If you've ever seen the musical "Reefer Madness," the title song sounds a little bit like something you'd hear in a haunted house, with its "Reeeeeeeeffffferrrrrrrrrr Maaaaadnessss"... I keep singing that to myself, but it's "Taaaaaperrrrr Maaaadnesssss" instead. It's pretty accurate for how I'm feeling right now.
Steamtown is less than two weeks away. I countered my schedule just a little and did a 20 miler on Sunday (as opposed to the 16 I was supposed to do) for the psychological benefit of having four 20 mile training runs this time around. It hasn't made me any less nervous. Now, I'm freaking out that I haven't trained enough hills to deal with almost 13 miles of downhill at Steamtown. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that running downhill would be my biggest concern--although, now that I think of it, I was also terrified of downhill when I dealt with ITBS last year. Ironic. And there's another song to play over and over in my head.
When I ran my first marathon back in March, the taper mileage was MUCH lower than what it is this time around. I constantly cramped up and diagnosed myself with piroformis, sciatica, a pulled hamstring--you name it, I had it. And I got sick--although that was me being legitimately sick, and I got it from a friend. Sucky timing, though, and I had made it through the entire winter without getting sick until that point. My every thought was consumed with the race, too. The night before, I took Benadryl to help me sleep. Then when I still couldn't sleep, I took another. I found out at Mile 22 of the marathon that Benadryl works by drying you up. Yep, I hit the wall hard when dehydration set in. I've never given birth, but I have a feeling those cramps rivaled labor pains.
This time around, I'm trying to chill out a bit. Part of the reason (other than staying sane) is that I've run my best races this year when I tell myself I'm just going to enjoy the run. That's how I PR'ed my 5K (by 2 minutes) and my half (by 23 freaking minutes!!). I'll keep trying to tell myself that getting in under 4 hours shouldn't be a problem, and shoot for that. Maybe I'll pull off a 3:45 that way :)
Like I said, the mileage is higher this time around, too: last time, I had 3 and 4 mile runs in the two or three weeks before the race. This time, I had a 5 on Tuesday, 7 today (with some speedwork), 8 tomorrow, and 12 Sunday, though I keep thinking of only doing 10 on Sunday. Next week, I'm supposed to have a 6, a 7 (with 2 @ marathon pace), a 5 (with speedwork), and a 4. The 4 is supposed to come the day before the race, and I'm 98% sure I won't be doing that one. I need that day to relax and prepare. Maybe do some easy yoga in the morning. Any thoughts on running the day before a marathon?
I supposed I'm lucky that so far--knock on wood--the only taper craziness I've been experiencing this time around is some anxiety. My plan is to take St. John's Wort the night before the race this time. It'll help my mind from going a mile a minute so I can hopefully sleep without winding up groggy or dehydrated. Any other input as to how to sleep the night before the race would be greatly appreciated. I'll check back next week when I'm getting really nutty! :)
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Race Report: Philly Rock 'N' Roll Half
First of all, I never understand why people knock on the Rock 'N' Roll races. This was my 2nd Philly RNR Half, and I've really enjoyed it both times. I guess I understand that for several cities, RNR took over another, smaller race and commercialized it, so I can see the complaints there. But otherwise, I think they're a great time.
I also have to comment on the expo. I know some people don't like the crowds at race expos, but I don't mind it, especially at Philly RNR, because there was so much free stuff! I know, I'm a dork, but I came home with lots of LARAbars, energy supplements, and other stuff I picked up at the expo. Once again, RNR is easily the best expo I've been to.
