Me and The Boys

Goals, Goals, and More Goals

Over the course of the past three days, I ran 10 miles, biked 32 miles, and swam 2,400 meters. Nothing like an upcoming triathlon to get you motivated to do more cross-training!

I love the balance I'm feeling from getting in more biking and swimming - I'm falling in love with both sports all over again, and all of my workouts feel so much better, and I'm just enjoying them so much more. Adding in yoga again tomorrow night, too, and trying my first TRX class at the gym next week.

Variety is the spice of life, right?  Whatever it is, it's working for me, so I'm sticking with it! 

Next up on the agenda for cross-training is to make it to a group bike ride (something I've never, ever done), and start working on some swimming drills. I have no problem with endurance, but I want to get faster, and improving my form by doing drills is the only way to do that. I want this to be the year I get out of the water at the tri and feel happy with how my swim went.

I am starting to think a little more about my next big road race, too - the Jamestown Half that's part of the UHC Triple Crown. I'm definitely going to be racing this one, but the weather will be a huge factor, and if it's a typical warm, humid July day, I'm going to have to adjust my goals.

But I knew that when I signed up, and I'm really saving my all-out effort for the Amica half in October. Jamestown will be a stepping stone of sorts - a reminder to me of what it's like to race at that distance, and a chance to practice pacing myself and not going out too fast - something I still need to get better at.

My goal for Amica is to come as close to 1:40 as I can. 1:40 would be about a 7:37 pace. For 13.1 miles (my PR is 1:43, which was a 7:55 pace). Just writing that out makes me a little nervous. And I know I might not quite get to 1:40 this year. But I'm going to give it my best shot!

And the only way to get there is to put in the training, so I'll be back at the track tomorrow morning. I'm actually going to have some company this time, too, which will be nice. Always good to have someone to commiserate with when you're suffering through a tough workout.

Sub-21 5K and 1:40 half-marathon. Two pretty lofty goals, but I like aiming high. I like knowing that challenge is out there, and I like executing a plan to help me meet the challenge.

To that end, I'm taking suggestions on the following two items -

- Top three swim drills

- Best half-marathon workouts (track work and/or tempo runs)

Halvsies

After a brief moment of insanity, during which I contemplated signing up for a fall marathon (after I saw that a bunch of people from the running club were doing it), I have reminded myself that I do NOT want to spend my summer going through that kind of training again.

Nor do I want to complete a marathon this fall, have a few weeks of downtime, and then almost immediately begin training again, for Boston.

I don't want to do it, and I'm not going to do it. And I'm almost certainly going to need to be reminded of that a few more times this summer. The idea sounds exciting now, but I know full well that 6 weeks from now, as I was staring down yet another grueling week of training, I'd be thinking about what a stupid, rotten idea it was.

I am, however, seriously considering adding one more half to my schedule. Which is only half crazy, right?  

I was very happy to find out about the United Healthcare Triple Crown, since I knew I'd be working on taking some time off my half-marathon PR once I finished Gansett, and participating in the series would add a nice twist to that endeavor.

I quickly signed up, and am looking forward to the next race in July - speedwork is back in my vocabulary (and back on my weekly schedule), as are tempo runs, and I'm going to get back up to double-digit long runs this weekend, too.

I don't expect a PR in Jamestown, given that it's going to be July, which means heat and humidity, but I do plan to give it my all and hope to come as close to my PR as possible.

But at the same time, I'm also looking back, and looking at the bigger picture - tallying up what I've run so far, and figuring out how many more races I can fit into my schedule this year.

I ran New Bedford in March, United Healthcare in May, will run Jamestown in July, Zooma in September, and Amica in October. And I don't like odd numbers, so I think running the 2nd annual Surftown Half in September would round things out nicely.

I ran this race last year, and it was, hands-down, one of the most beautiful race courses I've ever run on. Scenic from start to finish - and mostly flat, too.

And it just had a really fun vibe to it, from the surfboard mile markers to the awesome race shirts (the only race shirt I've ever received compliments on), to the festival set up in the parking lot next to the race start.

And I'm certain the race is going to be bigger this year, but the size last year was perfect - not too big, not too small. So even though it will likely be bigger this year, I don't think it will be too big.

I'm not committing yet, but I am seriously contemplating it. I'm loving the reduced mileage and the easier training schedule, but I am eager to challenge myself and get in some good race efforts this summer and fall, and I'm realizing why so many people love the half-marathon distance so much. And there are just so many great races out there - it's hard to limit yourself!

Would I qualify as a half fanatic?  Probably not. But I'm definitely starting to see the appeal!

United Healthcare Half-Marathon, Providence - My First Pacing Duties

I completed the Cox Rhode Races Half-Marathon - the first leg of the United Healthcare Triple Crown - yesterday, and I can honestly say that it was one of the most rewarding race experiences I've ever had.

I offered a while back to pace my friend Deb who was also running, and helped her put together a training plan and provided moral support and encouragement through the ups and downs of her training cycle.

As race day got closer, we reviewed her time goals, and I knew that I would be able to run the distance at the pace she was aiming for, but I was a little nervous about whether or not I'd prove to be a good pacer. It's something I've never done for anyone, and never had anyone do it for me, either, so I didn't have any experiences to draw from.

In the end, though, I figured that I should just do what I imagine I'd want a pacer to do for me - keep me on track, and keep me motivated.

Race-day weather was beautiful - cloudy and relatively cool (low 50s). I was kind of wishing the sun would come out, but as it turns out, it was nice that it didn't. The few times it did peek through, it immediately started to feel much, much warmer, and we were glad to see the cloud cover reappear and stick around for most of the race. 

