Me and The Boys

A Blustery Day, and A New PR - Newport Half, Triple Crown Finale

Sunday's weather forecast called for "breezy" conditions. That was the understatement of the year.

I could hear the wind howling as soon as I woke up, and I knew it was going to make for an interesting morning.

Luckily it wasn't a cold wind - temps were in the 50s. Not hot, but certainly warm enough. But the wind. Yikes!

As I got ready, I reminded myself that I just needed to go out and run the best race I could, and if the wind slowed me down a little, so be it. It was something that was out of my control, so there was no use in getting all worked up over it.

I was a little disappointed it was so cloudy, though - I had been hoping to see the sunrise as I drove over the bridge. Instead, it was still dark when I pulled into town just before 7am. I had no problems parking and catching the shuttle bus, and was at the start line shortly after 7 - plenty of time to check my bag, wait in line forever at the porta-potties, and get in a quick warmup.

I headed over to the start at 7:45, and got a spot right in between the 7- and 8-minute pace signs - exactly where I wanted to be. The street the race starts on proved to be rather narrow, as we were quickly jammed in like sardines.

The combined field for the half and full (which start together) was about 5,000, I think, and I'm pretty sure that's about the same size as Hartford was last year, but I do not remember feeling anywhere near as claustrophobic at Hartford as I did in Newport yesterday morning.

And I knew that claustrophobic feeling was going to give way to a very, very congested start, with much dodging and weaving during the first mile in an attempt to find clear space in which to run.

And when the race finally began (a good 5 or 10 minutes late, and with no gun to signal the start - or at least not one that I could hear ???), that was in fact the case. I knew that, for once, I was in no danger of going out too fast - I couldn't have even if I wanted to. I doged, I weaved, and I ran soooo much slower than I wanted to be running.

But I didn't get stressed out. I figured that holding back now would turn out to be a good thing later on.

That being said, I wasn't terribly happy when I saw mile 1 beep at 7:54, and now that the field had finally spread out enough that I was able to really run, I ended up running mile 2 in 7:11. Probably a bit too fast, but I knew I wasn't going to keep that up, so I wasn't worried about picking it up too much for that one mile. And I really couldn't help it - I had a lot of pent-up energy from not being able to run the way I wanted for the first mile.

We had now gone through town and were heading out towards Fort Adams State Park, and up to this point, the wind hadn't been too much of a factor. It was windy in spots, to be sure, but it wasn't constant, so I didn't feel like I was struggling. In fact, I felt pretty good, and was resisting the urge to check my watch. I had checked it a bit after running mile 2 so quickly, and I now seemed to be settling into a pace in the range of 7:20 - 7:30, and it was feeling great, so I figured I'd stick with it.

When we hit Fort Adams, the wind became much more of an issue. It seemed to be coming from all directions at once, and the short loop we did through the park also included some small inclines, so that little stretch was somewhat challenging.

Miles 3 - 6 went pretty smoothly, though - 7:26, 7:25, 7:23, 7:23.

Then came mile 7. This was the part of the course that turns around a bend and leads up to a long ocean stretch. It's beautiful and scenic, but it's also completely exposed, which meant that when we came around that bend, it honestly felt like walking into a wall. And it was a wall. Of wind.

I am not exaggerating when I say that for most of mile 7, I was struggling just to stay upright. I honestly felt like I was in danger of being knocked over by the wind. It was that strong.

I also stopped during that mile to eat my gel and drink some water, and some of the water got blown out of my cup. Seriously. It was insane.

I managed to drink what was left, and sucked down the Gu before the wind ripped that out of my hands. As I chugged along, fighting the wind, I just reminded myself that I was already halfway done (and the first 6 miles had seemed to pass very quickly).  And I also told myself that eventually, we'd go around another bed and this wind would be at our backs.

That bend didn't come soon enough, but it did come. And when it did, I felt like I was suddenly running along a conveyor belt. Mile 7 - 7:31. Ugh. Miles 8 and 9 - 7:11. 7:13. Thank you, tailwind!

The wind was still blowing for the rest of the race, but the effects were moderated somewhat as we finished the last of the ocean stretch and headed back towards town. We ran past the mansions, and I kept thinking about how amazingly flat this course was compared to Jamestown and Zooma. It was so refreshing to not be constantly climbing hills! I was feeling tired, but it was very different from the kind of tired you feel in a really hilly race.

Miles 10 and 11 passed pretty uneventfully - 7:23, 7:26.

As we ran past the mansions and made our way back toward the beach, I could remember so vividly running that stretch 4 years ago in the full marathon, and I thought about how at that time, I was running more than 2 minutes per mile slower than I was running right now. So unbelievable to think about how hard I've worked and how far I've come since then : )

With that in mind, I thought I'd try to pick it up a bit for mile 12, but only got down to 7:22.

But after that, all bets were off. I was getting really tired, I wanted to just be done, and as I attempted to do the math in my head, I was pretty sure that I could actually pull off a PR. So I pulled out all the stops and ran as fast as I could, without so much as a single glance at my watch for the final 1.1 miles.

And oh my god, it sucked. I knew I was close to the finish, but it seemed painfully far away.

Then finally I was heading down the big hill we climbed at the start, and then back into the beach parking lot. And then, I was still running. And still running. And still running some more, along the length of the ENTIRE beach!  The whole time, I just kept thinking 'My god, how long IS this beach anyway?????'

