I'm sure we've all been there. We had a great race! A new PR! I AM AWESOME!!!!
And now I don't even want to look at my running shoes. I got lazy.
I knew that with a November race coming up I needed to keep going, but somewhere after I crossed that finish line in Lowell, my running mojo decided to lay down and take a nap. Racing up my shoes, even on a nice sunny day, just was not as appealing as before. This happened to me last year as well. If I remember correctly, I diagnosed myself with Runner's Burnout.
Last year my goal was to complete a race every month. At first, it was fun! Exciting! Let's see how many PRs I can set, look at all of the different mileages I am running. 5K. 10K. 15K. Half marathon. I did them all! But around November and December I was just done. I ran the courses, but only because I did not want to quit on my goal.
And here it is again the end of the year, and again I seem to be getting burnt out. Three half-marathons in four months is a lot, and I still had two more to go. But I know that these races advance my Bucket List goal, so I have been reluctantly getting out there to put in the mile.
Practice takes perfect. Even in the running world.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Race Recapping: Baystate (MA) Half-Marathon
This race was originally not on my calendar. I was slated to run the Hartford (CT) Half Marathon in October, and then the Worcester (MA) Half Marathon in June of 2016. But after my horrible summer of 2:45+ races, I re-evaluated my upcoming races. Hartford had a time limit of 3 hours, and I just did not feel comfortable running that course. I wanted a race that had a little larger cushion in case something went sideways...like a surprise "Cry Hill" that I was not expecting. So I started my Google search on local races, needing something for either Massachusetts or Connecticut. And I somehow came upon the Baystate Half-Marathon. The description that really hooked me was "fast, flat and great for PR". SOLD!! I spoke with the hubby and put my father-in-law on babysitter alert and signed up before the price increase in September.
I drove up to Lowell on Friday night to the packet pick up/expo. That weekend a cold front was moving through, meaning the high temperatures were going to be in the 40s instead of the 60s and 70s we had been experiencing that week. Most of my time at the expo listening to the runners discuss what they were going to wear at the starting line. Most talked about how they were going to start with a "throw away" shirt----great, we got rid of a ton of clothes before me moved! That morning I had run to Target to purchase a cheap pair of gloves (2 pairs for $3) so I could use those to keep my hands warm during the first couple of miles.
Sunday morning came, and Hubby was up early getting ready to head north for his monthly Army commitment, which mean my father in law was at our house at o'dark-thirty so we could all get out the door. I arrived in Lowell around 6:30am for a 8am start, which normally is not a huge deal. I just chill out at the starting line. Except today I really COULD chill out because the temperature was in the mid-20s. I parked a half-mile away from the start/finish line because I read that the street closer would be closed off. Once I parked and got all of my gear together, I headed to the Paul Tsongas Center at the university there, it was the only place open to keep me warm! Of course there was one last bathroom break (20 minute wait in the line), and then dropping off my jacket at the gear-check station.
I found my way to the correct corral, and shivered while waiting for the start. I realized that while I was standing there in my long-sleeve shirt and carpis, with these wimpy little gloves, that not only was I shivering, but also sweating. Yeah.....sweating because I was using energy shivering. Craziness!
After the national anthem and the staring gun going off, so were we!! The marathoner and half-marathons start at the same place, lining up on different sides of the street, and at one point we go right while they go left. The course was not too hilly, there was several, the downside of it was there were not as many downhills and there were uphills. For the half-marathon we ran the same 6 miles twice, so on the second go-around I knew exactly what to expect and when, which was calming.
As with most races, I started off at a pretty good speed. I had my 2:30 goal pace bracelet on my left wrist, so that when I checked my watch I could determine who well (or poorly) I was doing in this race. Here how the first loop panned out:
WOW!! This was going great!! I'm all warmed up, and even my hands are a little warm, so I decided to take off my wimpy gloves. However, what I did not realize at the time was that my goal pace bracelet also came off. :( For me, running is a very mental experience, so this REALLY messed with my mind. I knew where I took my gloves off, so on my second loop I knew where to be looking for my bracelet (Amazingly, I found it! Thank goodness it is bright yellow!) I was able to keep on pace for the first 11 miles, and for miles 11-13 I slowed down to a pace between 11:57 to 12:14. Almost a full minute slower than what I needed to be at for a 2:30 time.
Once I crossed the finish line and stopped my watch, I looked at the final time. 2:34:15. A NEW PR!!! My last PR was at the Nashville Country Music Half-Marathon in April, 2014. Having a PR broken after 18 months, and taking 11 minutes off my time from the race in September was so uplifting. I was excited to FINALLY get under 2:35! I really do think I could have broken that 2:30 time had my bracelet stayed on and I had not mentally lost my focus for those few miles.
I drove up to Lowell on Friday night to the packet pick up/expo. That weekend a cold front was moving through, meaning the high temperatures were going to be in the 40s instead of the 60s and 70s we had been experiencing that week. Most of my time at the expo listening to the runners discuss what they were going to wear at the starting line. Most talked about how they were going to start with a "throw away" shirt----great, we got rid of a ton of clothes before me moved! That morning I had run to Target to purchase a cheap pair of gloves (2 pairs for $3) so I could use those to keep my hands warm during the first couple of miles.
