Meanwhile, In 2014

Jan 13-19
80 miles
14-mile long run
9-mile hilly uptempo at 6:28 pace
3 runs in Pittsburgh
1 treadmill run

Jan 6-12
65 miles
15-mile long run with the BAA
6 treadmill runs
3 canceled flights

Dec 29-Jan5
70 miles
13-mile long run with Hilary
4-mile race in 23:18
3xmile, 2x800 cutdown at Harvard indoor with Melissa and Sarah B
4 treadmill runs

So, you may have noticed I did not pen an effusive "2013 Year in Review." Or, maybe you didn't. Either way, I haven't written one, largely because there's not much to review in terms of running accomplishments. Honestly, in thinking back to my mindset a year ago, I may have been a bit...overzealous with my aspirations. After all, I was coming off a year of PR's in every distance from 10 miles up to the marathon, and I naively assumed that this trajectory of success would continue to skyrocket on a perfectly linear path right on through the next 12 months.

But, to sum up 2013 in a nutshell: it didn't happen. And that's okay.

Looking ahead, I'm no less motivated or determined to improve than I was last January, but this time around my optimism is also tinged with a healthy dose of reality. In running as in eating airport sushi, there are no guarantees, and I know I need to appreciate exactly where I'm at right now while at the same time striving to get back to--and eventually surpass--where I've been. I can only take it one week at a time.

Despite that heartwarming sentiment, it would be disingenuous of me to claim that the first 19 days of this new year have been all midgets and peanut butter. (Although there was a midget working the water stop at my New Year's Day race. But I digress.) It started out on a promising note, with the aforementioned four-miler on January 1st that took place on our familiar training roads here in Salem. Despite frigid, windy weather (first time I've ever raced in thermal tights, and I was never in any danger of overheating) I managed a halfway respectable 5:50 pace. So you're saying there's a chance! But the first snowstorm of the year roared in less than 24 hours later, ushering in the now-legendary polar vortex, which meant I spent much of the following week trying to convince myself that five and five on the YMCA treadmill was a perfectly acceptable double. Suffice it to say my momentum came to a sputtering halt.

But this week has been better. The air is thawed, the snow banks melted, the black ice practically a distant memory. I got in a few solid runs on a business trip to Pittsburgh, including a 12x1 minute workout that I was way more proud of than could ever possibly be warranted. (One of the ancillary benefits of easing into training again: excessive boosts of pride and self-esteem instantly gained by clearing the lowest of hurdles. Courageously soldiered on for six entire treadmill miles instead of stopping at a lowly five? Brilliant! Only hit the snooze button once this morning? YOU ARE AN UNSTOPPABLE FORCE.) On Saturday I took to one of my favorite training grounds (the Marblehead Neck) in some of my least favorite conditions (36 degrees, windy, raining), and surprised myself with a very comfortable uptempo effort on the unrelenting hilly terrain. In another exciting development, I was greeted upon returning from my trip this week by a care package from Nuun, welcoming me as an official member of their 2014 racing team. Rarely is a Nuun bottle far from my grasp whether I'm running, working, traveling or just lounging around pantsless drinking wine and updating my blog (gotta stay hydrated!), so needless to say I'm thrilled to make our relationship official.

Just a small sampling of my goodies from @nuunhydration

Will this trend of positivity continue? All signs point to yes...but, realistically, not next week. I'll be spending Monday night through Sunday in Salt Lake City at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, our biggest trade show of the entire year, and it's a doozy. The week entails a punishing schedule that includes four long days on the expo floor (not including an additional day of setup and a half day of breakdown) consisting of one presentation after another after another. I'll be eating like crap, drinking too much, sleeping too little and thoroughly exhausting myself by having to be unfailingly nice to people the whole damn time. I will also, ineluctably, end up with a cold. This will be my third year in attendance and the first time I'm aspiring to maintain some semblance of training throughout the whole endeavor. (Two years ago it was the week after the Trials, and last year I was darn proud of myself for getting up every morning to slog through six miles on the hotel treadmill.) Best case scenario, I'll get in a few miles of altitude training and not return home sick or morbidly obese. Stay tuned!

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Winter Weather Workout(s): Part One

AM: 2 mile w/u + strides
Target: 10k tempo @ 35:45-36:30
Actual: 36:21 (5:51 pace); 18:18/18:03
1 mile c/d
Total: 9 miles

Last year, two and a half weeks out from Philly, I executed arguably my most difficult (and most impressive) workout(s) ever, consisting of a morning 10k tempo followed by an evening 10-miler at MP. Jordan, fresh off an injury, joined me for both efforts--and I dropped him on both. Having never outrun Jordan once in my life, much less twice in one day, this workout served as a huge confidence booster and solidified my fitness for what would be a breakthrough marathon performance a few weeks later.

With only 14 days separating me from my next 26.2 endeavor, it was time to attempt this workout again. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans.
 