As I fought for every last step of that final .1 miles, I watched the full marathon runners veering off to the right to continue on out of the parking lot, and I was so, so happy that I was not one of them.

Then finally, finally, the finish line was there, and as I sprinted across, it read 37:28!!!!

Complete and utter exhiliration, and complete and utter exhaustion. Two signs of a well-run race.

After I caught my breath, I checked my splits on my watch and saw that I had run mile 13 in 6:52, and the final (never-ending) .1 at 6:49 pace. No wonder it hurt so bad.

I knew I wasn't in contention for any awards at this race, and for the first time in quite a while, I actually didn't have any friends who had run, so I didn't hang around long.

I got my Triple Crown medal and goody bag (which was one of the best goody bags I've ever gotten - tons of great energy gels and bars) and shirt, and grabbed a quick bite to eat, and then I was off, basking in the glow of a great race and a 30-second PR.

I loved participating in this Triple Crown series this year. I think it's a great concept, and I'm pretty sure I'll be signing up for next year's. Focusing on the half-marathon distance this year has been a great experience for me, and has definitely taught me to maintain what are - for me, anyway - some pretty fast paces over a long distance, which has really boosted my confidence for Boston.

And I was very happy with the organization for all three races, and for the Triple Crown series itself - great communication from the race organizers, good support on the course, and nice courses, too. I don't know how many people participated this year, but I have a feeling the numbers will grow with next year's series.

And speaking of numbers -

1:37:27

7:27 pace

5 of 503 in my age group !!!!!!!!!!!!

23 of 1991 females

149 of 3300 overall

And, I noted as I was running that I crossed the 10-mile mark at just over 1:14 - a full two minutes faster than I ran the 10 miles at the Blessing a few months ago. I'll definitely be looking for a big PR at that race next year!!!

First things first, though - a little recovery, a few more track workouts, and then on to Philly to close out the year in style - running 13.1, and then cheering on all my friends who are running 26.2!!!!

Triple Crown Finale, Anaphylaxis Update, and More Boston Blathering

When I signed up for the Triple Crown series last spring, I decided that the Newport half-marathon was going to be my big race for the year. I was going to spend my summer and early fall working toward what I thought, at the time, was a blazing fast sub-1:40.

And then several weeks ahead of schedule, I went and ran a 1:38; which of course I was thrilled with, but which definitely left me wondering what I should now be aiming for in Newport. 

In the end, I decided not to really aim for anything. That was my 'plan' going into Jamestown, and going into Zooma, and it panned out very, very well, so I see no reason to change it.

That's not to say that I'm not racing, though. I still see this as my biggest effort of the year, and I want to make sure that when I cross that finish line, I have emptied the tank completely. As always, it will be interesting to see what that equates to on the race clock.

I'm excited to get out and race again, too. I have had so much fun racing all these half-marathons this year, and each one has been a slightly different experience, and each one has taught me something new.

In New Bedford, I learned how much it sucks when you pick up the pace too much too soon; in Providence, I learned how awesome it is to pace someone. In Jamestown, I learned that I am much better at pacing myself than I thought I was. In Cape Cod, I learned that I can run 13.1 miles at a 7:29 pace! Can't wait to see what I learn this weekend in Newport : )

Hopefully I won't be learning anything new about my mysterious anaphylaxis episodes. I returned to the allergist and described the Labor Day reaction to him, and in addition to making it clear to me that the 'sense of impending doom' that I felt that night is not just a feeling - it really is impending doom, and that's my signal to use the epi-pen.

He also diagnosed me with Idiopathic Anaphylaxis, which is just a fancy way of saying that my body is freaking out on totally random occasions for no apparent reason.

It's a very unsatisfying diagnosis, but I basically agree with it - I don't really feel that there is a trigger, aside from (sometimes) running. I've been keeping a very detailed food journal, and after I had another post-run outbreak of hives yesterday (no impending doom this time - just itchiness), I looked back at my journal and saw nothing at all out of the ordinary.

I'm frustrated, and mystified, and annoyed, but also not really sure what else I can do at this point, besides bring my epi-pen everywhere I go and hope for the best. 

And I'm doing my best to try not to dwell on it too much. The days that I have a reaction are kind of crappy. It puts me in a funk, which is then exacerbated by the fact that I also get completely loopy from the Benadryl that I have to take to get the hives under control.

But after a good night's sleep, I attempt to just put the whole thing behind me as best I can. People live with far worse issues than this, and I have to remember that and keep it all in perspective, and keep moving forward. 

And on the theme of moving forward - every day that goes by, I get more excited to start training for Boston. Seeing all the Facebook posts from friends who just ran or are about to run their fall marathons, and seeing all the updates about the Hartford marathon, and remembering all the excitement and anticipation I was feeling at this time last year......  I'm experiencing a little bit of marathon envy, which I think is a good thing - it means I've had enough of a break. I definitely feel ready to tackle a tough training plan again, and to get a little more serious and purposeful with my runs. 

That enthusiasm will undoubtedly fade after about 10 weeks or so, but then it will return tenfold as April 15 draws closer. I fully intend to race Boston, but I also fully intend to enjoy and savor every second of it. I feel pretty confident that I could requalify to run it again in 2014, but if I have the choice, I'd much rather come back and run Gansett again.

