffle

The Snowman Shuffle is a 4-mile race that is the third leg of the Polar Bear Grand Prix. The other two races consist of a 4k and a 5k. Today's race just happened to fall on the same day that I was to do a 9 mile training run with the Fleet Feet group, so I got out to Cherokee Park about an hour early to go ahead and get my 5 extra out of the way before the race. (That, and parking can be a bit of a nightmare if you get there too late, so it was a win-win for me). I hit the course and was keeping a pretty good pace throughout, even with the 6:1 intervals that I decided to do to ensure that I would have something left for the race. On the way back I looked down at the Garmin at what should have been the 3.8 mile mark to discover that it had somehow magically stopped working and was now back to the "real time" screen. Since I had wanted to make sure I got in the full five, and wanted to also couple this training run pace/mileage with the Snowman Shuffle, I was a bit pissed. I think I ended up doing a total of about 4.7 for the training run in 45:32 with splits of 9:56, 10:36, 10:31, 9:27 and 12:51 (this last bit of mileage ended with a recovery walk before the race). I was feeling pretty decent after the training run, and wasn't too worried about being able to complete the 4-miler, although I did expect that I may have to walk - especially with the few big hills. I downed a Gu and some water at the car as I grabbed my bib, met up with my running partner to walk to the start, and off we went. Lisa, the gal I had run the two previous races with, is a slow pace like me, but she tends to run throughout rather than do intervals - something that pushes me to continue to run on these shorter races. Because of the previous training run that morning, however, I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to keep up and fully expected to have to walk a few times. The conversation helped keep my mind off the fatigue in my legs, and at about 1.5 miles in my left knee started to tweak a little bit, but I ran through it and was able to keep up without having to walk. I just KNEW I was going to have to walk Dog Hill, especially when Lisa mentioned that she had walked the hills during a 10k she completed the weekend prior, but alas, we took baby strides all the way up, and my heart-rate thanked me when we reached the top and were on flat ground again - after having ran the whole thing. Whew. We had a bit of a break going downhill, but another long hill was up ahead as we headed back towards Hogan's Fountain for the finish. Again, I thought I may have to walk a bit on this hill, but the baby steps as well as the knowledge that the finish was just around the corner kept my motivation up, even though my quads were really feeling the burn by this point. With the finish line in sight, I actually got a bit of extra gumption in me and half-sprinted to the end for a finishing time of 42:03 and splits of 10:09, 10:21, 10:43 and 10:59 - pretty darn good for me considering a) a near-5 mile run just prior to the race b) the hills, and c) I'm a fairly slow runner to begin with. Overall, this was probably an A- race for me, and probably could've been an A+ had my knee not been bothering me. Mentally I was in it the whole time - even during the training run. I don't always enjoy every run I go on - but for some reason this morning just happened to be one of those times that I enjoyed it immensely and feel so blessed that I have the ability to run. It felt great!