Picture perfect conditions on tap for Sunday morning

I saw this abysmal forecast less than 24 hours before the first part of this workout was to begin and promptly started freaking out. I called Jordan, who was on the road, and we started running through our options. Unfortunately, delaying the workout wasn't one of them, as we'd be flying out for Thanksgiving on Monday evening, and anything after that would be much too close to the race. Could we try a treadmill? Certainly more favorable, but I unequivocally suck at treadmills and highly doubted I could run sub-6 pace for more than three consecutive minutes. I floated the scenario by Carly and Terry, who came up with the perfect solution (at least for Part One): the Harvard indoor track! Why didn't I think of that?? Oh wait, maybe because it meant I would be running 50 laps?!? But still, it was by far my best option. The next step was trying to recruit someone crazy enough to do this with me. I put out some feelers to the BAA with no success, and by Saturday night I'd all but tucked myself in on Sarah's futon (she lives so close to Harvard!) and resigned myself to doing this solo. Then, around 9:30pm, I received an email from a GBTC member named Charly Allan who'd heard of my plight and offered to help as part of his long run. Needless to say, I jumped at the offer and prayed he would actually show up the next morning.

Sure enough, just before 8am, my new BFF arrived as I was in the midst of my warmup jog counterclockwise along the perimeter of the eerily quiet facility. The weather prediction had been spot on, and as the gusts of wind howled around the outside of the building I knew I'd made the right decision. Before long, Charly and I were toeing the imaginary start line. The plan was simply to take it out conservatively, tuck in behind him and gradually crank the pace down during the second half--all without losing count of our laps. I was just as intimidated by the mental challenge as I was the physical one, and was beyond relieved that someone else was there to do the heavy lifting for me. I just needed to relax, zone out, fall into a rhythm behind Charly and trust that the pace would come naturally.

The first few laps felt clunky and awkward, both of us adjusting as strangers in a strange land. After the first mile or so I settled in, feeling comfortable and eager and trying not to clip his heels. The pace seemed slow, a little too easy, and I was unsurprised when we came through 5k a touch off the target. "Let's hold this until four, then gradually pick it up for the last two miles," I requested. He was happy to oblige, and before I knew it the invisible lap counter was down to single digits. We dug deeper (or at least I did) for the final mile, and I felt like I was working for the first time in 30 minutes. As we crossed the finish line to the applause of exactly no one, I was ecstatic--not just that the workout had felt relatively easy, but that I hadn't allowed the adverse weather conditions to thwart my carefully laid plans.

Actual weather at go time. Meanwhile, inside was pleasant and wind-free!

 At least, not yet. There was still an afternoon tempo to contend with, and the frigid winds showed no signs of abating. Time to go home, recover, and plot my next move... 

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Harvard Indoor Workout

AM: 10k easy
PM: 3 mile w/u + strides
Target: 5x500m @1:40 (5:20 pace) w/75 sec. jog; 3x200m hard strides
Actual: 1:40, 1:39, 1:39, 1:37, 1:39; 36, 36, 36, 6x400m @78-80
2 mile c/d
Total: 9 miles
Daily total: 15+ miles

Despite having raced indoors a handful of times, I've never actually worked out on an indoor track--until tonight. Yes, I suppose you can consider me an official New Englander now. As depressing as it is to admit that I live somewhere still cold (and potentially snowy) enough to necessitate working out indoors in mid-March, I must also admit that it's great to have the resource of the Harvard indoor track available for laypeople like myself.

Honesty: I'm a bit behind on blogging, so the details of this are a touch fuzzy. What I remember is that Coach Jordan prescribed a relatively light speed session in advance of this weekend's St. Patty's Day 8k in DC, so I actually ended up jumping in and out of some longer repeats that he was completing with two other BAA guys. This meant that my rest was almost uniformly less than 75 seconds due to the timing of their laps, but I felt comfortable enough throughout that it didn't really matter; so comfortable, in fact, that after my scheduled workout was completed I offered to accompany them for alternating 400s of their remaining mile repeats. At times this workout felt more like a game of Frogger due to the ridiculous amount of people who apparently had the same idea as us--including, but not limited to, a pack of New Balance Boston runners, a kids' track team, a group of gymnasts and/or cheerleaders and a group comprising virtually every female masters runner in the greater Boston area with apparently no spatial awareness or grasp of track etiquette--but overall it was a lot of fun, and the perfect amount of volume to undertake leading up to Sunday's race.

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D2 Indoor Nationals 5k Race Recap

Since I have free time and free internet while on a layover in Phoenix, I figured it would be ideal to recap last night's race while it's still fresh on my mind. Before I do, let me say a few quick words about Nelson's stellar performance in the 800. Tanya and I were able to watch his race from the corner of the convention center just before leaving on our warmup, and it's no exaggeration to call it inspiring. For a guy who didn't qualify for Nationals until the last chance meet, then almost didn't make the finals, to run in second position wire to wire in the finals is pretty incredible. Everyone who knows Nelson knows that he is an amazing person, and now they will realize he's an amazing runner as well. Kudos.

But now let's talk about me. That's what this blog is about anyway. (Edit: I ran out of time on my layover. I am now writing this on Monday evening after a marathon day of travel Sunday.) Tanya and I warmed up on the sidewalks of downtown ABQ, saying little but sharing similar emotions. Her goal was to beat pre-race favorite Neely Spence and claim the individual title; mine was to finish in the top 8 and make All-American. Both of us knew what we had to do; now we just needed to execute our race plans and run smart.