We lined up at the 10:00 pace marker, as that was our plan for at least the first 8 miles. I've never been so relaxed at the starting line of a race - it was nice, but felt kind of odd, too.

A friend of Deb's was also planning to run with us, and I snapped a few pictures as we waited at the start. I decided Friday that it would be fun to bring my camera and try to take some pictures during the race - something I've never done before, because I'm always too busy running as fast as I can, and not wanting to waste a single second. 

The gun went off, and it was a good 30 seconds before we crossed the mat, but then we were off, heading along the river and chatting away.

It's a very different experience running toward the back of the pack. Things are a little less serious, and a lot more chatty. Everywhere around us, people were talking and laughing. It was fun! Which is not to say that I don't usually have fun when I race - I do enjoy it, but in a different way.

But I was definitely enjoying this, too! There were a few times during the first mile that we were going a little too fast, but in the end, we ran it in 10:06. The second mile got away from us a bit - we ran that one in 9:46. But quickly got it back under control for miles 3 and 4, both of which came in at 10:01. And at Mile 4, our time was just over 40 minutes, so we were right on pace.

Everyone seemed to still be feeling pretty good at this point. We had run a few of the hills on the course, and I tried to beef up the encouragement during those : )  The course has a decent amount of hills, but most of them are pretty gradual inclines, so they don't really affect your time all that much - they just sap your motivation. I was doing my best to keep everyone upbeat and get them over those hills without feeling too beat up, and I think I was doing an ok job.

We ran miles 5 and 6 at 9:59 and 10:08, and at some point in there, I ran ahead to snap a picture. I had hoped to take a few more, but once we picked up the pace after mile 8, I wanted to stay right with Deb and her friend. But I'm glad I got at least that one shot.

Mile 7 has the longest hill on the course. Again, not terribly steep, but loooooooooong. We got over it, though, and it only slowed us to 10:20 for that mile. And we cruised along for Mile 8, finishing it in 9:52.

This was when Deb had planned to pick up the pace, and she was ready for it, so we agreed that we were going to push it to 9:45 and see how that was feeling. 

Only problem is that we suddenly found ourselves running a 9:00 pace - oops! As soon as I saw that, I let everyone know, and we got ourselves back down to 9:45 pretty quickly, and ended up finishing Mile 8 in 9:52.

I didn't want to push too hard, but I was pretty sure Deb had a little more in her, so I worked hard to keep us closer to 9:45 for Mile 10, and it worked - 9:46.

We were heading into the bike path section now, and back towards the city. Just a 5K to go. I didn't want to really push the pace too early, so we settled in for a 9:42 for Mile 11.

Going into the race, Deb had hoped for a sub-2:10, but had a "B" goal of 2:15. I knew she'd get her "B" goal no problem, but I wanted her to get under 2:10. Even before we started running, I wanted that for her, but then once we were out there, her goal became my goal. I wanted that sub-2:10 for us just as bad as I wanted my 3:38 in Gansett.

And as we headed into Mile 12, and I was watching the clock and running numbers in my head, and I knew we were going to be really, really, really close to sub-2:10, I got that same feeling I get when I'm chasing down a goal of my own, and it was tough for me not to start sprinting to try to get us there. But I also knew that I had to make sure that we saved some energy for the final stretch.

I knew Deb was getting tired. Mostly because she told me she was!  But I could see it on her face, too. But I also knew that she was not going to throw in the towel. Mile 12 beeped at 9:26.

And as we crossed the Mile 12 marker, we were at exactly 2 hours. I thought for sure we had the sub-2:10, but I didn't want to take any chances, so we picked up the pace yet again.

I glanced down at my Garmin and saw that we were well under a 9:00 pace, and I knew how bad Deb must have been hurting at this point, but we both knew that we were so close to that goal, so we didn't back off.

And I didn't tell her how fast we were running. Throughout the entire race, I had given very frequent updates on our pace, but now, I knew and she knew that it didn't matter - she was giving it her all, and it would either be good enough or it wouldn't, but she would walk away knowing that she had left it all on the course. 

As we hit the 13-mile mark and approached the final turn, I still wasn't entirely sure whether or not we had done it, since my Garmin time and the clock time were not in sync, and I wasn't sure exactly how far off they were. But I wasn't about to mention that, because we were still going to go for it, no matter what.

We ran the final .1 at an 8:10 pace : ) 

As it turns out, our official time was 2:10:58. Not the "A" goal we were shooting for, but a FIFTEEN minute PR for Deb. FIFTEEN minutes!!!!! 

I am immensely proud of my friend, who faced numerous setbacks with her training (due to illnesses, asthma, and other roadblocks), but who stuck with it and ran a great race, and is well on her way to a sub-2-hour marathon in the not-so-distant future.

And I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to experience the race from this perspective. Helping someone achieve their goal is every bit as rewarding and satisfying as achieving your own - maybe even more so.

It was also just plain fun to be out there with a friend, sharing those 13.1 miles, talking and laughing, making the miles pass so much faster.

And since this was a much slower pace than I would normally run a half, I'm feeling great today, and basically counting it as a long training run. It's awfully nice to come home from a half-marathon and feel like you have energy to spare!

I'll be back to my usual racing self at the next Triple Crown race - in Jamestown, in July - but I'm really glad I kicked things off this way.

For so long, running was such a solo endeavor for me, but I'm happy to be finding ways to make it less solitary. I'll still savor the times I run alone, because I do need that quiet in my crazy busy life, but there's so much to be gained from running with others, and I'm glad I'm finding that side of it, too.