Maybe I'll run Boston another time, too, but in case I don't, I plan to soak up the experience completely - starting with the 16 weeks of training. Eight weeks and counting..... !!!!!

The Year of the Half

After my bizarre, out-of-the-blue allergic reaction Saturday night, I was really hoping to have a great run Sunday morning - one of the ones where I felt healthy and fit and strong the whole time. I needed that validation.

Luckily, I got it. I planned to run 10 miles, but was feeling so great that I ended up running just over 12. And I ran an 8:09 pace. And I felt fabulous the entire time. Good stuff.

Since I raced last week, and am racing again this weekend, it'll be a while before I do track work again, and I feel like I actually kind of miss it. I think I do miss the challenge a wee bit, but more than that, I miss my track partner. Now that school's back in session, and soccer has started, it's becoming more difficult for me to get out to group runs, and I'm missing the company.

Hopefully when I'm back in marathon training mode this winter, it'll be a little easier to meet up with people at least for my weekend long runs. I've done plenty of 20-milers solo, but I'd rather not do it too often, if I can help it.

Last year at this time, I was a bundle of nerves, counting down to Hartford, and wondering if I was going to be able to pull of my BQ time. And this year, I'm a bundle of nerves again - I've got my qualifying time, but since I'll be the last group to have an opportunity to register, it remains to be seen whether or not I'll actually get in before the race fills up.

I'm also a bundle of nerves thanks to the next race on my schedule - the Shoreline Biathlon in Westerly. Back to the race that started it all, 10 years ago - the first time I ever pinned a race bib to my shirt.

I fully anticipate a PR, and I think I even have a shot at an age-group award, so I'm excited to get out there and see what I can do. A little nervous, too, but it's more excited pre-race jitters than anything. I'll never get tired of those : )

I'll be feeling plenty of them come October - the race I've been working up to all summer - 13.1 in Newport, the final leg of the Triple Crown, and what will be my 5th half-marathon for the year.

I have one more half before that - Zooma Cape Cod - but I'm not planning on going all out at that one. The main reason I'm doing it is so I can have a weekend getaway on the Cape with a friend, and get to meet Sarah Bown Shea and Dimity McDowell, the authors of Run Like a Mother, as well as meeting up with some of the fabulous women from the Run Like a Mother Facebook community they've created.  The race is just the icing on the cake : )  I'm not going to run it at an easy pace, but I am going to save the real race pace for Newport.

Since Newport was my first full marathon, 4 years ago, this race is even more special to me.

Not only do I get to go back and run almost the same 13.1 miles that I ran in 2008 (the first half of the course is a little different now than it was then, but does cover much of the same territory), but I get to do it as a now three-time marathoner, a Boston qualifier, and a Gansett finisher. I've come a long way in those 4 years, and I think I'm going to reflect on that as I run in Newport again. 

And I'm also going to reflect on how happy I'll feel when I turn off to the finish chute at the 13.1 mile mark, instead of having to run twice that distance!!!  I'm excited to run 26.2 again next year, but happy to not be running it next month!

Last-Minute 5K, and Lots of Racing On the Horizon

I'm usually plan out my races pretty far in advance, but earlier this week I found out a few friends from the running club were going to do a 5K tomorrow night, and I knew I wanted in.

I like weeknight races - no need to mess with our weekend plans - and after an incredible track workout last week, I'm dying to see what I can do in a short-distance race (most of my summer races have been longer ones).

The track workout in question was 1-mile repeats. I planned to do 3 of them, but ended up doing 4, because I felt so great. Yes, I felt great after doing 3 x 1-mile repeats - who says that????  But even better than the fact that I felt fabulous is the fact that I ran each mile repeat at approximately a 6:30 pace!!!!!  And did I mention I did FOUR of them???

For someone who's aiming for a sub-21-minute 5K, a workout like that is a huge confidence booster. I'm certainly not expecting to run a 6:30 pace tomorrow night - I won't be taking 400m recovery laps in between each mile, after all - and I'm not expecting to break 21 minutes tomorrow night, either. But I am expecting to shave at least a little time off my 21:38 PR, and get closer to my ultimate goal.

Weather looks like it will cooperate, too - after two very steamy, muggy days, we're going to be treated to much drier, cooler air - so happy the timing worked out well with that!

After tomorrow, I'm going to focus on getting in a few more good bike rides to prepare for the biathlon; try to decide whether or not I'm doing the triathlon on the 16th; and continue with my weekly track workouts and tempo runs to get ready for the Zooma Cape Cod Half on September 22nd, and the Newport half - final leg of the Triple Crown - on October 14th.

I've been really good about sticking with the track workouts, but last week was the first tempo run I had done in nearly two months. I had no idea what to expect when I set out on my 7-mile loop by the ocean. I was pleasantly surprised. After a 1-mile warmup, I was able to run 6 miles at an average 7:17 pace.

With the 5K tomorrow, I won't be doing a tempo run this Thursday, but I'll definitely fit one in next week. I forgot how much I love the challenge - not quite as torturous as track, but leaves you with a similar feeling of accomplishment.