With just a few minutes before the race, the group of 15 runners was led onto the track and permitted to run a few strides. The crowd immediately erupted into cheers once we stepped out, and I fought to keep back the nervous energy welling up inside. I tried not to think about my parents watching in the stands, or about Jordan watching the live feed at home, and just blocked everything out. I toed the starting line feeling unusually calm. For a moment everything was still, and then the gun went off.

Immediately it became apparent that no one wanted to lead the race. Within a few laps I could tell the pace was lagging, though I had no idea how much. Even if Simmons or Jenna were to read out splits there was no way I could hear them, as the crowd noise swallowed everything. At any rate, it felt like we were literally jogging. The first time I spied the clock was as we crossed the 1400-meter mark. It read 5:00. Later Jenna would tell me that the announcer described the pace as "pedestrian," and I couldn't agree more. We passed through the mile a lap later around 5:42, still bunched up in one solid group. I remember being surprised to look up and see Tanya directly in front of me; shouldn't she be at least half a lap ahead? For a moment I thought about passing her and then checked myself; in hindsight I wonder what that kind of move would've done to shake up the race. Instead, I stayed wedged inside the lead--and only--group, taking pains to avoid being spiked and elbowed with every step. Because of the painfully slow way that things were playing out, this ended up being an extremely physical race. I'm no stranger to jostling within the first few laps, but it's a bit unusual to be forced to jockey for position throughout the entire race. No one wanted to cede their positions, and I have no doubt it took a toll on everyone as things progressed.

The middle portion of the race is more or less a blur, as not much changed. I remained consistently in the back of the lead pack, never falling off but not really moving up either. I kept waiting for a big move to be made by Tanya or Neely up front but it never came--at least not until the last possible minute. With three laps to go I could sense the feeling of urgency overwhelming the group, and I knew that it was almost time to go. A quick head count told me I was in 10th place, two spots out of All-American. Something had to change, and quick. With two laps to go I heard Jenna's voice for the first and only time, as clearly as a bell: "Just go around the outside!" I didn't even think about how risky it was. I just went. Swinging wide, I gathered myself on the backstretch and prepared to kick at the bell. Tanya and Neely were just out of reach, but I saw everyone else as fair game. I sprinted with everything I had on the last lap, swinging wide into lane three to move around the group from which I'd sought shelter for most of the race. I had no idea who I was passing, or how many, but I knew I was digging as deep as I could in the final meters. I crossed the line breathless and exhausted, knowing I'd made All-American but unsure about the final standings. It wasn't until I saw Jenna at the rail that I learned I'd placed 5th, and that Tanya had been outkicked by Neely to earn 2nd.

Even as I type this two days later, the emotions I felt immediately after the race are almost tangible. I came into this indoor season without enough training or enough confidence, and totally lacking in expectations. To qualify for Nationals last month was, at the time, a huge surprise. Even as my training has progressed, even as I arrived in New Mexico last weekend, part of me still felt like it was a fluke. Like I didn't deserve to be here. After this championship race, I know that not only do I deserve to be here, but that I can run with anyone. Well not, say, Usain Bolt, but you know what I mean. When I crossed the finish line I became a different runner than I was when the race started. This new runner, the one I will be going forward, is ready to face new and exciting challenges.

Outdoor season, bring it on.

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Three Queens All-Americans

AM: 3 miles
PM: 2 mile w/u + strides
5k race @17:26; 5th place
(-27 sec. altitude conversion = 16:59)
2 mile c/d
Total: 7 miles

I'm stealing the title from Jordan but that's because it's late and I'm exhausted. I'll write more tomorrow. For now, let me share that Queens will be taking home three All-American honors from this weekend's meet: Nelson placed 2nd in the 800, Tanya was 2nd in the 5k and I placed 5th. Not a shabby day for our program, I'd say.


I'm stealing the photo from Jordan too. This is the top 8 accepting our
All-American awards after the race.

A full race update will be forthcoming. It was very slow, very tactical, very physical, very much unlike any other race I've run. Overall I'm satisfied with the race, but I'm sure I'll have more insight once I've had time to sleep and reflect. Good night!

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D2 Indoor Nationals: Day 1

AM: 45 mins. (6 miles) + strength
PM: Meet

And we're off to the races! Today was the first day of the national meet, and I was front and center for most of it. We started the day with a nice relaxed run along the river--it was as flat and sunny and perfect as yesterday, and I loved every minute of it. Tanya and I ran the first half of this run with Jenna, then parted ways with her at the turnaround as she had a tempo run planned for the second half. We ran into Coach Simmons and his friend Mike Hillyard, the coach at Southern Indiana, a few minutes later and joined up with Mike for the rest of the run. He joked that he was going to gradually work the pace down to wear us out before the race, as we will be competing against his best athlete tomorrow night (Mary Ballinger, the 2009 outdoor steeplechase champ). Fortunately Tanya and I were too smart to fall for his scheme, and refused to run faster than 7:20 pace for the rest of the run.

