If It Looks Like Marathon Training...

3/3-3/9:
98 miles
4 doubles
3 workouts
20.5 mile-long run

2/24-3/2
82 miles
4 doubles
2 workouts
19-mile long run

If last week represented my first tentative steps onto the big-girl diving board, then this week was the headfirst plunge into the mileage abyss. Not only did I complete three workouts (well, one of those was a mini-workout--more on that in a minute) and a 20+ mile long run, but I actually felt strong and healthy and pretty darn good the entire week.

The week started out strong (and chilly) bright and early on Tuesday morning with another near-single digit road workout with Larissa. I was a bit apprehensive about this, both due to the temperature and the fact that I'd completed my longest run in months less than 48 hours prior, but we somehow managed to stay warm and positive enough to take care of business. (At least until my body temperature plummeted on the aptly named cooldown, rendering my extremities totally numb and my fingers incapable of even grasping and inserting my housekey into the door without Larissa's assistance.)

Workout #1: 2x1.5 mile progression w/2 min. jog, each 800m @3:10, 3:00, 2:50; 4x600m @5:20 pace (2:00) w/2 min. jog = 9 miles total

My next (mini-)workout took place during Thursday's lunch hour with my boss and two coworkers. They're all training for a late spring marathon and had 6x800m on tap at 5k pace. The problem is, they're fairly new runners and rarely race 5k's, so the pace was approximated to be 6:30 although I suspected they could go faster. Sure enough:

Workout #2: 6x800m w/3 mins. jog in 3:10, 3:10, 3:07, 3:07, 3:00, 2:59 = 7 miles total

From my perspective, it felt great to open up the legs a little bit without being too taxing, and I loved helping my comrades achieve the feeling of triumph that comes with exceeding your expectations and physical limitations. (Seriously, when's the last time you thought, "Well golly, I just couldn't seem to run slow enough during that workout!" Yeah, me neither. But I'm happy that such a euphoria apparently exists for others.)

But without a doubt, and like a true American weekend warrior, my two biggest days of the week took place on Saturday and Sunday. I'd planned well in advance for a long run on Sunday with Sarah Cummings, who was making a quick trip to Boston, and then I somehow found myself getting roped into (read: eagerly volunteering for) Sarah Bard's lengthy Saturday workout as well. On an unseasonably warm morning (or perhaps only unseasonable relative to the rest of the week/month/year), Sarah and I joined Kevin and another BAA male escort whose name escapes me for some 4-3-2-1 mile action on the Charles.

Workout #3: 4 mile (6:03, 6:02, 6:05, 6:08), 3:30 jog, 3 mile (6:00, 6:07, 5:57), 2:30 jog, 2 mile (5:50, 5:45), 1:30 jog, 1 mile (5:43) = 16 miles total

Takeaways from this workout were:

1. Sarah is really fit.
2. There may be hope for me yet.
3. I love seeing happy, active people enjoying the river on a Saturday morning--except when they're in my way.
4. 50 degrees is, indeed, warm enough to comfortably slam a post-run Frappuccino.

Though I questioned my weary body's ability to move, I somehow managed to remain bipedal and reasonably functional for an "easy" 20-miler (2:30 and 20.66 miles to be exact, not that I am enslaved to my new Garmin or anything) with the Sarahs and a few different male BAA escorts on Sunday. During that time we saw over half the Boston course and a 60-year-old man running shirtless wearing khaki pants and oven mitts, so I can't help but consider it a win.

Will I be able to walk tomorrow? Debatable. Am I officially training for some sort of spring marathon? It sure looks that way... 

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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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RepliCAITing the Down Ladder (4-3-2-1)

3 mile w/u + strides
Target: Mimic Caitlin's workout of 4mi-3mi-2mi-1mi
4 mile @6-6:05 pace; 3 mile @5:55-6 pace; 2 mile @5:50-5:55 pace; 1 mile faster all w/4 min. jog rest
Actual: 24:01 (6:00 pace); 18:30 for 5k (5:57 pace); 11:00 for 3k (5:52 pace); 5:35 for 1 mile
2k c/d
Total: 16 miles

See what I did there in the title...I wanted to repliCAIT the workout...because her name is Caitlin...anyway.