The other thing looming in September is Boston registration. Registration for the fastest runners opens on September 10th, and after all those super speedy runners have registered (those who have beat their qualifying times by 20, 10, and 5 minutes), the rest of us 'slowpokes' (I beat my qualifying time by 'only' 4 minutes) get our shot.

I like the new registration system - I think it's a much more fair and equitable way of doing things. But it's still going to suck if I don't get in. I want the Boston experience at least once, and I'd really like for it to be this year.

If it doesn't happen, there's nothing I can do about it, so I'm trying not to get ahead of myself, but I will be keeping my fingers crossed that I'm not shut out. Luckily I have all the above-mentioned races to keep my mind off it!

Back with a Roger Schonning 5K race recap later this week!

Running, Swimming, Biking, Biathlon, and the Boys

Two signs of how busy I've been the past 11 days -  1. I haven't blogged once. 2. I'm just now sitting down to watch the women's Olympic marathon, which was run last weekend.

I'm still getting in my workouts, but there's been a lot of ups and downs. Last weekend, due to me traveling out of town to visit some friends, and then us having overnight guests, I ended up going three days without any workouts at all. No long run, no long bike ride, no nothing. It felt very strange, and very uncomfortable. 

But as the third day sans workout rolled around, I kind of made peace with it, and figured that after the previous weekend of back-to-back races, my body was probably enjoying the well-deserved break.

And I figured I'd be feeling refreshed and ready to get back to it on Tuesday morning at the track - the first track workout I'd done in three weeks. Instead, I was dreading it. I'm so thankful my track partner was there, because there's a good chance I would have cut the workout short if I had been on my own.

My motivation overall seems to be lacking at the moment, and I was kind of baffled by that, but then it occurred to me that I'm probably experiencing a small case of the post-race blues. I didn't follow a specific training plan for the Blessing or the triathlon, but I was certainly working hard and preparing for those two races, just as I did for Jamestown last month.

And now that both of those are over, and my next race is several weeks away, and my next 'big' race - the Newport half - is two months away - I'm kind of in limbo, so I think it's natural that I'm not feeling terribly excited about running at the moment. 

I'm trying to get myself more excited about swimming, though. After my last post, I decided to go for it and buy a wetsuit and commit to getting in some open-water swims in these last few weeks of summer.

I've accomplished the first step, and my new wetsuit is hanging in my closet, waiting for me to accomplish the second step - getting in the water. I had planned to join in on a group swim last week, but wasn't able to. Hopefully I'll make it this week. I'm tentatively planning on the Y Not Tri for September 16, but I'm holding off on actually registering.

I did register, though, for another multisport event - the Shoreline Biathlon in Westerly on September 9th - which just happens to be the first race I ever completed, back in 2002. I can't believe I've been running and racing for 10 years! 

I love this race, and am so excited to do it again. It's a 5-mile run, followed by a 16-mile bike ride - a very small field, and very scenic courses for both the run and bike. My PR of 1:37 was from that first year (I did it two other times), and I'd like to think I can easily beat that this year, but I'll find out for sure in a few weeks.

In light of that, I've stepped up my biking a bit, and made it out for two bike rides this week, both of which went great. I've been averaging between 18 and 19mph on my 30 - 40-mile rides, which I'm very happy with. Really enjoying the biking, too - and reminding myself that, although I run year round, the bike will eventually be put away for the winter season, so I need to get out and make the most of it while I can.

Way back when I signed up for the Triple Crown series, I had intended to find a good half-marathon training plan to follow for the October half. I'm hoping for a PR at that race. Initially, I had thought 1:40 was my ultimate half-marathon goal, but since running 1:41 in Jamestown, I'm thinking that in the cool October air, on a course that's not too terribly hilly, I should be able to break 1:40.

I'm not certain that I want to follow a plan, though. I've really enjoyed this sort of 'training but not training' thing I've got going on this summer, and I think I want to just roll with it. It's much less stressful, and I've still been getting faster and setting PRs. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?  

So for right now, I'm thinking that my training for Newport will consist of mostly weekly track workouts, occasional tempo runs, and long runs right around 12 or 13 miles. Hopefully that will get me my sub-1:40, but if it doesn't, there are plenty more half-marathons to be run, and I know I'll get it eventually : )

Quickie updates on the boys - Dante is becoming a really good swimmer, and I'm contemplating having him try swim team at the Y. Gabe's swimming has improved a lot, too, but has no interest in joining the team.

We'll make sure he continues with lessons, but I don't want to push him to do the team if he doesn't want to. But I'd love to see them both become strong swimmers, given that we spend most of our summer at the beach, and I know that the swim team experience would be a great one for Dante. 

Dante also wants to try surfing lessons, and the past few times we've been at the beach, he's been catching waves and trying to stand up on his boogie board. I have a feeling we'll be shelling out some $$ for at least one surfing lesson before the summer's out.

And I have a feeling he might actually be really good at it - he's really good at timing the waves just right. He actually taught me a thing or two when I finally tried boogie boarding with them last weekend. And oh my god, why have I never tried boogie boarding before????!!!!!  I now completely understand why they love it so much!!!

Gabe has soccer camp this week, but his new obsession is Monopoly. He wants to play Monopoly ALL THE TIME. And if you can believe it, I played a game with him and Dante, and they beat me! They caught on really quick.