I headed over to the meet early in the afternoon, as my parents had arrived in town and were waiting for me at the convention center. Huge props to John and Sharon for not only flying out for my race, but also sitting through countless races they had absolutely no interest in just to spend some time with me. Oh, and for buying my dinner too. Thanks, Mom and Dad!


Simon on the starting line (far right)

Now back to the meet: Simon was the first Queens athlete up to the proverbial plate, and he took off just past 4:30pm for the second heat of the mile. Three athletes would automatically advance from each heat, plus the next three overall on time. This meant that only three athletes would be cut from the finals. Simon was stoked when he found out yesterday that he would be in the second heat, as the first heat is usually notoriously slow, but unfortunately things didn't go to plan today. Apparently Adams State wanted to make sure all six of their guys advanced automatically, because the three of them in the first heat shot out like cannonballs--on 4-minute pace through 600 meters--breaking the rest of the field and finishing in 4:10. The final runner in the first heat finished in 4:13--much faster than Simon wanted the race to go--and as a result he was forced to run for his life from the gun. He did his best but couldn't respond when the pace changed at halfway and struggled to a 4:16 finish. He would not go on to the finals.


Nelson preparing for his race

Next up was Nelson in the 800. Also in the second heat, he would have the advantage of seeing those before him. The first heat wasn't as slow as he'd hoped, but wasn't untouchable either, and I knew Nelson would have a chance to advance if he ran smart. Though he didn't end up running one of his fastest times, he competed well and hung on when the pack kicked the final lap. He nabbed the 9th and final spot for tomorrow's finals, which means he will claim All-American honors if he can beat one guy.



The rest of the meet was fairly predictable. Adams destroyed the field in the men's DMR, and Jessica Pixler ran down Neely Spence to earn Seattle Pacific the women's DMR title. Tanya and I watched this race with interest, as several of our competitors for tomorrow night were competing in tonight's DMR. Naturally, we're hoping they're all too exhausted from their efforts today to challenge for the top spots tomorrow. Could be wishful thinking, but I'm going to run with it. Pun intended.

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NYU FastTrack Invitational 3k

AM: 3 miles
PM: 2 mile w/u + strides
3k race in 9:58
2 mile c/d
Total: 6.5-7 miles

Despite being pummeled with what would later be described as the "4th biggest snow in NYC in 141 years," the NYU FastTrack Invitational proceeded as scheduled today. I arrived at the Armory around 2pm with the QU crew and was surprised at the number of athletes who'd braved the storm to show up to the meet. There were a few scratches in each event, but overall there were plenty of bodies to fill out the fields.

Unfortunately for me, the 3000 was scheduled as the second-to-last event of the meet. This meant I probably wouldn't be racing until around 9pm, which most of you know is dangerously close to my bedtime. I could've stayed at the hotel this afternoon and ventured to the Armory later in the day, but there's only so much E! News that one person can watch and still feel good about herself. Plus, I wanted to support my teammates in their last-chance attempts to qualify for Nationals.

First up was Simon in the mile. When we were here three weeks ago he ran 4:09.24, just an eyelash away from the auto time of 4:09.00, and he needed to dip below that standard to punch his ticket to ABQ. He ran brilliantly and crossed the line in 4:07.6, a huge PR and well within the qualifying standards. Maraya followed next in the women's 800. She won her heat with ease, but the pace lagged too much at the start; her 2:18 was about five seconds shy of what she needed. Nelson, on the other hand, absolutely rocked his 800; his time of 1:52.5 is half a second short of the auto time but should put him high enough on the list to ensure his trip to the big meet.

Slowly but surely the hours and minutes ticked away, and by 8pm it was finally time for me to warm up. Maraya had offered (read: been instructed by Simmons) to pace me through the mile, which meant I had a companion for my warmup in the hallway. Yes, that's right, I ran two miles in the hallway. For the first time since I've been to the Armory, running outside was simply not an option. Finally, just before 9, it was go time. I was seeded in the faster of the two heats, and my plan was to pass through the mile at 5:15 or faster and then go from there. Seeing as I've never run a mile in 5:15 before I wasn't sure how that would feel, but I suppose it's always good to have a plan.

From the gun, I could tell things felt a bit off. I got stuck behind a few slowpokes on the first several laps, which meant by 800 meters in I was way off the back of the leader. Maraya, bless her heart, had never paced anyone before and didn't realize that the pacer is supposed to run in front of the pace-ee. Instead, she sort of danced around me in lane 2, not really slowing the pace but not pushing it either. Ultimately her legs would be too fatigued from her earlier race to make it to the mile; I think she dropped out around 1k. I definitely appreciated her effort regardless of the outcome though.