So, basically this almost went off the rails before it even happened thanks to the hip situation that abruptly developed in between my workout and cooldown on Tuesday. The next two days were spent limping through "easy" runs and trying not to panic despite seeing an entire summer's worth of work flash before my eyes. On Wednesday morning I sent a text to my boss's girlfriend (and our good friend) Anne, who just happens to be a chiropractor, with the general sentiment of: "HELP!" She took one look at me and basically said my entire left side from the knee down was completely out of alignment. After two treatments from her magic hands, I was cautiously optimistic that I actually might not be throwing my hopes of marathon glory into the Beverly High School dumpster. I took Friday super easy, went to bed early, and crossed my fingers that everything would be operational for Saturday's workout.

After a few tentative steps on the warmup, it seemed as though my hip would cooperate. It was functioning at a steady discomfort level of 2 to 2.5, as compared to the 7.5 to 8 of the previous few days, and actually felt even better after a few long strides. However, my hip wouldn't be the only thing working against me. For some reason I've since forgotten, Jordan decided it would be a great idea to do this workout on the Marblehead Neck--one of my favorite places to run, but also one of the hilliest. Since it's surrounded on all sides by water, it also runs the risk of being quite windy, and unfortunately today was even worse than usual. It was going to take an incredibly focused effort and the help of my favorite queenmaker to execute this anywhere near my goal paces.

For the first kilometer, on the flat causeway with the wind at my back, I felt amazing. Then I hit the Neck's first hill and was jolted back to reality. Unlike Caitlin, who according to her blog post was just chit chatting away throughout her own version of this workout, I felt like I was struggling to hang on the entire time. And this is supposed to be marathon pace?! The 3-mile segment actually felt a little bit better--and apparently the last kilometer was going well enough that Jordan decided on the fly to extend to a full 5k, which isn't actually what someone wants to hear 17 minutes through what they think will only be an 18-minute interval--but unfortunately it put us at a bad spot geographically. "There's no way this isn't going to be hard," Jordan said just before the start of the 2-mile-turned-3k, and he was right. From where we were starting, all of our options would send us on a hilly path and finishing into a stiff headwind. The last two minutes headed back on the causeway were particularly brutal, but I also knew that the farther I went in one direction, the more time I could spend with the wind at my back when I turned around for the final one-mile interval. Despite the cumulative fatigue setting in, I was confident I could crush the mile thanks to a tailwind for the first half. It worked, and I felt pretty darn good for a few minutes, except for the fact that I hadn't been able to jog quite far enough in the opposite direction on my cooldown. In a cruel twist of fate, the final 30 seconds of the mile sent me straight up the steepest hill on the entire course. My dream of breaking 5:30 came to a near-standstill, but I was able to hold it together enough to close in a respectable 5:35.

Overall, I wish that hitting my goal paces had felt easier, but given the wind and undulating terrain I'm pleased with the effort. More importantly, my hip seems to be on the mend and a full-blown crisis has been averted. Whew!

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Jay's Birthday Weekend Workout

4.5 mile w/u
Target: 2x4 miles; first set w/Caitlin and Jay @~6:05-6:10; second set w/Caitlin, Jay and Sarah @6:00 or faster
Actual: Set #1: 6:09, 6:02, 5:55, 5:58; Set #2: 5:56, 5:56, 5:49, 5:52
1 mile c/d
Total: 14+ miles

Due to my delinquency in updating the 'ol blog, it is with great pleasure that I direct you to Caitlin's detailed recap of this morning's workout. As she mentioned, we're in NYC for Jay's birthday weekend, and what better way to kick off the festivities than with a Saturday morning workout?! As an added bonus, Sarah was using this as her last long run/workout before next weekend's Twin Cities Marathon, so everything aligned perfectly for a group session on the WSH this morning.

If you're paying attention, however, one detail you might notice which varies from Caitlin's recap is the last mile split. She and Jay and Sarah cheerily pulled away from me while I counted down every minute of the last two miles and willed myself not to drop out. It's frustrating and a bit perplexing why I'm struggling so much with these longer threshold efforts right now, but I have no choice but to keep plugging away and forcing myself to embrace the discomfort...until one day, marathon gods willing, it will feel easy. For comparison's sake, I felt equally shitty running four "fast" miles during my uptempo long run with Sarah B. a few weeks ago and both of the 4-mile segments today were at a brisker pace than that, so perhaps this does represent some sort of improvement after all.