Carmine, meanwhile, is constantly entertaining us with his shenanigans. I bought him his own mini boogie board, and he drags it around at the beach and pushes it around in the water, and is starting to get a little upset when Gabe and Dante go out boogie boarding and he can't go with them. I think I'll be signing him up for swim lessons this winter.

He is also now, more than ever, repeating EVERYTHING he hears, so I'm really glad that we're generally very careful about what we say, since his new favorite expressions are "What the heck?"  "Oh god!",  and "Oh darnit!"  And my personal favorite - instead of ("Oh geez!") "Oh, cheese.... crackers!" 

He never fails to make me smile.

What Goes Up, Must Come Down - UHC Jamestown Half-Marathon

I've heard a lot of people say that the races that they're most relaxed about end up being the best races they've ever had, but I had never had that experience - until yesterday's inaugural Jamestown half-marathon.

I've written at length about how I wasn't putting any pressure on myself for this race. I didn't think I'd PR, given the possibility that it would be hot and humid, which always slows me down. And I wasn't really aiming high. My only real goal was to come in somewhere around 1:45, and I figured I'd be able to pull that off without too much pain and suffering.

With a 6:30am start time, and a 20-minute drive to the start, I found myself in my kitchen at 4am eating my standard pre-race coffee and bagel. I was still happy for the early start, though, since the forecast for later in the day was predicting temps near 90. Avoiding that was well worth getting up at 4am, as far as I'm concerned. And driving over the Newport bridge at sunrise was an added bonus.

Shuttles were lined up and waiting to take us back over the bridge into Jamestown, and that process went very smoothly. Unfortunately, things weren't so great when we got to the start and found that there were no porta-potties anywhere.

No porta-potties at a race start is a recipe for disaster. Everyone was dumbfounded, and even though an announcment was made that the porta-potties would be arriving within a few minutes, the surrounding woods were quickly put to use, with runners ducking in and out with as much discretion as possible. When ya gotta go, ya gotta go....

The race start was delayed 5 minutes because of the porta-potty fiasco, but there were no further delays. At 6:35, the gun sounded, and we were off.

I had planned to wear my Garmin and shut off the display, so that I'd have my splits recorded but not showing while I ran, but I was never able to figure out how to do that. So I just turned it on and wore it upside down on my wrist and hoped I'd have enough willpower to not sneak a peek at it.

The weather turned out to be pretty much what I expected - warm and humid - but thanks to cloud cover, it never got too horribly hot. The air was very thick, though, and there was actually a very light drizzle for the first few miles.

The drizzle actually felt kind of nice, and I was a little sad when it stopped. There were a few spots where it looked like the sun was going to come out, but thankfully it didn't. It would have been far more uncomfortable if it had - even so early in the morning, it was already close to 70 - plenty warm enough - no sun needed.

I had read some info about the course last week, and knew that it was a hilly one. That didn't intimidate me too much, though - I run hills often in my training runs, and I wasn't gunning for a big PR, so I was just going to take whatever came my way and do my best.

We got right to it with the hills, too - several just in the course of the first few miles. They weren't steep, but they were long. And they didn't slow me down too much, but they did tire me out just enough that as I was approaching the crest of each one, I'd be thinking to myself that I really didn't think I could take much more - then I'd be at the top and happily flying down the other side, and sighing with relief.

That proved to be the theme of the day, as the hills were pretty much relentless. There were some flat stretches, but not many. I made sure to use those flat stretches to really settle into my pace and make sure I wasn't pushing too hard (or backing off too much).

Running unplugged - no music, no Garmin - proved to be one of the most eye-opening experiences I've had as a runner. I love my numbers and I love my music. I love checking my pace as I'm running, and I love it when one of my favorite running songs comes on and I feel instantly energized.

But I learned yesterday that I also love NOT constantly checking my pace, and not constantly telling myself "too slow - better speed up," or "you shouldn't be running this fast - you'll never be able to maintain this pace."

I learned that I can trust my body to do what it's capable of, and I don't need to constantly monitor that, nor do I need a song to get my adrenaline flowing.

Without seeing those numbers every few minutes, there was no opportunity for that inner dialogue of self-doubt, and that was one of the best things about the entire day. Never once did I doubt that I'd be able to hold the pace I was running. I felt good, and I was just taking it one step at a time, and if I felt I needed to slow down, I would. It was so freeing to not be a slave to those numbers ticking away on my wrist.

There were a few times where I backed off a bit, and I didn't stress about it. It was what I needed to do, so I did it, and when I felt like I was ready to pick it up again, I did. So simple, so easy, and so stress-free.

For 13.1 miles, I just ran at a pace that felt comfortably challenging. I was working, but I wasn't pushing myself to the point of collapse. And I was enjoying the sounds of footfalls around me, and the scenery we ran past (I was a bit disappointed there weren't more ocean views, but it was still a pretty nice course), and in some ways, I was even enjoying the hills - crazy, right?  It really was a very zen-like experience for me - I reveled in every aspect of this race, and was amazed at how great I was feeling.

In all honesty, though, it wasn't a completely numbers-free race, because there were pace clocks at every mile marker, which I never ever expected. I thought they might have one at the halfway point, but never imagined them at every mile.

At first I was kind of annoyed - this was messing with my goal of running without number-crunching. But as it turns out, it was just enough information - I knew I was keeping a pretty good pace, but I wasn't seeing those individual splits, so I wasn't getting stressed about each mile being either too slow or too fast.