At this point, I should mention that I had no idea what the pace was. The race officials and the announcer did a crappy job of calling out times at any of the sensible markers (e.g., 1k, mile, 2k, etc.). I also learned afterward that the jumbo-tron time was also off--apparently they hadn't started the clock until we were halfway through our first lap, which meant the time it showed was 20 seconds faster than we were actually running. So the clock was telling me one thing but I could hear Simmons yelling out something different, which made for a very bizarre overall race experience. It didn't help that I was behind the leader but a good 10 seconds ahead of the next person, so I essentially ran in no-man's land for the entire race. Not ideal, but I'm not one for excuses either; I should've been able to lock into pace regardless. Actually, I did lock into pace...just not the pace I wanted to run. Apparently I came through the mile in 5:17 (a PR! Woohoo!) and then locked into 80-point for the rest of the race. The leader started coming back with about three laps to go, and I did my best to gain on her, but in the end I needed one more lap to reel her in. I finished in 9:58, well short of my goal of 9:50.

In looking at the positives, I set a substantial 3k PR and ran 25 seconds faster than the 3k at ETSU last month. I also finished 8 seconds faster than I went through the 3k in my 5k several weeks ago. And let's not forget that mile PR either. I also feel good about how easily I locked into 40-second laps; if I have someone to run with, I'm confident I can maintain that pace for 5k. I should also mention that Madeleine braved downed trees and power lines and Becky gave up part of her rare snow day to come cheer me on! So, all in all, this race wasn't a total wash. It's just frustrating because I know where my fitness is right now and I don't think this effort was an accurate representation of that. Let's hope I can make up for it at Nationals.


Simon and Nelson rabbiting the last race of the evening, the men's 5k.
Futsum would go on to win in 14:35, while Alex set a PR of 14:51.

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New Balance Invitational 5k Recap

AM: 3 miles
PM: 2 mile w/u + strides
5k @ 16:54.67
Link to results
2 mile c/d
Total: 7 miles

Okay, so now that I'm finally back in Charlotte and have had a few hours to recover from my crazy weekend in NYC, I can share my official race recap from Friday's 5k. First of all, let me just state the obvious by saying that this went better than expected. And I'm applying that as a blanket statement, because I'm pretty sure every single person who knows me (including myself) had no idea things would play out this well. Given the relatively short amount of training time I've had leading up to this, both in terms of overall weekly mileage and workout volume, I wasn't expecting to run much faster than I did at this meet last year. And, to be honest, I would've been okay with that. I truly was just viewing this race as an opportunity to compete and gain experience for the rest of the season, with relatively few expectations. So, needless to say, a 33-second PR came as a pleasant surprise.

Anyhow, back to the beginning. I arrived at the Armory via subway about an hour before my race. Upon checking in I was told that the meet was running about 15 minutes ahead of schedule, which more or less threw me into a panic. Hence, I rushed through my warmup, hurriedly put on my number and uniform, and booked it back to the holding area--only to find out that, in my 30-minute absence, somehow the meet had gone from running early to running 15 minutes late. Awesome. I suppose the 29 heats of the 200 were to blame. At any rate, I went from a shortage of time to an excess, which proved to be equally frustrating. Lots of standing around, stretching and sporadic strides ensued. Finally, around 2:25pm, the race was ready to go.

I toed the line with 13 other girls, none of whom I knew personally but several I'd heard of. In particular, D2 star Neely Spence (whose father and coach at Shippensburg is the legendary Steve Spence) was easily recognizable; I knew enough to understand that she and I would practically be running two different races and that I shouldn't be concerned with her. Mainly my plan was to latch onto someone who was running approximately my pace and stick with them as long as possible. In a 25-lap race, it's critical to maintain contact with at least one other person. Running in no man's land is both physically and mentally exhausting and often proves futile, and I wanted to avoid that scenario if at all possible.

From the gun, the pace was quick. I wasn't sure how quick, as I was solely focused on falling in with the group, and had no real idea of pace until we approached the first mile marker. At this point in the race we were all more or less strung out in a long line, with Spence and Texas A&M's Christina Munoz near the front. I was sitting near the back of the pack, but this didn't trouble me. I knew many of the girls would come back, and I also knew we were cruising along at a much faster pace than I'd ever maintained before. Sure enough, I came through the mile at 5:22. In case there are women and children reading this, I won't be specific about the thought that went through my head, but suffice it to say I thought I was toast. This was much faster than I'd (perhaps naively) planned for, but due to the adrenaline and the crowds and the whole atmosphere I wasn't feeling much of anything in my legs or the rest of my body. In a situation like this, that's best case scenario.

The middle part of the race is pretty much a blur. Every time I came around the first turn, I could hear Simon yelling that I was on 17-flat pace, and I fought the urge to yell back that there was no way in hell I was running that fast. For the next few kilometers I planted myself squarely behind Mary Dell, a teammate of Spence's from Ship. She was running like a metronome and reeling in those who were falling off the pace, and I knew that under no circumstances could I let her gap me. 3k came and went in 10:05--yup, that's almost 20 seconds faster than I ran the open 3k two weekends ago--and at that point I first entertained the idea of breaking 17 minutes and attaining the automatic qualifying time for Nationals. The pace lagged slightly for the next kilometer--in looking at my splits post-race, I threw in a few 82-second laps as opposed to the 80s and 81s I'd been maintaining throughout--and with 1k to go I knew I'd have to find another gear and go around Dell to crack the 17-minute barrier. So, caution to the wind, that's what I did.