Anthem 5k

Anyone who lives in or around Louisville knows that there has been downtown construction as part of the "bridges project" for a while now. This means that the Anthem 5k, which is normally run downtown, was moved to Eastpoint - a business park, suburban area on the outskirts of the city limits. The problem with the new location is that there are only a few roads leading in and out of this park (unlike downtown where you can make your way to a decent parking spot through numerous roads and locations), and parking spots themselves are pretty limited. Especially for a race of 6-thousand people. Beyond this, there are many novice runners and walkers who may not realize that getting to a race early (especially at a new location) is ideal. For yours truly, who has the reputation of being just a little bit anal, this was not a problem since I arrived at the area more than an hour ahead of time, and parked less than a mile from the expressway, and .8 miles from the start. Easy in, easy out. No problem. Luckily, it was a gorgeous day full of sunshine with just a little bit of a nip in the air, as the race didn't even start until 30 minutes after the original posted time (traffic was apparently backed up on the expressway for people trying to get into the park and make it to the race on time). After the announcement to start went off, these logistical snafus no longer registered with me as I took off at a faster-than-my-average pace. I have a tendency to go out too fast, so I had to make sure to slow it up a bit to leave some for the end. My goal was to have a sub-thirty minute finish, and not knowing my PR at the time, I thought this was a do-able goal. At mile 1 I checked my Garmin to see that I was holding steady at a 9:40ish pace. Much faster than the 10:18 I had ran with a friend just a week or so before, but hey - this is a race so might as well go with it if I'm feeling it, right? Making my way to mile 2, I see a water-stop up ahead and remember that my bestie is one of the volunteers passing out H2O that day. A quick hug and a short walk while chugging some fluids and I'm off again. The course was mostly flat, with just a few slight inclines and fairly spread out, so I felt good about the goal I had set for myself. As I came up to mile 2 I was still feeling fairly well, but had pushed up the sleeves of my jacket as the sun and sweat were getting to me a bit. I could tell my pace was slowing a bit, but still confident that this was going to be a good run for me. Checking the Garmin once again, I saw that I had just about 10 minutes to finish the last 1.1 miles of the race. Sweet! Coming upon the finish, there was another incline up ahead which I knew could hamper my pace and time, but I just rolled with it and took a very short walk-break about 3/4 of the way up. Rounding the last corner I saw the finish line up ahead, and look down to see that I have just 30 seconds to make my goal pace. I kick it into high gear and semi-sprint towards the finish. Others are getting the same idea - although for some reason their sprint looks effortless compared to mine. After 10 seconds of this higher pace I feel the urge to vomit coming on and feel that maybe I should slow it down a bit, but still keep it at a push-myself pace. Crossing the finish-line I hit the STOP button on the Garmin and look down to see a 30:11 finish. Not my sub-thirty goal, but I'll take it. As I stated before, I had no idea at that time what my PR for the 5k was, so when I got home, checked this blog, and saw that I just PR'd by a full 2 minutes I was completely stoked! I have NEVER run a 9:36 average pace before in my life, and I was so excited to share this with the world. An option on the Garmin that I've never taken advantage of before was the split times. Since I had negative splits each mile during the Frostbite 5k (10:21, 10:10 and 10:01 respectively), I checked this same option again and was happy to see that my last mile was even faster than my first (9:35, 9:56 and 9:31 respectively). Again, I hardly EVER (if ever) have negative splits, so this is quite exciting for me! Next week, I am signed up for the Snowman Shuffle 4-miler, with the Rodes City Run 10k the weekend after that. Whatever it is I've been doing thus far to get me this awesome time on the 5k, I guess I'm gonna keep going and see where it takes me.

A New Year With New Goals

Although I haven't posted in quite a while, I have continued to keep the running up and have especially stepped it up for 2014. I felt I was getting a little burnt out there for the past year or so, and opening my practice two years ago has made it difficult to keep up the training that I would normally try to put into my races. At the end of 2013, after doing some soul searching, I decided to join the Fleet Feet running group. I did this for a few reasons: My bff and former training partner decided sometime in the last year that she no longer wanted to do any long distance running. I've said many times before that getting the motivation to get out and train is hard enough; getting the motivation to get out and train ALONE just wasn't happening. Not only that, but being a fairly slow runner it's very difficult to find other people who run at my pace, and even more difficult to find those who are willing to do interval runs if the need for a walk strikes. So, I figured if I join a group with a good number of participants, surely I'd find a partner or two to hold me accountable and run at my pace. Another reason for joining is, being one of the last remaining single and childless people in my group of friends, it's hard to find people to socialize with and I was hoping to maybe open up that door as well. So... in 2014 I've decided to step it up - once more - and continue to train and enter races. I never thought after that first half-marathon 9 years ago that I would STILL be running after all of these years. And that I would actually enjoy it!