And because I always post the numbers -

2:10:58

10:01 pace

139 and 140 of 275 in our age group

1299 and 1300 of 2700 overall

United Healthcare Triple Crown Kickoff

The pain of the marathon's final miles are so quickly forgotten, and I'm already anxiously awaiting the next time I get to pin a race number to my shirt.

Lucky for me, it's right around the corner - the Cox Rhode Races half-marathon on May 6, also known as the first leg of the United Healthcare Triple Crown.

I've run this race every year since its inception, so even though I knew it was just 3 weeks post-Gansett, I signed up again this year, wanting to keep the streak going.

And as luck would have it, a good friend of mine is also running, looking for a PR, but running a pace that's slower than what I would normally run a half, so I offered to pace her, and she accepted.

Running with a friend, and hopefully helping her to a new PR, is going to make for such a great experience!

And when I signed up, I thought to myself that I'd be so burned out from training for and running Gansett, that I'd have no problem keeping to a slower pace at Cox, and not pushing myself too hard and ending up injured.

But here I am, not even a week later, already itching to get back to the track and put some training plans in place for the summer and early fall.

So I'm thankful not only for the opportunity to run with a friend and see her accomplish her goal, but for the fact that she's going to keep me from really racing this one. It'll be good for me both mentally and physically to just go out and run a race for fun. I need that, and I'm really excited for it.

Since I just ran a marathon, my 'training' for this race consists of not really training. I took all of this week off from running, and have just been doing some cross-training. I'll go for a run tomorrow, and then will get in a few easy runs this week, and probably aim for close to a 10-miler next weekend - all at a nice, slow pace, though.

That, combined with my Gansett training, should be more than enough to carry me through the 13.1.  Won't be breaking any records, but I'll definitely be having a great time!

A PR, and Some Lessons Learned - New Bedford Half Marathon

I went into the New Bedford Half hoping for a PR, but also viewing it as an experiment and a testing ground of sorts.

I wanted to start slow, and really practice pacing myself so that I didn't go out too fast (something I still struggle with on training runs and at races). And I also wanted to see, once I did start picking up the pace, just how fast I could go in a longer distance race.

I'm now in my second round of marathon training in just 9 months, which means I have a LOT of speedwork under my belt, as well as a LOT of long runs and a LOT of tempo runs. The improvements have been apparent in my 5K time, and in my training, but I wanted to put them to the test at a longer event, and see what I could do.

The late start time (11am) meant that I didn't have to get up crazy early Sunday morning, even though the drive to New Bedford is just over an hour. But of course I was up crazy early anyway. I wasn't that nervous about the race, since I wasn't terribly focused on a specific time goal, but the excitement and nervous energy kicked in as it always does, so I found myself alone in the kitchen at 5:30am having my coffee.

Helping Scott get the kids dressed and fed and ready for their day helped distract me and keep me busy until I left the house around 8:30.

I got there with lots of time to spare, which was good, because it took me a little while to find a parking spot, and I ended up parking on the street a few blocks away from number pickup. I had plenty of time, though, to get my stuff, bring it back to my car, make a few pit stops, and then head up to the start.

The weather was supposed to be fairly warm (near 60), but there was a decent breeze off the ocean, so I was glad I had chosen to wear my arm warmers with my tank top and shorts. They worked out perfectly - I never got too warm, but they also provided much-needed coverage when we ran into that cool ocean breeze many times during the course of the race.

Once I was waiting at the start, I went through my usual nervous moments, and then as the clock ticked down toward 11am, I got myself into that wonderful calm moment of peace that I seem to always enjoy just before the gun goes off.  I think once I know that I'm really on the verge of actually getting going, I can finally calm down and get myself centered.

And that's where I was when my feet crossed the mat. Ready, and happy to be finally racing.

I was bound and determined to NOT go out too fast, and as I knew it would be, it was a real challenge. This is a seriously competitive race. Tons of track clubs and running clubs are in attendance, and lots of people use it as a tuneup race for Boston, so the talent is impressive, and the field is very fast.

I held back, though, and just kept repeating in my head that I needed to run my own race. I knew full well that even if I had the race of my life, I wouldn't be anywhere near fast enough to even come close to placing in my age group, and although a PR would be nice, it was more important to stick to my plan and start slow.

So I was actually really pleased when I saw my Garmin reading 8:18 for the first mile. And even happier when I saw 8:20 for the second mile. Victory - finally - a race where I was able to keep my speed in check for the first two miles!

It got a little harder after that, though. I was glad I was sticking to the plan, but I was really having to fight the urge to not panic that maybe I was going too slow, and that it was feeling too easy.

The long hill at mile 3 kind of squashed that way of thinking, though. I did run that mile slightly faster - 8:11 - but it definitely did not feel easy.

Once I recovered from the hill, though, I felt like it would be ok to slowly begin to pick up the pace, and mile 4 came in at 8:02. Still somewhat conservative, but a little faster. And I was feeling pretty fantastic at this point. Aside from the mile 3 hill, most of the course had been flat, and the stretch ahead, from what I could tell, looked like more of the same.

So I gave myself permission to head into a tempo-run pace, and see how it felt. I wanted to just go with it and see how long I could hold that pace. I've had so much success with my 8-mile tempo runs throughout this training cycle, I thought for sure that I'd have no problem running the remainder of the race at that speed (or at least close to it).