As I cruised along, I felt a hint of fatigue starting to creep in around mile 10. But knowing there were only a few miles to go helped get me through the next few hills.

I was definitely starting to tire, but the mile markers still seemed to be coming up pretty quickly, and before I knew it, I was at mile 11. And even though I didn't want to crunch numbers too much, I knew full well when I saw the time on the mile 11 clock that I was on pace for a pretty nice PR, and I wasn't about to let that go. 

So I took it up a notch for mile 12 and 13, and passed quite a few people down this stretch. I was tired, and glad there were only two miles left, but still feeling surprisingly strong. As I headed around the final corner, I could hear the finish line cheers and the announcer, and I picked it up again for that last stretch.

After the never-ending ups and downs, it was very nice that the last .1 to the finish was all downhill. I sprinted in with the clock reading just over 1:41, and knew I had just run those 13.1 miles more than 2 minutes faster than I ran New Bedford, but I somehow felt 100 times better.

I was kind of dazed at how fast I had just run, and how good I felt, and now that I had crossed the finish line, I allowed myself to flip my Garmin over and see how it had all played out :  7:50, 7:33, 7:45, 7:50, 7:44, 7:58, 7:36, 7:43, 7:48, 7:52, 7:23 (nice pace for mile 12!!!!), 7:32, 6:11. Not as consistent as I'd like, but given the hills, I think I did a pretty good job of pacing myself - far better than I thought I would.

I had hoped to meet up with some fellow Rhode Scholar bloggers after the race, but it turned out that they were both sick, so our meetup never happened.

I did stay long enough to check the results, though. I never imagined I'd place in my age group (I have at several small, local 5Ks, but never at a larger, long-distance race), but I always like to see where I placed anyway. So I was kind of shocked to see a number 1 next to my name in the age-group column! 

I was already on a runner's high that felt like it would last for days - now it felt like it would last for weeks!  I don't think I stopped smiling for the entire walk back to the shuttles, and the shuttle ride back over the bridge to Newport.

Not only did I pull off a huge PR and an age-group win, but I had a great race - one where I felt amazing the whole time, and truly enjoyed myself. Not a moment of self-doubt, not a moment where I felt burned out and exhausted and wanting to stop.

I'm not going to run every race without my Garmin from this point forward, but I am going to run more races without it. This experience gave me a lot more confidence in my ability to pace myself and listen to my body, and I'm just as proud of that as I am of what I accomplished, time-wise.

Inaugural Jamestown Half-Marathon stats:

1:41:26

PR by 2 minutes and 17 seconds!!!

7:45 pace

1st place, 40 - 49 age group!!!

10th female / 301 overall

59 / 574 total

So, with that, I've now completed two stops on the Triple Crown, and had two vastly different race experiences.

And now that I've managed to run a 1:41 half, I am determined to break 1:40 in Newport in October, and will soon beging plotting out my training schedule to ensure that I meet that goal.

Oh, and I just happened to plug a 1:41 half-marathon time into the MacMillan running calculator, and it just happens to predict a 3:33 marathon for me.

I know full well that this is just a prediction, and I can say from my past two marathon experiences that that prediction is typically about 3 minutes off from where I usually finish. But allowing for those 3 minutes would still give me a 3:36 marathon, which would be good enough to get me back to Gansett in 2014 : )

Ready to Run 13.1 in Jamestown

It's really difficult to find time to blog during the summer when all three kids are with me all day long, and so many of our evenings are filled up with fun summer activities. My alone time these days is pretty much limited to my workouts - thankfully I still have time for those!

Jamestown is in just a few days, and I have to admit, I'm feeling kind of blah right now. If you had asked me last week, I would have answered completely differently - I had a fabulous track workout last Tuesday, and a great tempo run last Thursday, and I was so excited and optimistic and ready to race!

But then I went for a 10-mile run this past Sunday, and I was dragging my heels the ENTIRE time. It was warm, but not that bad (I left the house at 6am), so I don't think I can really blame it on the heat. It was just one of those runs where every step felt like a struggle.

I didn't let it get me worried, though - bad runs happen, and you just have to move on and hope the next one is better. Only problem is, my next one wasn't.

This morning was track time, and I had a shorter workout planned, due to the race being right around the corner, so I figured it wouldn't feel too tough. I was wrong. I ran with my regular track partner (so happy to have a regular track partner, by the way!), and we hit all our paces exactly as we were supposed to, but it felt so much harder than it did last week.

I'm not stressing out about it, though. It is what it is, and as I've said all along, I want to have a good race this weekend, but I also just want to have fun, so I'm not going to flip out if I run slower than I think I should. I'm hoping I can come in somewhere around 1:45, and I feel like I should be able to pull that off, but it might not be in the cards this time, and if it isn't, so be it.

When I signed up for the Triple Crown, I told myself that the Newport half in October was going to be my "A" race for the year, and I'm sticking with that. So this one is just a fun stepping stone in the middle, and I don't want to put too much pressure on myself, especially since, aside from keeping up with regular track workouts, I haven't really done any race-specific training.