Meanwhile, in the actual race for the lead, Spence had broken away from the pack around 3k and was now blazing her way to a sub-5 minute last mile. As I was approaching two laps to go, she passed me to begin her bell lap. At that point I remember thinking that my mom would be able to see me on the live internet feed, as they usually follow the leaders and this was the one point in the race when I was sharing a frame with her. Hi, Mom! Spence would go on to finish in 16:13, the exact same time Tanya ran at UW last weekend, while Munoz finished second in 16:37. As for myself, I crossed the line to begin my own bell lap and spied 16:18 on the clock. I knew at that moment that if I could just run sub-40 for the last lap, I would break 17 and punch my ticket to Nationals. Thirty-six seconds later, that goal became a reality. I crossed the line in 16:54, utterly exhausted and in disbelief about what had just transpired.

To say I've been on an emotional high since the race would be an understatement. More than anything, it's given me a confidence and excitement for racing that I've never really had before. I know I still have a long way to go, but I'm encouraged by how far I've come in such a short amount of time. Five weeks remain until Nationals, and I know I can gain a ton of fitness between now and then. I mean, five weeks ago I was just getting my groove back when we were vacationing in California. There is still much work to be done, but this race was the best start to the season that I could've imagined.

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New Balance Invitational 5k

16:54! I'm going to Nationals!!!

Will write more later, and results are incorrect on Armory web site for now, but who cares. Guess I better start my altitude training for ABQ...

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ETSU 3k

20 min. w/u + strides (2.5 miles)
3k race @ 10:23
24 min. c/d (3 miles)
Total: 7.5 miles

So, let's focus on the positives. I won the race. I won my heat, which was the middle of three, but also ran faster than the other two heats, so technically I won overall. The second positive is that I negative split. I think I went through the mile in 5:34, then closed the final 1400m in 5:28 pace. Lastly, I felt very controlled and relaxed the entire time, never really straining for the pace.

With that out of the way, let me say I'm fairly disappointed in my run. I'd really hoped to be closer to 10-flat, which is 5:20 pace. And I dunno, maybe if there had been someone for me to run with in the race, I could've dropped a second or two per lap. I ran by myself more or less from the gun, minus a harried opening 200 meters when I decided to run around everyone in lane 3. After that point I was essentially running a solo time trial, with my coaches and teammates and a few hundred strangers standing by. At the end of the day, my hope is to run this pace for 5k in the very near future (say, in two weeks at the Armory). I feel like that's doable based on how I felt today and given a few more weeks of training. Plus, the Armory is a 200-meter banked track. The track at ETSU is completely flat and 276 meters, which makes for very wide curves and bizarre split points.

Oh, and I almost forgot what was truly the highlight of the day: seeing Blake! I haven't seen him in many months, and it was cool to hang out for a bit and watch him in action coaching the girls of UAB. I've definitely missed this crazy kid.

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Virginia Tech Invite 5k

First Run: 1 mile
10 mins. active stretching
Race: ~2.5 mile w/u + strides
5k race in 17:32
2-2.5 mile c/d
Total: 9 miles



So, the good news is I won the race. The bad news is there was just no one for me to run with. I literally led from the gun and was absolutely solo the entire time, which is super frustrating when you're trying to run a fast time. I ran a few seconds slower than at the New Balance meet two weeks ago, but this race felt like much harder work. The most frustrating part is I could hear Jeff shouting my progressively slower splits each time I passed him, but I couldn't seem to kick into the next gear and do anything about it. To make matters worse, I kept having to pass girls on the curve as I lapped (and sometimes double-lapped) most people in the field. Despite the fact that there are just as many straights as there are curves per lap, I almost always found myself coming up on the other girls on the turns. The way I figure, since I spent most of these turns in lanes 2 and 3, I probably ran at least another kilometer, right? I'm sure Jeff is working on his NCAA petition as we speak.


Coach G-Unit agreed to hug me post-race even though I was
disgustingly sweaty. That's dedication.

Jokes aside, I was pretty frustrated with how things panned out. Not necessarily this race specifically, as I believe I did everything I could do given the circumstances, but it's almost a certainty at this point that I will be left out of the field at nationals when just two weeks ago I was convinced I was a lock. If you look at the other girls' times I'm right in the mix, but when you see how far back I am in the rankings it's obvious I won't make the cut. In addition, next weekend is our last weekend to qualify (yet D1 gets two more weekends, naturally), but the race prospects are slim because most schools run their conference meets at that time. At this point it doesn't look like there's much we can do, and that's disappointing.


Jess and Holly posing on the football field at Va Tech during our cool down

Looking at the bright side, I do think my fitness continues to progress. Jeff said running this effort solo was actually a better performance than my slightly faster go at the Armory a few weeks ago, and knowing how much harder this felt I'm inclined to agree. Yesterday Scott mentioned entering me in the Gate River Run (which is also the US 15k Championships) in Jacksonville in lieu of Nationals in a few weeks, as he thinks this will facilitate my natural progression to the 10k distance in outdoors. Jeff and I will discuss this over the next few days and see if it's a viable option.