And for a few miles, I didn't have a problem with it. Miles 5, 6, 7, and 8 - 7:30, 7:32, 7:26, and 7:37. And not only was I holding a great pace, but I felt amazing!  I wasn't struggling in the least bit - I was comfortable, I felt like I was flying down the road, and having the time of my life.

Then we turned the corner to run along the ocean. It was very scenic, and flat, but the wind. Ugh. The wind. I don't know how strong it actually was, but I do know that it was strong enough to almost instantly turn my floating-on-air feeling into a trudging-through-mud feeling.

And I'm not entirely sure how long that oceanside stretch was, but it felt like it lasted forever. My awesome 7:30-ish pace had suddenly become a 7:50 pace, then a 7:46 pace.

When we finally turned and left the ocean behind us, I thought I'd be able to get back to that faster pace, and I tried. I tried so, so hard. But it just wasn't going to happen. 7:53 and 7:47 for the next two miles.

I wasn't giving up, though. I was fighting, and I was working so hard, but no matter what I did, I just couldn't get back to that pace - and I definitely couldn't get back to feeling amazing. I wanted out. I wanted to be done.

And then there was the hill at mile 12. I had heard about it, so I knew it was coming, and I hadn't been all that concerned about it. I run lots of hills on my training runs, and I've run lots of races that have hills at or near the end, so it's not something that really gets me worried.

But now, with the way I was feeling, I was dreading it. There was no choice but to put my head down and get up it, though. There was no way I was stopping to walk. I refused.

Mile 13 was a completely demoralizing, discouraging, and depressing 8:03.

Thankfully, I had just enough for one last little kick to the finish, and was happy to cross in 1:44-something, which I knew, adjusted for the gun time, would translate to 1:43-something, which I knew was a pretty decent PR.

I almost never feel really hungry after a big effort like that, but this time, I was starving, and grabbed several slices of orange. Orange slices have never tasted so good : )

It's hard to describe how I feel about this race. I walked away with a really nice PR (almost 2 minutes), but I feel like I executed it so poorly, and I had such a hard time running the second half of the race, it's hard to really enjoy it.

I am proud, though. To take nearly 2 minutes off your half-marathon time in less than a year is no small feat, and I guess the fact that I did that despite feeling like crap for half the race means I should be that much more proud of it.

But I also want to keep in mind how awful I felt, so that I never make that same mistake again. I did well easing into the first few miles, but when I picked up the pace, I thinnk I picked it up a little bit too much.

I also think I should have taken a Gu or some kind of fuel at the halfway point. Up to now, I've never fueled during a half, and I've never felt it really had any negative affect on me. But I've also never pushed quite that hard during a half, and I think that had a lot to do with why I faded so badly during those final miles.

So I'm not going to feel too discouraged, and instead am going to see this as a very valuable learning experience. And for the first 7 miles, I was really enjoying myself - the race is very well-organized, with lots of spectators, a nice course, and the best water stops I've ever experienced. Every water stop was spread out over several hundred yards, making it so easy to find someone to grab a cup from without having to worry about crashing into other runners.

Which is a great segue into the other valuable thing I learned from this race - I am able to drink water while running!  I've wanted to try this other times, but always opted to just stop and walk. But this time, I went for it - I grabbed a cup, pinched it together, and was able to take several good sips and spilled almost none of it on myself. So that was my other little victory for the day.

All in all, kind of a tough day, but still a good effort, still a PR, and still a great training experience as I get closer and closer to April 14. 

The final numbers -

1:43:43

7:55 pace

38 of 338 in my age group

812 of 2771 overall

And now, I continue to move forward.

Four weeks 'til Gansett!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ready to Tackle 13.1 For the Seventh Time

The best way to describe the last few weeks of marathon training is emotional upheaval. I keep going back and forth between exhiliration and despair. Exhiliration that the end is in sight, and my training is on track, and I'm well-positioned for a great race. Despair that I still have 4 more weeks of training ahead of me, including a few more grueling track workouts and one more 20-miler.

Because I'm running the New Bedford Half on Sunday, I backed off a bit on my tempo run Thursday. I ended up running an average 8:04 pace, with the first few and last few miles easy, and just a couple of fast miles in between. It was a nice break mentally and physically.

The race is going to be good, too. So much more fun to line up and run 13 miles in a race, rather than set out on a long run all by my lonesome. The excitement of race day is going to inject some much-needed fun into my training.

The weather is actually looking like it's going to be even warmer than I had hoped. Not hot, by any means, but close to 70, which is going to feel pretty darn warm - especially for the middle of March!  I love the warm weather, but I am a little concerned that it's going to slow me down.

That being said, I'm not super committed to a time goal for this race. I'd love to PR, and I'd love to come in right around 1:43 (which would be a PR by almost 2 minutes). But if that doesn't happen, I'm not going to be terribly upset.

My primary goal is to pace myself properly!  I NEED to not go out too fast in Gansett, which is going to be extremely difficult, for so many reasons - Scott and the boys will be there to see me start (they weren't there at either of my other two marathons, so this is a huge deal!); it's my third marathon, and one I feel extremely honored and proud to be running in; and finally, the first mile is flat as a pancake, and is part of the Super 5K course which I recently started at well under a 7:00 pace, and I'm going to need to work really hard to remind my legs that this is NOT the Super 5K, and is nowhere near a short race, and I need to save my energy.

So this weekend's race, instead of being focused on my overall average pace, I'm going for some serious negative splits. At least the first 3 or 4 miles will be run at approximately marathon pace, or even a little slower.