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Hillies Havoc 4 Mile Trail Race

AM: 10k easy
PM: 3 mile w/u
Target: win, don't get lost, don't fall
Actual: 2 for 3

First place. OVERALL. North Shore Timing don't lie, y'all.

Results
Total: 7 miles
Daily total: 13+ miles

For the second Thursday in a row, this time in the evening, Jordan and I would be setting up the 'ol Karhu tent for the next installment of the North Shore YMCA Road Race Series. Despite the series moniker, this would actually be its sole trail race, although on the drive up I questioned how seriously that distinction should be interpreted. Would it be an over-the-river-and-through-the-woods, single track, legit, trail trail, or simply a glorified crushed gravel bike path? Since Haverhill was a tiny town almost a full hour north of Salem (which is already a solid 30 minutes north of the city), neither I nor any of my local running buddies had ever heard of, much less ventured up to, the trails at Winnekenni Park before.

Fortunately I arrived early (or rather Jordan, who was coming to the race directly from a sales trip in Rochester, was running late) and had some time to explore the race course on an extended warmup. I followed the trailhead into the woods, which picked up within a few hundred meters of the parking area, and was instantly captivated. I may not be the most adroit trail runner in a variety of ways--I think last weekend's misadventure with Emily proved I'm no Christopher Columbus (or maybe I am, since he ended up nowhere near where he was supposed to be either), and anyone who's seen me shuffling along on the roads can attest that I'm no nimble doe--but I must admit I'm a sucker for the free-spirited, rambling idea of them. And this trail, at least the part I saw on my out-and-back warmup, was right up my alley: wide, soft dirt paths, shrouded by a canopy of trees, minimally rocky and rooty but still very much in the depths of a forest. I turned around with reluctance 12 minutes later, knowing Jordan would be arriving soon and we would need to set up our branded area, but my entire countenance had shifted. On the drive up I'd been tired, cranky and decidedly not motivated to run a hard effort on this sticky, soupy, potentially thunderstorm-y summer evening after a long day of work, but now I couldn't wait to be set free on the path ahead. 

Forty minutes later, Jordan and I toed the starting line (which was essentially an arbitrary marker in the middle of a grass field) and eyed the competition. There didn't look to be many other contenders except a tall, lanky guy in his early twenties wearing neon yellow Nike shorts. I suggested to Jordan, who was even more tired and more grumpy than I had been previously and had done another trail race the night before with one of his accounts in Rochester, that he just run with me and not push too hard. I even joked about recreating my (in)famous finish-line-hand-holding pose (now available at a Sears Portrait Studio near you!), which I first pioneered with Alice Rogers at a Whitewater Center trail race and then replicated a mere week later with Caitlin at a women's only 5-miler (the same depth of girl power and female solidarity having never been witnessed by the good people of Columbia, South Carolina before or since). He didn't acknowledge my suggestion, but he didn't have to. I knew he'd never actually do it. What self-respecting male would?!

Previously the best moment of my entire life.

Less than a minute later we were off, sprinting across the meadow and into the trail where I'd entered it before. It became immediately clear that our assessment of the field was spot on. No one had gone ahead of us, but I could hear breathing close behind that a furtive glance confirmed was emanating from Neon Shorts. For the first 2k or so we traversed the exact same route where I'd warmed up, which was almost completely flat and not very technical, and Neon Shorts' breathing grew fainter as Jordan and I began to pull away. That was easy, I thought. But soon the trail grew narrower, rockier, noticeably more technical, and suddenly I was the one being left behind. I watched with jealousy as Jordan nimbly navigated the increasingly challenging terrain, bounding over obstacles with the dexterity of a mountain goat, while I awkwardly and slowly plodded along in his wake. Neon Shorts had to be gaining on me. Sure enough, around 3k--although I'm only guessing, since during my earlier nature-infused euphoria I'd decided to "just, you know, run" without using my watch or even bothering to note the time of day at the start--the path took a sharp, improbable right turn up what I'm pretty sure could be described as an escarpment--the mere fact that I haven't heard that word since seventh grade geography indicates how decidedly out of my element I actually was out here in the wild--and I was forced to come to a dead stop, reach out to gain leverage from a nearby tree, and oh-so-gracefully hoist myself up and over. Neon Shorts passed me without so much as a sideways glance.