I am very much still looking forward to a brand-new - and very scenic - race course; running a half-marathon Garmin- and iPod-free; and meeting up with some other Rhode Scholar bloggers after the race. It'll be a fun way to spend the morning : ) 

And the best part is that I'll be able to run my race and still be home in time to head off to the beach for the rest of the day with my boys! I know a 6:30am race start is not appealing to many, but in my book, it's perfect! 

Here's hoping for nice weather, a 1:45-ish finish, and a fun race!

A Bumpy Road

It's a good thing I didn't have any lofty goals in mind for the upcoming Jamestown half, because the road leading up to it has been a series of speed bumps.

First there was the discovery that I am apparently afflicted with exercise-induced anaphylaxis. This hasn't really affected my training at all, but it did cast a bit of a shadow over things. I will say, though (knocking on wood as I type), that I haven't had a single occurrence in several weeks, and there were even a few times that I forgot to take my Allegra before running, and I was still fine. I know it could still happen anytime, anywhere, but it's nice that it hasn't.

Next up was my flare-up of plantar fascitis. That kept me off the road for a week. A week isn't a long time, and I did plenty of cross-training, but I did miss one long run, which I'm disappointed about. I had hoped to get in at least 3 or 4 runs that were above the 10-mile mark, but as it turns out, I only managed two - a 12-miler and a 14-miler. I know that's sufficient, and I have no concerns whatsoever about finishing the race in a fairly decent time, but I don't feel quite as prepared as I had wanted to be.

Then last week, I managed to get in one easy-paced 7-miler on Tuesday morning, but the rest of the week was spent managing the pain of my horribly unpleasant abcessed tooth. Of all the things I worry about that could potentially keep me from running (injury, illness, etc.), a toothache was one of the last things I ever would have considered. But with the pain I was in, there was no way I was doing anything other than popping Advil around the clock, and thoughts of running and racing were practically nonexistent.

And then I turned the calendar over to July this morning, and realized that this race is just two weeks away!  These big races always have a way of sneaking up on you.

I'm ready to run a half-marathon, and I'm excited to run a half-marathon, especially on a brand-new course, much of which looks like it will be run along the ocean.

And I'm also one of the crazy ones who's excited to run a half-marathon at 6:30 in the morning. I love my early morning runs, and in mid-July, getting out there at that hour, before the heat of the day builds to unbearable levels, is very smart.

I don't have much in mind in the way of a goal, though. I plan to run with no music, and I'm going to wear my Garmin, but I'm going to figure out how to set it so that it does not display my current pace. I want to be able to look back and see my splits after the race is over, but I want to run the race by feel and see what I can do.

Mostly, I want to enjoy it. That doesn't mean cruising along at a 9-minute pace, though. I want to enjoy working hard, but not so hard that I feel like I want to collapse - sort of like a tempo run, but a really, really long one.

And given the obstacles I've faced the last few weeks, and the number of runs I've skipped, I really have no idea what that's going to translate to in terms of pace. Coming close to my half PR would be nice, but I don't know if I'll have it in me - and it's ok if I don't. I haven't really trained for this race, so I can't expect too much.

But, the fact that I ran that PR in New Bedford, while in the midst of training for Gansett (i.e., not at all rested or refreshed - in fact, pretty burned out and exhausted), makes me think that my anti-training training program might just work in my favor.

I'll find out two weeks from now.

And in the meantime, I did finally manage to get out for a run Saturday. After not working out most of last week, I couldn't wait to get moving and work up a sweat. With the temperature in the mid-80s, that wasn't a problem at all!  I pulled off nearly 8 miles at an 8:18 pace, though, despite the heat, and the PF symptoms seem to be pretty much gone.

Crossing my fingers that they don't flare up again anytime soon, because July is a busy month - two weeks after Jamestown is the Blessing, and two days after the Blessing is the Naval Station tri.

And of course in between all that are many, many beach days and outings with my three little guys, who, in the course of their first week of summer vacation, are already exhausting me. One week down, seven weeks to go. So much to do, so little time!

PF - Plantar Fascitis; aka A Pain in the Foot

After running 14 miles this past Sunday, and then spending all afternoon walking around at the air show, I felt a slight ache in the arch of my right foot. I figured it was just due to a whole lot of time spent on my feet, and didn't think much of it.

And when I woke up Monday morning, sure enough, it felt fine. So I went ahead with my scheduled Tuesday track workout. This has become a really fun workout for me, as I've recruited three other women to join me every Tuesday at 6am. And this past week, there were actually 5 or 6 other runners there from the running club. Although we don't all run together, it helps to know you're not the only crazy one out there at dawn, running around in circles.

I didn't notice any pain at all during the workout, or even immediately after. It wasn't until later that afternoon that I noticed it, and it wasn't even all that bad. Just a slight ache. The thought of plantar fascitis did cross my mind, but I didn't want to get ahead of myself, so I tried to push that thought aside. 

Then when I woke up Wednesday morning, I had the classic heel pain upon stepping out of bed - the hallmark of PF. It wasn't really bad, but it was definitely noticeable. And as the day went on, it became pretty clear that this wasn't just a case of my feet being sore and tired.

I spent a good portion of yesterday afternoon rolling my foot on a tennis ball and a frozen water bottle, stretching my calves, and wearing my running shoes at all times (when I wasn't doing all that rolling).  And by yesterday evening, it felt loads better. 