After that, if I'm feeling good (and I hope that I am), I'll push it to close to a tempo run pace, hoping for a few miles around 7:40, and then if I feel up to it, I'd like to finish the second half at a 7:30 pace. I've been able to run several of my 8-mile tempo runs at well under a 7:30 pace, so I think this should be very doable for me, but as always, I won't know until I'm actually out there.

So instead of thinking speedy thoughts, I'm thinking 'smart pacing' thoughts.

And as the title says, this will be my seventh half-marathon. Not counting the year I ran just 3 months postpartum, and the Surftown half, which I ran as a training run, my half-marathon times have gone as follows: 2:14:34, 1:53:25, 1:50:09, and 1:45:09.

I see a very nice trend there, and I'm hoping it continues : )

I'm strong enough. I'm fast enough. I'm ready for this.

Hang 13.1 - Inaugural Surftown Half-Marathon

I don't think I've run a race 'just for fun' since I was pregnant two years ago, so it was very strange to not feel the familiar, almost-week-long pre-race jitters that I usually feel as a big race approaches.

But I knew when I put this race on my calendar that it would be imperative that I run it as a training run, instead of going all out and trying for a PR. With only 4 weeks left to go 'til the marathon, it's not time to deviate from the plan and waste time and energy on a smaller race.

That being said, I didn't plan to just go out at a leisurely jog, either. My goal was to run the 13.1 miles at as close to marathon race pace (8:23) as possible.

This was my chance to really get a feel for what it would be like to hold that pace for a long distance, in race conditions. And it just so happened that my training schedule called for 15 miles at an 8:30 pace that day, so the race fit perfectly into my schedule.

More perfection - the weather. It was a bit windy in spots, but aside from that, it could not have been better. Cool - in the very low 60s - dry, and blue skies. It was downright chilly as we waited at the start, but I knew once we got moving, it would feel great.

This was the first time I've ever worn arm warmers for a race, and they worked out perfectly - kept me just warm enough when the wind was blowing and cooling things off, but didn't make me feel overheated, the way a long-sleeved shirt would have.

The pre-race nerves didn't get to me the week before the race, but they definitely hit that morning, and I was a nervous wreck. I knew I wasn't going out for a PR, and that I wouldn't have to run super fast, but I did have a very specific goal in mind, so I was still feeling some pressure.

And since this was very much a test run for the big day, I tried to get myself in the mindset that I was out there to run 26.2 miles. I wanted to pretend, at 2 miles, that I had 24 more to go. And at 8 miles, that there was still 16 left to go. I hoped that this strategy would help me reign myself in, and prevent me from going too fast in the early miles.

Happily, it seemed to work! I did still have a few miles that were a bit too fast, but overall I paced myself pretty well.

But the best part of all is that I ran an 8:21 pace for the entire distance, and I felt FABULOUS! On Facebook, I described it as feeling 'almost easy,' which is pretty accurate. It wasn't effortless by any means, but it felt like a very comfortable, very sustainable pace.

And believe me, I know that running that pace for twice the distance is a whole different ballgame, and is going to feel much, much harder. But I now feel like it's very doable.

I had hoped this race would restore my confidence, which has been flagging a bit, and thankfully, it did just that.

The course was billed as 'breathtaking, scenic, and flat,' and that description was accurate, on all three counts. I've lived in Rhode Island for 10 years now, and had spent barely any time in Westerly until the boys and I went down there one day this summer, and I was flabbergasted at how gorgeous it was, and how foolish I'd been for not going down there sooner.

So I knew that the race would be as scenic as promised, and in fact, after looking at the course map, I had a pretty good idea of exactly what it was going to look like. The first 5 miles of the course ran along roughly the same route as the Shoreline Biathlon that I've done several times - lots of oceanfront scenery, and flat as a pancake.

And the last 8 miles wound through some beautiful backroads with lots of pretty wooded neighborhoods and nice houses. Very peaceful, but also interesting enough that it never got boring.

There was one major hill on the course, in the village of Watch Hill. It was short and steep, so it was over quickly, and didn't set me back too badly. And when you got to the top of the hill, you were treated to the sight of this spectacular landmark, and the sunlight sparkling on the ocean beyond it, so it was well worth the climb : )

It was really nice to run on such a beautiful course. I know that the routes I train on most weekends are also along the ocean, and there are some really gorgeous, scenic spots that I run past every single week. But I've been running past them Every. Single. Week. - and yes, I've become a bit jaded, and the beauty doesn't strike me all that much anymore; especially at mile 18 of a 20-mile run.

So I think, even more than the fact that the scenery was beautiful, was the fact that it was new, and different, and I didn't feel like I was slogging over the same path that I've run countless times this summer.

The miles flew by, and there were only a handful of times that I felt tired. And not once did I feel like I didn't want to be out there. I reveled in every moment of that race, and spent a lot of time smiling, which is something I haven't done much of lately while running. 

This marathon training has sucked some of the joy out of running for me these past few weeks, and it was really, really nice to feel that happiness again. To be happy just to be out there putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward, just for the fun of it. Yes, I had a goal in mind, but I knew it wasn't an incredibly lofty goal, and I knew that falling a little bit short of that goal would be no big deal, so I gave myself permission to just HAVE FUN, even if it meant slowing down a bit here and there.

In the end, my pace averaged out to 8:21, and it broke down as follows:

8:17, 8:24, 8:34, 8:12, 8:17, 8:43, 8:13, 8:41, 8:21, 8:29, 8:13, 8:23 - and in the final 1.1, I really had some fun - 8:01, 7:21.