For the next few minutes, as the trail remained far too technical for me to gain any momentum, I resigned myself to third place with no hope of a Kodak-worthy finish. But then the path smoothed out again and I found myself overtaking Neon Shorts almost immediately. Like Jordan (who was out of sight by this point), he was far more adept than me at negotiating the trail, but the superiority of my aerobic fitness quickly asserted myself once the playing field (literally) leveled out. Though the trail soon narrowed again, hairpinning sharply this way and that, surrounded on all sides by thick, cloying brush, the ground remained smooth and a little muddy. Wait, make that a lot muddy. Actually--OOF! The next thing I knew I was on the ground, and hard, with an audible grunt. My right knee bore the brunt of the fall, but after pausing for a moment to mentally assess the condition of all my important body parts, I realized I was mostly no worse for the wear. The same clay-like mud that had caused me to slip like a cartoon character on a banana peel had also broken my fall in the softest way possible, resulting in a nasty scrape and mud-caked palms but nothing serious. Not wanting to risk being overtaken by Neon Shorts again, I was quickly up and on my way.

Approximately 20 minutes into the race the trail cleared, and I was directed by volunteers onto the paved shoulder of a nearby road. This was a relief, since there had been several critical decision-making junctures within the woods where I could have (and, for all I'd known at the time, actually did) take a wrong turn, but the presence of YMCA volunteers at least meant I was on the right track. Shortly thereafter I spotted Jordan up ahead in the distance but didn't see Neon Shorts anywhere behind. While I was relieved that my spot was secure, I was disappointed that my fabled photo finish with Jordan wouldn't take place. But then, inexplicably, I seemed to be gaining on him, and fast. As I entered one more short trail section and burst out onto the opposite side of the field where we'd started, it became apparent that he was waiting for me. Even more incredulously, he turned and said only a tad begrudgingly, "Are we really going to do the hand-holding thing?" Um, YES.

Moments after the sweetest words he's ever said to me.

Unfortunately, it seems as though the paparazzi was unprepared for our triumphant display, because the only photo I was able to secure was snapped just a split-second too late. It looks like we're just out for a lackadaisical stroll, which I suppose in some sense we were. This only means we'll have to replicate the pose again at another race sometime soon. I'm sure Jordan can't wait!

Scars of battle

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Happy 4th! Firecracker 4 Mile Race Recap

1.5 mile w/u
Target: Win, don't die of heat stroke
Actual: 23:47, 1st place female, 9th overall
Results
1 mile c/d
Total: 6.5 miles

Full disclosure: if Karhu and Craft didn't sponsor the YMCA North Shore Road Race Series, there's no way I would've been able to summon the energy to get up early and race this morning. It's a holiday and, more importantly, it's just way too hot. In fact, when I took my first few steps out the door I was instantly reminded of the oppressive weather from another four-mile race in Charlotte several years ago. As we loaded up the car just before 7am, the temperature was already over 80 with a dew point of around 73. And I thought I left this kind of racing weather behind when I moved to New England?!

Weather aside, another reason this race wouldn't exactly be my A-game performance is because, well, I haven't really been training. After Duluth I flew straight to California for the Fleet Feet Conference, where I was content to log some easy miles each day (including one amazing run with my former Queens teammate/roomie, Tanya!) and not much else. My self-prescribed "summer training season" kicked off just this Monday, with some strides on the Common Tuesday night accounting for the only semblance of speedwork I've done in over a month. So, as stated above, the goal for today was to win and try not to overheat. It was also a checkpoint to confirm that my leg could feel good during (and after) a relatively hard outing.

Overall, I'm happy to report that I achieved all of these goals. I never really pressed beyond a tempo effort and therefore didn't push my body beyond a tolerable temperature, even on the long, grinding hill that comprised half of the fourth mile. Most importantly, the leg felt completely normal and responded just fine to the increased stress. This may have been one of my slowest race times in years, but I couldn't be happier!