Sunday morning came, and Hubby was up early getting ready to head north for his monthly Army commitment, which mean my father in law was at our house at o'dark-thirty so we could all get out the door. I arrived in Lowell around 6:30am for a 8am start, which normally is not a huge deal. I just chill out at the starting line. Except today I really COULD chill out because the temperature was in the mid-20s. I parked a half-mile away from the start/finish line because I read that the street closer would be closed off. Once I parked and got all of my gear together, I headed to the Paul Tsongas Center at the university there, it was the only place open to keep me warm! Of course there was one last bathroom break (20 minute wait in the line), and then dropping off my jacket at the gear-check station.
I found my way to the correct corral, and shivered while waiting for the start. I realized that while I was standing there in my long-sleeve shirt and carpis, with these wimpy little gloves, that not only was I shivering, but also sweating. Yeah.....sweating because I was using energy shivering. Craziness!
After the national anthem and the staring gun going off, so were we!! The marathoner and half-marathons start at the same place, lining up on different sides of the street, and at one point we go right while they go left. The course was not too hilly, there was several, the downside of it was there were not as many downhills and there were uphills. For the half-marathon we ran the same 6 miles twice, so on the second go-around I knew exactly what to expect and when, which was calming.
As with most races, I started off at a pretty good speed. I had my 2:30 goal pace bracelet on my left wrist, so that when I checked my watch I could determine who well (or poorly) I was doing in this race. Here how the first loop panned out:
| Goal | Actual | ||
| Mile 1 | 11:26 | 11:13 | |
| Mile 2 | 22:53 | 22:31 | |
| Mile 3 | 34:19 | 33:49 | |
| Mile 4 | 45:46 | 45:08 | |
| Mile 5 | 57:12 | 56:34 | |
| Mile 6 | 1:08:39 | 1:07:51 |
WOW!! This was going great!! I'm all warmed up, and even my hands are a little warm, so I decided to take off my wimpy gloves. However, what I did not realize at the time was that my goal pace bracelet also came off. :( For me, running is a very mental experience, so this REALLY messed with my mind. I knew where I took my gloves off, so on my second loop I knew where to be looking for my bracelet (Amazingly, I found it! Thank goodness it is bright yellow!) I was able to keep on pace for the first 11 miles, and for miles 11-13 I slowed down to a pace between 11:57 to 12:14. Almost a full minute slower than what I needed to be at for a 2:30 time.
Once I crossed the finish line and stopped my watch, I looked at the final time. 2:34:15. A NEW PR!!! My last PR was at the Nashville Country Music Half-Marathon in April, 2014. Having a PR broken after 18 months, and taking 11 minutes off my time from the race in September was so uplifting. I was excited to FINALLY get under 2:35! I really do think I could have broken that 2:30 time had my bracelet stayed on and I had not mentally lost my focus for those few miles.
 |
| State #5 done! |
 |
| Pretty, shiny medals |
 |
| Proof that I made it!! |
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Ouch!!
For some reason or other, I just did not get out to running last week like I should have. I know I have a race coming up in three weeks, this time in New Hampshire, but getting your shoes on and out the door is half the battle of running. So when I laced up my shoes on Saturday morning for an extra long run, I knew it would not be easy.
My husband needed to do a workout for a job application, so our plan was to meet at the Harvard track. I told him to give me a 40 minute head start and we'll meet up. So out the door I went, heading west in order to give me some additional distance that I needed. I hate to say it, but I ran Cry Hill again. (That's my nickname for any huge hill that makes me want to cry). Running hills is like eating your veggies---not fun, but in the end you know it's good for you. Lots of walking, but not as many stops as it was the weekend before when I tried to attack it. Progress, right?
I made it to the track, but Slow Poke was still not there, so I told him I would run laps of the track until he got there. Only took me another 1.29 miles for me to run until he showed up. We did his test, and while he was running, I logged another 1.54, which included distance to the Dunkin Donuts.
So yeah, 8.83 miles on Saturday after 7 days off. The next day, I was more sore than the day after running a half-marathon. I think several factors went into this soreness. First, after a race, I know to stretch, and to take a colder shower than normal. Did not do that this week. Second, I am pretty much convinced that I need new insoles for my shoes. I have two pairs that I rotate and the inside of my arches seem to aching during my run. This really happens when I use them while on the treadmill at the gym. So my plan is to get to a running store this week so I can replace these insoles.
And hopefully the aches and pains will disappear.
My husband needed to do a workout for a job application, so our plan was to meet at the Harvard track. I told him to give me a 40 minute head start and we'll meet up. So out the door I went, heading west in order to give me some additional distance that I needed. I hate to say it, but I ran Cry Hill again. (That's my nickname for any huge hill that makes me want to cry). Running hills is like eating your veggies---not fun, but in the end you know it's good for you. Lots of walking, but not as many stops as it was the weekend before when I tried to attack it. Progress, right?
I made it to the track, but Slow Poke was still not there, so I told him I would run laps of the track until he got there. Only took me another 1.29 miles for me to run until he showed up. We did his test, and while he was running, I logged another 1.54, which included distance to the Dunkin Donuts.
So yeah, 8.83 miles on Saturday after 7 days off. The next day, I was more sore than the day after running a half-marathon. I think several factors went into this soreness. First, after a race, I know to stretch, and to take a colder shower than normal. Did not do that this week. Second, I am pretty much convinced that I need new insoles for my shoes. I have two pairs that I rotate and the inside of my arches seem to aching during my run. This really happens when I use them while on the treadmill at the gym. So my plan is to get to a running store this week so I can replace these insoles.
And hopefully the aches and pains will disappear.
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