Frustration Ensues

It has been so hard to stick to my guns about the workout plan. Working 11 hour days, 4 days a week has proven to be very difficult. On the bright side, I have begun using My Fitness Pal again, figuring that if I can't make the time to work out, I can at least keep track of my calorie consumption and keep that to a minimum - reducing my chances of at least putting on any more weight and body fat. I did manage the first bike ride of the season last week, and that was so awesome. I've really missed getting out there, feeling the wind, being out in nature, and having so much fun that it barely even feels like a workout. I was off work from the hospital today and still went into the office to see four clients. It gave me a little taste of what to expect when I begin working there full-time, and I can already tell I'm going to really enjoy it. One thing I will have to definitely keep up though is my social life. Not talking to anyone all day (besides clients, anyway) then coming straight home can become rather cumbersome and depressing if I don't watch it. This is why I plan to continue working a few shifts a month at the hospital, not only to keep my name and face out there for referrals, but to also continue with the social aspect of the job - as I do really enjoy the people that I work with. The idea is also to be out of work in enough time to work out - or even go in late enough so that I have time in the morning. Currently, I work at the hospital from 7:30 - 3:00, then see clients until 6:30, putting me home at 7:00. The problem has always been my ability to say "no" to new clients, and continuously overloading myself on the schedule. For instance, I already have a full schedule next week (including one person scheduled Friday which I NEVER do) and I have three more people on the cancelation list, which basically means if I have any cancelations, those spots should be filled with at least one of the three people I have on standby. This means no going home early for me, which of course means less time to do the things that I SHOULD be doing, like working out. In any case, what I would like to do is take the bike to the office a few days a week and ride for at least an hour or so straight after work. That way I'm already out there, I have no excuses, and I feel physically productive for the day. Unfortunately, a part of me somewhat knew that this could happen when I began the Insanity program. :( This certainly doesn't mean I've given up entirely on the workouts - I still plan to complete the DVD's when I can. I just don't think it's going to be feasible for me to do them consistently, and especially not the six days a week that it requires.

No Pain, No Gain. Right??

I'm just about 24 hours post my first Mudathlon and my arms are so freakin' sore! But... a good sore. The kinda sore where you feel like you got something done. Alicia and I have been talking for years about doing a fun, obstacle-course type of race and we finally signed up for this one a few months ago. The Mudathlon, in particular, is a 5k race that advertises 40 obstacles. And although it was certainly a lot of fun (and VERY muddy), they were a little short on obstacles unless they counted every water-filled creek we had to jump across. It was a chilly morning (in the 50's), and had rained for the 24 hours preceeding this event, so it was sure to be an interesting race nonetheless. We met at 6:00 a.m., grabbed some breakfast, then headed to General Butler State Park about 45 minutes away. I'm not sure what got into us, but at some point one of us mentioned that it may be an even better race if we were a little "tipsy." Keep in mind, Alicia and I do like to partake of the occasional adult beverage, but have never done so immediately prior to a race - or at 7:00 a.m. for that matter. But, it sounded like a good idea at the time so we stopped off and each bought one of those new energy drinks that includes 6-8% alcohol by volume. Sitting in her nice, heated car before headed to the start, we drank our drinks, duct taped our shoes, donned the new, matching tank tops Alicia had bought us specifically for the race (Hey, even though we like to have muddy fun, we're still a little girly-girl like that), and headed out for what was sure to be a cold, sloppy, interesting mess. It was a fairly small start, with maybe 20 of us going out in our wave. The first mile mainly consisted of jumping over multiple creeks and repelling down small hills with the help of ropes. Seeing as how the rain really muddied up the path, it was extremely slick in some places, and it didn't take long for Alicia and I to both get good and messy. At one creek crossing, I was hesitant as it was a little further jump than I had expected, and the muddied banks provided enough slickness that one could easily bite the dust (or mud) once landing on the other side. With the help of a guy on the opposite bank however, I swiftly bounded across, grabbed hold of his hand, and was pulled to safety. Ah, success! We continued on to mile 2 and met up with another pack of people who also helped us through most of the obstacles. Jumping over large bales of hay, crawling along in the mud under plastic partitions, speed-sliding down a sheet of plastic into a pool of watery goodness, and climbing over walls - this was turning out to be all the fun I expected and more. Near the end of the mile however, we came across a tall obstacle in which you had to climb ropes to the top, and then climb back down via muddy, slick planks of wood on the other side. Now, I'm all about having fun, but the possiblility of slipping on one of the planks and falling to my death was too much for me to bear, and I walked around instead. I know, I know, call me a wuss - but I quite enjoy my limbs, my life, and the ability to walk. And no fun run is worth risking any of that. Maybe next time.... Regardless, we kept on til the end of the race, and were a couple of scratched up, wet, filthy, bruised, sore, tired messes by the end. It was definitely worth it, though. And the swag to this race was just awesome. For $80 we got an entry to the 5k, a shirt, beer coozie, glass mug, bandana, nice finishers medal, and a free burger and beer at the end. All in all, the race got two thumbs up for me, and I look forward to searching out more of these obstacle-style races in the future. Until that day comes, I will continue to move forward on my Insanity journey, and a healthier me!