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Tempo and Track

2.5 mile w/u
Target: 4 mile progression starting @5:55; jog to track then 8x400m @75-77 w/60 secs. rest
Actual: 22:53/5:43.2 avg. (5:47, 5:45, 5:41, 5:40); ~5 min. rest/jog
8x400 @76, 75, 75, 75, 74, 74, 73, 72
2.5 mile c/d
Total: 11-12 miles

Another Saturday morning, another BAA workout at Harvard. Jordan and I were out the door early to make the 8am meeting time, arriving to the track with several minutes to spare. Our predominantly female group included Emily--fresh off a two-week vacation overseas and "fun run" at the London Marathon--Brett and Matt, Melissa Nash, Caitlin's friend Liz and several other BAA regulars. Conspicuously absent were Carly and Terry, who are off in Pennsylvania doing baby-related things. I was excited to have Jordan's pacing services and a solid group effort simultaneously, circumstances that haven't aligned in quite some time. I also felt a bit nervous about the mere 48-hour turnaround time after Thursday morning's 12x800 effort, but my legs felt light and surprisingly fresh enough on the warmup to banish any negative thoughts.

After a quick return to the cars for shoe changes, jacket removals and bathroom breaks, we trotted back over to our starting point on the Charles. Once again we would be traversing the "slow tempo loop," which today would be rendered more unfavorable due to the frequency and depth of mid-path puddles. On the flip side, the wind was uncharacteristically calm, the least obtrusive I've ever experienced on this loop, and though the air felt thick with humidity there were plenty of clouds to keep the temperature comfortable. Since our group naturally fell into two pace tiers, the plan was to give the first wave a 40-45 second head start before Jordan, Emily, Brett and I set out after them. Melissa, who is somewhat between the two groups, would start in the first wave and then latch onto us a few miles in. None of us were the slightest bit surprised that Terry had orchestrated this down to the minutest details even though he wasn't there in person.


Like clockwork, our two waves went off in succession, and I stuck to Jordan's side with Emily and Brett tucked in behind. My legs felt light and fast and the pace came easily. At one point Jordan admonished me to relax, but I didn't feel like I was pressing. Passing the first mile marker in 5:47 was a huge surprise--not only was it well ahead of goal pace, but it felt so easy. A quarter mile later we approached the first group, and true to plan Melissa latched on. It felt great to feed off the positive energy as we all encouraged each other. Mile two, always the slowest portion of the loop, came and went in another surprisingly quick split of 5:45. My legs were still feeling strong, and mentally I was relishing the fact that we were already halfway done. Maybe this short-distance business is better than marathon training! My legs began to fatigue as we split 5:41 on the traditionally quick third mile, but I knew I could keep my eyes glued to Jordan's back for another five minutes. The sound of Melissa's insistent footfalls close behind also motivated me to keep the pace honest. I focused on finishing with good, controlled form, knowing there was still more--and faster--running to be done. Jordan and I crossed the four-mile marker with Melissa right behind, then Emily, then everyone else in quick succession.

Several minutes and a short jog later, we were ready to take to the track. Melissa planned to join me for some of the 400s, while the other girls would go straight into a few k's of on/off 200s. Just as in the tempo, Melissa stuck close on my heels for the first four laps. After today's effort, I'm pretty sure she needs to permanently move up to the quicker tempo group! As for myself, I felt comfortable and strong through the first six, but then the post-tempo heaviness descended into my legs and quickly. Finishing the final two, I still felt strong but was decidedly relieved to call it a day instead of pushing to 10 as Jordan had originally suggested/threatened.


So, to be honest, this workout leaves me equal parts excited and perplexed. Excited because I was able to execute two of arguably my best workouts of the year in close proximity, but perplexed about why this obvious fitness hasn't translated to my most recent races. Mentally, I needed today and Thursday to get my confidence back on track. Physically, I'm trusting that these efforts will manifest themselves soon. Honestly, I think my races would go a lot better if I could enlist Jordan's queenmaking services like I do in workouts. Maybe he could just wear a feminine wig? Actually, given the fact that he shaves his legs and is currently sporting a mullet longer than Billie Jean King's, that might not be necessary.

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Double the Treasure, Double the Fun

Saturday, 3/12
Four Courts Four Miler
23:43, 1st female, $100

Sunday, 3/13
St. Patrick's Day 8k
29:31*, 6th female (boo), $100 (yay)
*23:40 through 4 miles

So the title is a play on words...get it...treasure because of the sweet dolla dolla bills and also because treasure is what a leprechaun finds (or leads us too, I can't really remember) at the end of the rainbow on St. Patty's Day! Okay so it might be a bit of a stretch but just know that I am laughing at my own perceived cleverness. Perhaps it's my current state of travel- and work- and running-induced exhaustion that has me spouting bad puns. I'm definitely too tired to finish this blog entry right now but wanted to post up the results so that you don't think I've been slacking all week. Details to come, hopefully tomorrow.