Now for the race. I was back and forth the entire week leading up to the race as to what sort of pace I wanted to run. Steamtown Marathon was only 3 weeks from race day, so I was nervous about going all out at HM pace (and I should note that HM pace, in my mind, was about an 8:30 mile), which I thought would put me around a 1:53 HM. Part of me thought I should do the race at marathon pace to gauge where I stand, which would mean a time of about 1:57. Even as late as walking to the starting line, I told my husband we should probably start at marathon pace, and if we were feeling good at the halfway point, maybe kick it up a notch. We also had Nick to worry about--it was his first half (first race, actually), and we didn't think he'd be able to keep up with our pace throughout, so we had to decide whether to stick with him or not. However, he told us that if he had to drop back, just go. Little did I know, we wouldn't have to worry about that anyway. Bastard. So that was (sort of) the plan.
The corral start went pretty smoothly. However, I will voice my one complaint about this race: it was way too packed! On top of that, people from corrals much further back hopped up into our corral, and (without sounding like too much of a jerk) they were slowing us down. It's understandable to corral hop if you're going to do better than the time set for your corral, but this was just a pain. Doug, my brother-in-law Nick, and myself, were all weaving like crazy trying to get around people for the first mile and a half, and our 5K split time definitely shows that. I think this problem could be partially fixed by blocking off all 4 lanes of JFK Boulevard, but what do I know? Nonetheless, we were off and running. Our first mile was a 9:10, and my goal marathon pace is 9:05, so considering all the weaving, I felt pretty good about it. We were gradually picking up speed as the crowd thinned out, too. We made it to the 5K point in just a little over 27 minutes, so we were around an 8:45 mile. I felt pretty good, and the guys did as well--we were still holding a conversation at that point, so we didn't even concern ourselves with slowing down.
We worked our way through Chinatown and back up JFK toward the art museum and hit mile 5. I thought it would be around 45 minutes, but Doug was keeping time and we were at 43. I was still feeling good and, again, still talking. Nick was feeling a bit tight but he didn't think it was much of a problem. So we kept pushing. We worked our way down along the river, which was one of the things I love most about this course. Running along the Schuylkill is beautiful, and we were there for about 3 miles. There were a lot of quiet areas, but since it was an RNR race, there were cheerleading squads (which Nick got a kick out of) and bands every so often to offer crowd support. I may be wrong, but I think we made it as far as almost getting to Manayunk before crossing a bridge and heading back down the river toward the art museum. There was some really great crowd support there, and I was still feeling good. There was Gu a little after mile 8 before we crossed the bridge, and I took one, but never ate it (so now it's in my stash). The alternating Gatorade and water plan seemed to be doing well for me.
It wasn't until about mile 10 that I was a little less easy talking, but I was still doing it occassionally. I could see Nick starting to show signs of wear, but he was doing pretty well over all. I'm pretty certain that from Mile 11-on, each one of us refused to slow down because they others weren't, and we all just kept going. I stopped asking Doug what our time was, because I just didn't care at that point. I didn't want to force myself to push any harder. Doug and I evidently really kicked it up at mile 12, from what Nick said. I think I just wanted to be done at that point. So we pushed on and got to the base of the hill leading up to the art museum (which killed me last year, but after all the hill training I've been doing this year, was nothing) and I pushed as hard as I could until we got to the finish line. That's when I finally asked to see Doug's watch, for the first time since mile 8, I think. 1:48:09!!!
Holy crap!! I didn't think I could possibly run that fast, for that long. What made it really awesome was realizing that I can easily shave a minute off that, given the crowds at the beginning, then keep that pace up for a full marathon and I'll have my BQ! It seems totally doable now, and that's what makes me really happy.
What's even more impressive, though, is that Nick kept up with us for the entire race. Again, bastard. Doug even said around mile 11, "don't you hate him just a little?" ABSOLUTELY. :) In all reality-I'm very proud of Nick. Those Park boys seem to pick things up athletically pretty easy, and even though I'm jealous, it makes me very happy.
I also have to comment on the expo. I know some people don't like the crowds at race expos, but I don't mind it, especially at Philly RNR, because there was so much free stuff! I know, I'm a dork, but I came home with lots of LARAbars, energy supplements, and other stuff I picked up at the expo. Once again, RNR is easily the best expo I've been to.