It was nice to finish a race feeling like I had something left in the tank, and to not feel like I was on the verge of collapsing. I accomplished what I set out to do, and I felt great while doing it. A win-win situation, for sure.

So now I focus on my final 20-miler this weekend, and then begin the process of tapering. It seems unreal to me that the race is only 4 weeks away, and that I've completed 12 weeks of training to get to this point.

I know there will be more ups and downs during these final 4 weeks, but now, when I feel that doubt creeping in, I can shift my thoughts back to Sunday's race, and to how awesome I felt, and to how well-prepared my body was for that effort, and to how happy I was just to be out there running. 

I'm going after something big here, and it's going to be hard work, and it's not always going to feel good. But even in the midst of the pain, I need to remember why I do this - because it's fun, and I love it, and in the end, that's what matters most.

Final stats for the Surftown Half -

1:50:48

254 of 812 overall

76 of 455 females

15 of 81 in my age group

Far from a PR, but the confidence this race gave me is so much more valuable to me right now than a PR, and will help me so much more in these final 4 weeks.

FOUR WEEKS!!!!!!!!

Cox Providence Half-Marathon - I Passed The Test!

Sunday's race was a test for me, and I'm happy to say that I passed with flying colors!

All winter and spring, I've been holding steady with my three days a week running plan, and running some of my fastest races ever. And even as I built up my long runs, I was still able to hold a faster pace over some considerable distances. So I had a lot of confidence going into this race - confidence that I'd set a new PR for sure, and that I had a very good shot at my ultimate goal of 1:45.

And as anyone who sees me on Facebook knows, I came within 9 seconds of that ultimate goal. You might think I'd be upset that I was 9 seconds too slow, but I most definitely am NOT!  1:45 was my oh-my-god-I-can't-believe-I-just-did-that goal; the one I was almost afraid to say out loud, because I knew it was so aggressive. So I am absolutely, positively, 100% thrilled to have missed that goal by only 9 seconds.

It helped greatly that the weather for race day could not have been more perfect. Literally perfect. It was probably about 50 degrees when the race started, and close to 60 by the time I finished. And dry. And sunny. With briiliant, beautiful blue skies. Perfection.

I rode up with a woman from the local running group. We did a few runs together a month or so ago, and found out we were both doing the race Sunday, so decided to drive up together. It was good to have someone to talk to - a much-needed distraction as the pre-race jitters were in full swing.

I had picked up my packet the day before (we took the boys into Providence to see the circus, which was very conveniently located right next door to where the race expo was being held, so it worked out perfectly - and the circus was definitely a great way to get my mind off the race - distraction extraordinaire!), so there wasn't much that I had to do, but I waited while Wendy picked up her stuff, then we headed over to bag check, hit the porta-potties, and before we knew it, it was time to make our way to the start.

We found a spot in the 8-minute pace group, wished each other good luck (she was planning a slower pace than me, so we knew we wouldn't be running together), and a few minutes later, the gun sounded.

I love the first part of this course. It runs along the river, then turns a corner to head into the east side of the city. And with the gorgeous weather and blue skies, it was even prettier than usual, and I was hit with such a huge boost of confidence, and honestly felt like I knew I was going to run the 1:45. All the doubts that had been creeping into my head since Saturday had suddenly vanished. They'd return later, of course, when I started to feel tired, but for now, I was invincible : )

I was also, as usual, going out too fast. I looked down to see my Garmin register a 7:40 for the first mile. Oops. Little too fast. Will I ever learn?!

The first half of the course has quite a few hills, though, so I knew that would keep me honest and force me to slow down a little bit - and it did - mile 2, 7:47. Still a bit too fast, but better. And feeling great.

I had decided I'd stop at every other water stop, so I skipped the first one and stopped at the second one, during mile 4. A decent-sized hill during mile 3 slowed me to 8:02 for that mile, and then the water stop and another hill during mile 4 slowed me to 8:12. I had just a brief moment of panic about slowing down so much, but I quickly pushed that thought out of my head. I knew with the faster-than-necessary first two miles, it would all even out.

I worked on getting myself back on pace during mile 5, though - 8:06. I was still feeling fantastic, but I had expected to feel pretty good at this point. I had actually expected to feel pretty good up through mile 8 or 9. That's when I figured I'd start to feel tired.

But for now, I was just cruising along, enjoying the sights and the songs on my playlist.

Mile 6 wasn't quite as hilly, and I was able to get back down to 7:52, and when I got to the halfway point I saw that I was in fact exactly on target for a 1:45 finish, and I knew that, despite being a little inconsistent with my pacing, I was doing just fine.

Mile 7, however, is one of the biggest hills on the course. I remembered this from last year, so I was prepared, but it still took a little of the wind out of my sails, and was probably the one moment during the race that I felt like I might not be able to keep this pace up the whole time.

Once we finally hit the top of the hill, though, and I had a chance to recover a bit, I bounced right back, and kept reminding myself that there were only 6 miles left, and most of them were flat. And even with the huge hill, I  finished mile 7 in 7:51!

It was about this time that I started thinking that I felt too good, and maybe that meant that I was holding back too much, and I should try to pick up the pace a bit. I knew it was kind of a dangerous game to be playing, since I didn't want to push too hard when I still had several miles to go, but I also didn't want to cross the finish line thinking that I could have run harder.

So I pushed it just a little bit, and took advantage of the few downhills on this stretch of the course, and miles 8 and 9 came in at 8:04 (another water stop) and 7:48. And now, as I headed into mile 10, fatigue began to make itself known.