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New Balance Invitational

1st run: ~5 min. shakeout run
Race: 2 mile w/u + strides, stretching
Target: 5k race in 17:30
Actual: 5k race in 17:27
2.5 mile c/d
Total: 8 miles



When I woke up this morning in my 10x10 "room" I was still feeling pretty under the weather. Despite pounding cold meds for the previous 24 hours, I was still very congested and runny and sneezy and otherwise not attractive. I was frustrated, but what can you do? I crossed my fingers that I could feel decent for the 20-minute segment of the day when I would be racing but wasn't too optimistic.

Jeff and Jilane had already gone over to the Armory with Matt (who was running the earliest race), so the rest of us had until 8am to pack our things and get in a quick shakeout. Jess, Tanya and I used the shakeout as an opportunity to run back over to Central Park and take some pics (all of which were on Tanya's camera so I'll post them when I get them). The day was cold but clear and would've been beautiful weather for an outdoor race or perhaps a leisurely jaunt through the park. With the way my stomach was tossing and turning with nerves, I would've preferred either of those options to the race I was actually about to participate in.

Once we arrived at the Armory there wasn't much time to sit around before it was time to warm up. The girls and I jogged around the nearby streets, which aren't exactly in the trendiest part of town and are probably exactly what you think of when you picture the dirty and crowded streets of this city. Checking in for our race took forever, which meant a truncated warmup, and by the time the race approached I wasn't feeling as loose or prepared as I'd liked. Unlike in Tennessee, when the track was fair game for strides and stretching between races, at this meet you weren't allowed on the track at all until you were lining up for your race. Makes things more professional, I suppose, but also more nerve-wracking for the competitors (or at least for me).


Me at the starting line, third from left. Photo credit Owen Washburn
and the "screen capture" feature

Before I knew it we were toeing the line, and then the race was off. I tried to push all thoughts of nervousness and sickness aside and just compete in my race. I was able to locate Jeff and Jilane almost immediately by the sound of their voices as I rounded the first curve, and I told myself to tune everyone else out and just listen to their splits and instructions each time I went around. As an aside here, I cannot tell you how amazing it was to have Jilane there cheering me on at the meet. She helped calm me down and kept me encouraged throughout the race, and I couldn't have been happier to have her there on the sidelines (I suggested that she run unattached and help pace me, but that didn't go over too well).

Back in the race, the first mile passed almost before I knew it. I was supposed to go through around 5:35 and I was just a few seconds faster at 5:33. This was only 3-4 seconds slower than I went through the mile during last weekend's 3k, but today it felt much more comfortable and relaxed. After hearing Jeff and Jilane's instructions to "tuck in," I was fortunate enough to latch onto a group of two girls (one was from BYU, possibly both) who were running remarkably even splits. I decided to just sit on them for as long as possible and harness their energy. At this point we weren't passing many people but weren't being passed either, but I knew from Jilane and Jeff's comments that the pacing was dead on what I was supposed to run so I continued with my plan. I still felt comfortable through the second mile and knew I really needed to dig in and start competing all the way to the finish line.

I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but somewhere around there I got lapped by the leaders. According to Owen and Jordan, who were both watching the race online, it looked as though I adopted their pace and started running with them for a bit, which is how they both knew I could probably run faster than the pace I was actually maintaining. I don't really remember that, but at any rate I knew the pace was finally starting to feel a bit difficult and my breathing a bit labored, and I was ready to wrap things up. With one lap to go I took off and passed several girls immediately, then tried to maintain the pace toward the end. Unfortunately one of the girl I passed totally snuck up on my on the final straight and ended up passing me back, but nonetheless I finished strong and clocked an official 17:27 as my time.

Needless to say, when Jilane showed me the stopwatch (the official clock stopped after the winner crossed the line, so I wasn't really sure what I'd run), I was pretty ecstatic. This was my first 5k ever indoors (or outdoors, for that matter), and I was pleased to run faster than I'd expected while feeling comfortable doing it. Granted, this track is super fast (as my friend and former Princeton runner Ben Stern said later that night, "It feels like you're running downhill the entire time!"), and the surface combined with the way it was banked felt awesome. But regardless, I know I can run faster. This time is already a provisional qualifier for the DII Indoor National meet, and both Jeff and Scott are 100% confident I will get in, so that's another goal checked off the list. This means that for the rest of the indoor season I can just focus on training and improving fitness rather than preparing for a specific race (until nationals, of course), so I hope to make some quantifiable fitness gains within the next month.

As with most race recaps, this post is already way too long, but I hope it conveys my general excitement and eagerness to get back on the track again. I would be remiss to not give Tanya and Jess shoutouts, as both PRed. Tanya ran an NCAA auto qualifier of 16:54 and Jess set a 15-second PR of 18:28. Overall this was a great race for us and an amazing experience at one of the best indoor track meets in the US.