When I got out of bed this morning, the running shoes went on immediately, and my foot has been feeling pretty good all day. No heel pain anymore - just a slight discomfort in the arch.

I'm repeating my icing/rolling routine today, though, and will try to do it again tomorrow, too.

But most importantly, I skipped the run I had planned today, and am going to pass on this weekend's long run, also.

I'm a little disappointed, but I also feel pretty confident that I caught this early enough, and am treating it aggressively enough, that hopefully it won't turn into a months-long nightmare of pain and no running (like the oodles and oodles of horror stories I've heard about PF). 

I also feel fairly certain that I'll still be fine to run the Jamestown half next month. It's still several weeks away, and I have a great base built up, so even if I do end up having to take a week or two off, I should be able to complete the 13.1 without a problem. It might not end up being one of my faster half marathons, but since it's bound to be hot and humid (even at 6:30am), that probably would have been the case anyway.

It has taken a long, long time, but I have finally learned how to listen to my body. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way, but I don't think I'm the only runner who's ignored aches and pains that I shouldn't have ignored.

This time, though, I'm hoping that being smart and proactive pays off.

And in the interest of being optimistic, I do have to say that I'm glad this is happening right now, because 

1. It's 90 degrees and 90% humidity, so being out there running would suck pretty bad.

2. I do have several summer races I'm looking forward to, but I'm not in serious training mode, so skipping a few runs feels far less stressful. 

And 3. It's biking season! And the next best thing to a long run is a long bike ride. I'm planning at least 40 miles for Saturday. Because it just wouldn't be the weekend without a 2-hour-long workout : )

Some Running Stuff, and A Very Disillusioned Eight-Year-Old Boy

Very happy to report that after last Tuesday's freakish allergic reaction, I went and ran 3 more times that week without incident (but also not without my epi-pen and phone). The first time I went out, I took it easy and ran nice and slow. The second time, I ran the first mile slow, the middle 2 miles faster, and the final mile slow.

The third time I ran was on Friday, and the warm, humid air we'd been having had cleared out, and it was a gorgeous, cool, comfortable morning. I headed out, planning on 8 or 9 miles, at whatever pace felt comfortable. For mile 1, it was 8:30. Mile 2 - 8:01. Miles 3 and 4 - 8:00. Mile 5 - 7:59.

I felt like maybe I should slow down, since this was going to be my long run for the week, which I usually like to run at a slower pace. But my legs just didn't want any part of slowing down. So the negative splits continued, until I ended at mile 9 with an overall average pace of 7:58.

And I ran the entire thing without my iPod, just savoring the fresh air and the scenery and the sound of my feet hitting the pavement. It was one of those runs where you actually wish you could keep going. And if I didn't have to get back to Carmine, I would have kept going for at least a few more miles.

It also felt like a redemption of sorts. After my body so blatantly revolted after my run last Tuesday, it was nice to feel like it was cooperating again.

Hopefully it continues to cooperate, because summer races are right around the corner!

I'll be back at the track tomorrow morning for more speedwork - getting ready for the Matty Siravo 5K this weekend. This is one of my favorite races of the season. I always think of it as the kickoff to all my summer races, and it's not a terribly competitive race, so I've been able several times to win my age group, which is always fun.

But the best part is that we all go together, so the boys can do the kids' races and get their t-shirts and medals. They have so much fun, and it's always so great to see them out there. And I'm hoping that this year I see some kids from the Compass Running Club, too.

After that, it'll be time to really start focusing on getting ready for the next Triple Crown race in Jamestown. I'm excited to run a race in an area that's completely new to me. And I'm excited to race a half again. Pacing my friend at the Cox half was a wonderful experience, but now I'm anxious to see what I can do at that distance on my own. And it'll be a great indicator of what I can expect at the Blessing later in the month.

I don't have an actual training plan in mind for this race, but I'll definitely be continuing with speedwork for the next few weeks, and will start adding in some longer tempo runs, too. And I've been keeping my long runs right around 10 miles, but I think I'll bump them up to 12 or 13 in the weeks leading up to the race - maybe even try to get in one 14-miler.

And after Jamestown, I think I will put together an actual plan to follow for the Newport half in October. That's where I'm really hoping for a big PR, so I need to be a little less haphazard about how I train for it.

But for July, I'm looking for a mix of fun and fast. It's a delicate balance, because running fast for 13.1 miles (especially in the heat of summer) is often a decidedly not fun thing to do, but I'm hoping I can strike that balance, have a good race, and enjoy myself. Hoping to meet up with some of the other Triple Crown bloggers before or after the race, too - anyone who's interested, leave a comment, and maybe we can plan something!

To wrap things up, a Gabe anectdote that I am still laughing about, several days after he said it -

We were discussing what types of things we'll put on our 'Summer Fun List' this year, and Gabe chimed in that he wanted to go to Block Island, so that we could go on the ferry - "you know, Mommy, the boat with all the waterslides and the big pool!" 

Poor kid was confusing the Block Island Ferry with Disney Cruise Lines. I'm glad I was able to set him straight before we actually arrived at the ferry dock some morning this summer. That would have been a disappointment of epic proportions.

I did point out to him, though, that even though the ferry is nothing special, the island itself definitely is - and if not for that island (where Scott and I met) he wouldn't exist, so it's particularly special for him!