This is exactly what I had expected, though, so I wasn't too discouraged by it, and still managed a 7:49 for that mile.

When I had reviewed the elevation chart on Saturday, I saw the big hill at mile 11, but couldn't picture it in my head. But as I came up to the base of that hill now, the memories came flooding back. It's not a terribly long hill, but it's steep enough to hurt a little - especially since it's at mile 11 of a 13.1-mile race.

But I knew this was it - the absolute final climb of the course - so I dug in and got up and over, and still pulled off an 8:05 for mile 11, and thanks to a nice flat stretch, a 7:45 for mile 12!  

I tried to hold a faster pace for mile 13, too, but my legs just wouldn't have it. Still got a sub-8, though, by one second. Mile 13 - 7:59.

I knew at this point that I had my PR, but I wasn't sure what my actual time was going to be since my Garmin, as always, was not in sync with the race clock. And I couldn't see the finish line yet, so there was some fun anticipation before I turned the final corner, wondering how close I was going to be able to get to my ultimate goal.

I had taken my headphones off shortly before the final turn - I like to hear the crowd as I head into the chute. And as I finally got close enough to see the clock, I knew I was going to just miss 1:45, but that I was going to come really, really close, and that I was really, really happy, considering that I was on the verge of setting a new PR that was a full FIVE MINUTES faster than the old one!!!!!

The final .1 mile was run at a 7:19 pace. I'm glad I still had that final kick in me, because it felt great to sprint across that finish line.

And as soon as I stopped, everything hurt. Everything.

I kept moving, milling about, to try to keep the blood flowing. Collected my medal, got some water, and watched a few friends cross the finish line.

As I made my way over to get something to eat, I was almost shaking my head in disbelief. I had felt so confident that I could do this, but at the same time, I sort of couldn't believe that I had actually done it.

So I missed the goal by 9 seconds, but I still passed the test. I've known for a while that I had the speed, but the question that needed answering was whether or not I had both the speed AND the endurance. And now I can say that the answer is YES.

And thus begins the journey to qualifying. Whether it's for Boston, or for Gansett, I'm planning on running a marathon this fall and finishing in 3:45 (or less).

First step is to visit my physical therapist and check in with her. As of right now, I'm feeling no symptoms at all (she said, as she furiously knocked on wood), but I want to pick her brain a bit, and get her thoughts on my plans and goals.

Next step is to do a little more increasing of my mileage over the next two months. Even though marathon training wouldn't officially begin until the end of June, I want to ramp up my mileage now and see how my body responds. Hopefully there won't be any issues, and I can just proceed with training on schedule. But if there are issues, it will give me a chance to address them when I'm not under the pressure of a plan.

But for now, I'm still glowing, and still reveling in a fantastic performance at a great race on a beautiful day : ) 

13.1 miles

1:45:09

8:02 pace

368 out of 2400 overall

102 of 1450 females

31 of 412 in my age group

Oh, and did I mention - a FIVE-minute PR???!!!!!

Ready

Today was my final run before the half. I'll work out tomorrow and Friday, but no more running. I did 4 miles today, and it was a struggle to keep it an 'easy' run. I kept feeling like I should be picking up the pace, or running some hills.

But I kept reminding myself that I'm ready. I haven't followed a specific training plan, but I've done a lot of quality training runs, and I feel healthy and strong and so ready to tackle this race. It's constantly on my mind, but not in a bad way. I keep visualizing the finish line, and various points during the race, and thinking about what I'll need to do when I start feeling tired.

I'm aiming for just over an 8-minute-per-mile pace. I don't know how close to 8:00 I can get, but I'm thinking that anywhere between 8:03 and 8:05 is reasonable. It's going to feel great for the first 6 or 7 miles, and ok for miles 8 and 9, and maybe even mile 10. Then, I'm pretty sure it's going to become more of a mental battle than a physical one. But I'm prepared for that, and I know I can get through it.

As I was looking over my past times for this race, I realized that my PR is not 1:48 - that's what I was aiming for when I ran it in 2008, but I came up short and ran 1:50. So 1:50 is the time to beat, and unless something goes horribly wrong, I'm almost certain I can beat that.

The ultimate goal is 1:45. The still-pretty-awesome-and-still-a-big-PR goal is 1:47. And as long as I come in at or under 1:50, I'll be pleased.

1:45 would thrill me beyond belief, though. "Run Less, Run Faster" predicts that a 3:45 (BQ for my age group) marathon is doable if you can run a half in 1:47:25, so running one in 1:45 would give me a little bit of breathing room and a whole lot of confidence.

I have my playlist ready, and I'm making a mental list of all the things I need to bring on race morning, and my emotions seesaw between terror and elation. I just can't wait to actually be there at the starting line.

Right now, weather forecast looks good - dry, with temps in the low 50s. Perfect, I think!

So now, I wait.......

Cox Providence Shape Up RI Half-Marathon

Every night for at least the past 2 months, Carmine has gone right to sleep after I feed him in the middle of the night, but of course the night before I was about to run the longest race I had run in a year, he decided that he'd give me trouble about going back to sleep, and had me up for over an hour after I had finished feeding him. He wasn't crying - just squirming and fussing now and then, and even trying to talk to me, and smiling and laughing a bit. He just plain wasn't sleepy!  

And of course I was sitting there watching the minutes tick by, thinking about how my alarm was going to be going off in three hours....    Finally he went to sleep, though, and since I rarely get a really good night's sleep the night before a race, it probably wasn't any worse than I've slept on any other race day eve. 