Now for the race. I was back and forth the entire week leading up to the race as to what sort of pace I wanted to run. Steamtown Marathon was only 3 weeks from race day, so I was nervous about going all out at HM pace (and I should note that HM pace, in my mind, was about an 8:30 mile), which I thought would put me around a 1:53 HM. Part of me thought I should do the race at marathon pace to gauge where I stand, which would mean a time of about 1:57. Even as late as walking to the starting line, I told my husband we should probably start at marathon pace, and if we were feeling good at the halfway point, maybe kick it up a notch. We also had Nick to worry about--it was his first half (first race, actually), and we didn't think he'd be able to keep up with our pace throughout, so we had to decide whether to stick with him or not. However, he told us that if he had to drop back, just go. Little did I know, we wouldn't have to worry about that anyway. Bastard. So that was (sort of) the plan.
Our group before the race in Love Park
The corral start went pretty smoothly. However, I will voice my one complaint about this race: it was way too packed! On top of that, people from corrals much further back hopped up into our corral, and (without sounding like too much of a jerk) they were slowing us down. It's understandable to corral hop if you're going to do better than the time set for your corral, but this was just a pain. Doug, my brother-in-law Nick, and myself, were all weaving like crazy trying to get around people for the first mile and a half, and our 5K split time definitely shows that. I think this problem could be partially fixed by blocking off all 4 lanes of JFK Boulevard, but what do I know? Nonetheless, we were off and running. Our first mile was a 9:10, and my goal marathon pace is 9:05, so considering all the weaving, I felt pretty good about it. We were gradually picking up speed as the crowd thinned out, too. We made it to the 5K point in just a little over 27 minutes, so we were around an 8:45 mile. I felt pretty good, and the guys did as well--we were still holding a conversation at that point, so we didn't even concern ourselves with slowing down.
We worked our way through Chinatown and back up JFK toward the art museum and hit mile 5. I thought it would be around 45 minutes, but Doug was keeping time and we were at 43. I was still feeling good and, again, still talking. Nick was feeling a bit tight but he didn't think it was much of a problem. So we kept pushing. We worked our way down along the river, which was one of the things I love most about this course. Running along the Schuylkill is beautiful, and we were there for about 3 miles. There were a lot of quiet areas, but since it was an RNR race, there were cheerleading squads (which Nick got a kick out of) and bands every so often to offer crowd support. I may be wrong, but I think we made it as far as almost getting to Manayunk before crossing a bridge and heading back down the river toward the art museum. There was some really great crowd support there, and I was still feeling good. There was Gu a little after mile 8 before we crossed the bridge, and I took one, but never ate it (so now it's in my stash). The alternating Gatorade and water plan seemed to be doing well for me.
It wasn't until about mile 10 that I was a little less easy talking, but I was still doing it occassionally. I could see Nick starting to show signs of wear, but he was doing pretty well over all. I'm pretty certain that from Mile 11-on, each one of us refused to slow down because they others weren't, and we all just kept going. I stopped asking Doug what our time was, because I just didn't care at that point. I didn't want to force myself to push any harder. Doug and I evidently really kicked it up at mile 12, from what Nick said. I think I just wanted to be done at that point. So we pushed on and got to the base of the hill leading up to the art museum (which killed me last year, but after all the hill training I've been doing this year, was nothing) and I pushed as hard as I could until we got to the finish line. That's when I finally asked to see Doug's watch, for the first time since mile 8, I think. 1:48:09!!!
My time splits!
Holy crap!! I didn't think I could possibly run that fast, for that long. What made it really awesome was realizing that I can easily shave a minute off that, given the crowds at the beginning, then keep that pace up for a full marathon and I'll have my BQ! It seems totally doable now, and that's what makes me really happy.