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First Indoor Track Meet

Run 1: 2.5 mile w/u + strides, stretching
3k race in 10:20
1+ mile c/d + stretching
Run 2: 1.5 mile w/u + strides, stretching
800m race in 2:3x?
2 mile c/d
Total: 9.5-10 miles

Well. This was quite the experience. First indoor track meet ever, first track meet since high school (which we all know was a loooong time ago), first time to race the 3k. As I mentioned before, Jeff just wanted me to use this meet as a solid workout effort and an opportunity to get a feel for racing on an indoor track (or, furthermore, for racing at all). I had no idea what to expect and was in equal parts excited and terrified about the whole experience.

The morning started off at the ungodly hour of 5:30am, when Tanya and I awoke in our luxurious room at the Ramada Inn. She was racing the 5k at 8:00 sharp and the crew of morning runners was all leaving the hotel together at 6:30. I was more nervous than I'd expected and was a bit edgy after a restless night's sleep, so it was easier than expected to get up when the alarm went off. We headed over to the meet site and rushed inside to escape from the freezing cold temps and settle in to our spot in the bleachers.

Tanya's race commenced at 8:00 on the nose and she was off and running in her first indoor 5k ever. She did a great job staying with the leaders and held on to finish in third place at 17:21. As soon as she finished, Jess and I headed outside to begin our warmup. We were supposed to run at least three miles but, as I may have mentioned earlier, it was FREEZING outside so we cut it a bit short. Jeff had entered our seed times conservatively on purpose so we could run in the unseeded morning section of the 3k rather than the seeded evening section that was to take place almost 8 hours later. Given that I had no idea what to expect out of my first race, I was completely fine with this turn of events. Jess and I finished our strides and stretching and we were toeing the start line before I knew it. The whole experience seemed a bit surreal to me, and even up until the moment when the gun went off I wasn't completely convinced that I was actually about to run my first collegiate race.

That all changed as soon as the race started and my competitive instincts took over. Unfortunately I made the mistake of going out too slowly and allowing myself to get boxed in; as a result, I spent the first two laps trapped both behind and beside runners who were ambling along a bit more slowly than I'd hoped to go. In hindsight that ended up sealing my fate for the rest of the race, as I went through the first 400 in 82 and was simply unable to switch gears after that. I'm confident that had I gone through in 78 or 80 I would've locked into that rhythm, but instead it was 82s from there on out.

After just over 3/4 of a mile I began to separate myself from the rest of the field. I went through the mile in 5:29--almost 10 seconds slower than I'd hoped--but was well clear of the other runners by then. I tried to focus on Jeff's voice and his instructions each time I passed him along the backstretch, but without anyone to guide off of I was basically out there by myself. I finished in 10:20, a full 20 seconds slower than what I'd hoped, but over 12 seconds ahead of the second place finisher in my heat. I guess in my mind that makes for a mixed result; I was happy to have competed well, but would've liked to run closer to the shape I know I'm in right now. I finished the race tired but by no means spent, which again is neither a completely positive nor completely negative outcome.

Just over two hours later, Jess and I were repeating the motions of our warmup and preparing to run the 800. Neither of us were particularly excited about this prospect, but Jeff just wanted us to get in some miles and a speed workout for the day, so we begrudgingly sacked up and toed the line again. My legs were already sore from the 3k and I was just wanting to get this over with. I'll spare you the gory details, but suffice it to say I went through the quarter in a blazing 71 and died a rather expedient death from there. I'm not even sure what my official time was, as the clock stopped after the first finisher crossed the line, but I'm pretty sure it was slower than 2:30. The amazing part is even at that pedestrian pace I was passing stragglers by the handful on the last lap.

This post is already long enough and full of more details than you care to know, so I'll wrap it up here. In conclusion, I will say that I came away from my first track meet eager to improve. I know the more times I step onto the track, the more prepared and confident I will become, and I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to perform to my potential later in the season. One down, quite a few more to go.

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East Tennessee State University

AM: 59 mins.
8 miles
PM: 27 mins. + strides, stretching
~3.5 miles

My morning run found me touring familiar territory in Freedom Park and on the bike path before the team embarked for the Niswonger Invitational at East Tennessee State University. The school is located in Johnson City, TN (wherever that is), and was roughly a three hour drive from Charlotte.

We arrived at the meet site just after 5pm and set up camp inside the stadium. I've never been to an indoor track before and I've gotta admit, I was a bit overwhelmed. The nice thing about this facility is that the track measures 276 meters (as opposed to the standard 200 meters for most indoor tracks), which means--at least for my first time--this will feel more like the outdoor track I'm accustomed to.


My view from the bleachers at ETSU

Jess, Holly, Tanya and I took in our second runs on and around the ETSU campus. Temperatures had dropped considerably since we left Charlotte (and we drove through a barrage of snow flurries while on the mountain pass) and I was the 'tard wearing shorts on the run (although my Oxy Socks did help out considerably in the heat department). Basically this jaunt was freezing cold and windy and we just wanted to finish up as soon as possible. Once we were back inside and our bodies had reached a comfortable temperature, we hopped onto the track and did some strides on the backstretch. I wish I could say I felt awesome, but in reality my legs felt pretty tight and flat. I'm hoping it's just nerves. After everyone finished up it was off to dinner and then to the hotel for an early bedtime. It's almost game day.

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