Alarm went off at 5am, and I had my coffee, bagel and banana, got dressed, and got all my stuff together and ready to go. At 6am, Carmine woke up, and I realized I now have one more pre-race ritual: nurse the baby. Luckily I had everything else ready to go, so I had just enough time to sit down and feed him and then dashed out the door at 6:35. 

Picked up my friend and running partner for the day, and we headed up to Providence. We got to the race start with about 40 minutes to spare, and immediately hit the porta-potties, knowing the lines would only get longer. Then we checked out the post-race setup and figured out a place to meet up, and then hit the porta-potties one more time. We literally just barely made it to the start - we were both walking out as they were singing the national anthem, and a minute later, we were off! 

I've run lots of races with people I know, but have never actually run with someone for the whole race (or even part of the race), but we were both planning about a 10:00 pace, so planned to run together for as long as possible. I hoped I'd be able to speed up a bit as we got toward the final miles, and we both agreed that neither of us would be upset if the other chose to go ahead. 

The weather was great - a little warm and humid for this time of year, but there was a nice cloud cover, so it never got too hot. The start was awesome, watching the wall of runners ahead, all of us making our way through the very flat first mile that wound down along the river and through the city. 

The second mile was the first of the hills - not too steep, but very long. These first few miles were the same as last year's course, but somewhere farther along, they had changed from last year's course, and it was definitely a little less hilly than last year, and the previous year, which was a welcome change. Still plenty of hills, but they were mostly gradual inclines, and they did a good job of avoiding the steeper inclines that we had run up the other years. This is the third year they've had this race, and the third course design, so they're clearly trying to tweak things a bit. Personally I think this was the best one yet. 

Since I'm nursing, deyhdration is even more of a concern for me during a long run like this, and on top of that, it was such a warm day, so we stopped at every single water stop on the course. The quick walk breaks were nice, and the water was definitely a necessity. 

As much as I love listening to my music when I run, I found that it was really, really nice to have someone to talk to during a race. I think if I was going for a PR or something, I wouldn't feel that way, but since I was in this just to finish, the company was so nice to have, and the first 10 miles of the race literally flew by. 

We were maintaining a pretty consistent pace, somewhere between 9:30 and 9:40 - a little faster than we had planned, but we both felt good, so stuck with it. The hills were rolling, and slowed us down a bit, but nothing too drastic. And thankfully, the sun stayed away, so although the air was kind of heavy and humid, it never felt terribly hot. 

At mile 7, we took a longer break at the water stop and downed a few shot bloks with our water. I typically don't eat anything during a half-marathon, but I felt like it might help me today, so I decided to give it a try. I'm not really sure how much it helped, if at all, but it didn't hurt, so, no harm done. 

Miles 8 and 9 were actually fairly flat, and we were soon coming back to the river, and to the bike path that would lead us back into the city. There were several times during miles 7 - 9 that I felt like I could pick up the pace a bit, but then a few minutes later I'd feel like I was glad I hadn't, so although I was tempted to push ahead early, I didn't, and in retrospect, that was definitely the right decision. 

At mile 10, though, I knew I had it in me to go a little faster for the final 5K, so I said goodbye to Jill and took off. I didn't speed up that much - averaged just under a 9-minute mile for those last few miles - but it was enough that I definitely felt it, especially since I hit the final two hills of the course just a few minutes later. 

I powered up those hills, and took comfort in the fact that they were in fact the final hills I'd have to run, and that the rest of the course was flat as a pancake. And I could see the city skyline again, which was a welcome sight. 

I wasn't running all-out at this point, but I was pushing it pretty hard, and when I glanced at my Garmin, a few times I saw a sub-8:00 pace, which I really didn't think I had in me at that point!  

Miles 11 and 12 felt comfortably hard, and even though I was really working, I was also elated, because I knew that I was really going to do this - I knew that essentially, I already had done this - and it was a pretty awesome feeling - almost as exciting as when I ran my first half-marathon ever. 

Mile 13, though, sucked. I was spent. But I was determined to finish strong, so I pushed just hard enough to keep up my sub-9:00 pace, but not so hard that I'd be limping across the finish line. 

And I most definitely did not limp. I had just enough left for a final kick to the finish, cranking it up to a 7:47 pace for that final .1. 

And I crossed that finish line feeling pretty darn invincible, seeing as how it was just 3 and a half months ago that I had a baby, and it had been a full year since I had run 13 miles. 

I collected my medal, and since I felt my calves threatening to cramp up on me, I made sure to keep moving. I walked over and watched Jill come in about 5 minutes after me, then found her in the crowd, and we grabbed a bite to eat and headed back to the car. 

It was fun to recap the race as we drove home, and after I dropped her off, I had just enough time to get myself home and get a quick shower before moving on to my new post-race ritual: nursing the baby : )  

It was a great race, and a great day, and a great feeling of accomplishment for me. I registered for this race when I was still pregnant, so I'm really happy that I was able to follow through and complete it. 

And now I'm going to allow myself a good month's worth of low-mileage weeks. I worked up to this race pretty quickly, and I think my body deserves a little bit of a respite, and a little more cross-training for the next few weeks. I'll still run, but just lower mileage, and shorter long runs - at least until June, which is when I need to start ramping up the mileage again, in preparation for the Blessing of the Fleet 10-miler in July. 

It's so great to be racing again, and to be looking forward to the next race on my schedule, and planning my training. I handled my 4-month hiatus much better than I thought I would, and it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, but it's still awfully nice that it's over now! 

The final numbers: 

Finishing time - 2:08:07

479 out of 985 in my age group

1279 out of 2362 overall