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Run For Your Life 4 Miler

AM: 3 mile w/u + strides
Target: 4 mile race @22:30 or faster
Actual: 23:07 (5:52, 5:41, 5:54, 5:39)
1+ mile c/d
Total: 8 miles


Hating life

There are several scenarios in which a girl could find herself in the Jack in the Box men's bathroom at 7:30 on a Saturday morning. The least licentious of which, and the one that necessitated my time in said bathroom, was that it was 10 minutes until race time and the port-a-potty lines were too long. The fact that I was already hot, sweaty and unusually tired before entering the bathroom certainly did not portend an enjoyable race experience, a sentiment that was clearly shared by everyone involved. When I passed Paul on my jog over to the Jack in the Box, I asked something along the lines of, "So, on a scale of 1 to 10, our 5k on the track at Myers Park being an 8, how brutal would you say this race is going to be?" He said 10. I nodded my head in rueful agreement. Paul's coach, Tim Budic, recently posted an interesting blog about how the dew point, not necessarily the temperature or humidity percentage, plays the greatest role in affecting a workout or race performance. According to his chart, a dew point in the range of 75-80 is "extremely uncomfortable, fairly oppressive." Anything over 80 is "severely high, even deadly." The dew point when we woke up this morning was 76.

And so, jogging over to the starting line with heavy legs, a small voice in my head told me that both my dream goal of 22-flat and my second-tier goal of 22:30 were both pretty unrealistic. Instead, I told myself that all I needed to do was win so that I could earn the points for the Grand Prix series. Later in the race, my only incentive to not drop out was the fact that this race would actually earn double points for the Grand Prix, which made finishing (ideally in first, but mostly just finishing) crucial. It was not going to be fun.


Jordan taking a commanding lead

The race started and finished in the street directly in front of Run For Your Life, which was comforting in its familiarity. At 7:30 sharp the whistle blew and we were on our way. The first mile was almost entirely uphill, so right away my breathing was unnaturally labored. I told myself that coming through in 5:40 would be a realistic goal for this mile at this effort level, plus I was surrounded by people who usually run the same pace as me during these races--Cory Tretsky, Chad Crockford and Billy Shue, to name a few. When I came up to the first mile marker and saw that it read 5:52, I was demoralized. Unable to reconcile the time on the clock with the level of effort I was expending was pretty discouraging, but I pressed on. A few meters later I was passed by my CRC training partner Stephen Spada, and I literally willed myself to stay with him for the next two miles. It also helped that the second mile on East Blvd. was a gradual downhill, so I was able to regroup and pick up the pace slightly. Around the 2-mile mark was the only water station on the course, and though I never take water during races I grabbed a cup and dumped it over my head and chest. That, plus the close contact with Spada, kept me focused and invigorated through the middle section of the race despite the uphill third mile, my slowest of the race. (Although I would be lying if I didn't admit that as we approached Kenilworth on East, part of me thought about how nice it would be to just turn right on Kenilworth and jog a few easy minutes back to the store.) I kept telling myself that if I could keep it together until 1200 to go, I'd have the reprieve of a steady downhill all the way to the finish. At this point Spada began to falter a bit and I went around him, grateful for the help he'd provided in the toughest section of the race. My legs and lungs were burning and all I could think about was a tasty drink of water, but I put my head down and kept pushing to the finish. I crossed the line in 23:07, a far cry from my goal and 15 seconds slower than I'd tempoed the Shamrock 4 Miler in March. To say the least, the weather had humbled me.


Drafting off Spada. Apparently I was taking a bit of a nap since my
eyes are closed.

After sitting down for a few minutes and drinking about a dozen cups of water, I was able to see how everyone else had fared. Jordan won decisively in 20:30ish, followed by Paul and Greg Isaacs and then Jay and Aaron. Alice and Danielle had taken second and third for the women, with Spada and Cory finishing in between me and Alice. My friend and coworker Ben, fresh off a several month layoff due to a stress fracture, was stoked to finish his first race back in 29 minutes. Overall, we were an exhausted yet relatively satisfied bunch. Next week we'll have a break before getting after it again at the Blue Points 5k on August 7th, hopefully in more hospitable weather. In the meantime, it's time to hydrate and get rested up after today's efforts. Great job to everyone who participated today!

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