After the race at Love Park
What's even more impressive, though, is that Nick kept up with us for the entire race. Again, bastard. Doug even said around mile 11, "don't you hate him just a little?" ABSOLUTELY. :) In all reality-I'm very proud of Nick. Those Park boys seem to pick things up athletically pretty easy, and even though I'm jealous, it makes me very happy.
With Nick after the race... typical.
Overall, I'm super happy with this race, with how I did, and with how everything went. Everyone in my group had PR's. On a side note, I really like the distance of the half, and training doesn't take up as much of my life. I was also able to enjoy the rest of the day after the race. It definitely solidified my decision that after Steamtown, I'm going to take time off from marathons for a while and run as far as I want to, not as far as Pfitz tells me to. 
Monday, September 10, 2012
Boy, am I behind! Chocolate Miracle Race, etc.
Wow! I sure have been lacking on my posting, haven't I? My sincerest apologies; it has been a busy summer, to say the least.
First things first, in June, I PR'ed my 5K!! 23:28--I never thought I'd get to that point. I'm only 30 seconds shy of beating my first ever 5K time by 10 minutes. Sheesh. The funny thing is, the Chocolate Miracle Race was going to be an "easy" run, because I had a long run to do the following day. My friend Alex ran the race with me and decided the same. However, after we got through the first mile in 8 minutes and had been talking the whole time, we decided to at least keep that pace up. Somewhere along the line, one of us kicked it up a bit, and the other didn't want to lag behind. Three months later, we still can't decide which one of us it was. I came in fifth in my age group, and with about thirty women in it, I'm happy with that result.
I must also say this about the Chocolate Miracle Race--it was really well organized! They had a great course--it was mostly pretty flat, with the only hills coming around the halfway point. Afterward, there were a lot of snacks and drinks, though I heard they ran out of water and Gatorade! I did see people hauling in 5-gallon jugs of water, so at least they had that much. I guess that's one thing I'd suggest fixing, but fortunately for me, I didn't run into the problem. There were also chocolate chip cookies from Chocolate World, which was exactly how I got my mother-in-law to come do the one-mile walk. They're delicious, especially after a run.
Next, marathon training is starting to wind down. I did my last 20-miler yesterday and felt great. I was especially surprised at this because I ran 12 miles on Saturday. 32 miles in 2 days = phew, time for a cheeseburger. I also did the first half marathon of the run at marathon pace, maybe even a few seconds per mile less, so I'm feeling good. The mileage talk brings me to a question that has been bugging me for a while:
I'm on the Pfitz 18/55 plan, and it's been--tough. I mean, obviously it's tough to do any training plan, but when I say "tough," I mean, life gets in the way a lot, especially in the summer. Every time I miss a training run, I feel incredibly guilty. And I know that even Pete Pfitzinger recognizes in his book that life happens and you just have to do the best you can with the time you've got, but there were so many times throughout this plan that I had to cut runs short because it was getting dark (or, in the morning, it wasn't light enough for long enough before work to get all the miles in), I had somewhere to be, or whatever else. Like I said, I felt great yesterday and feel very minimal soreness today, and maybe that's my best gauge of where I stand, but it's still frustrating. I often liken it to when I was on Weight Watchers and I'd go over my points. You know it's flexible, but you're still disappointed in yourself.
Please let me know your thoughts on sticking to your marathon training plans and how you gauge where you stand with regard to your training!
P.S. I promise to be better about posting. Really!
First things first, in June, I PR'ed my 5K!! 23:28--I never thought I'd get to that point. I'm only 30 seconds shy of beating my first ever 5K time by 10 minutes. Sheesh. The funny thing is, the Chocolate Miracle Race was going to be an "easy" run, because I had a long run to do the following day. My friend Alex ran the race with me and decided the same. However, after we got through the first mile in 8 minutes and had been talking the whole time, we decided to at least keep that pace up. Somewhere along the line, one of us kicked it up a bit, and the other didn't want to lag behind. Three months later, we still can't decide which one of us it was. I came in fifth in my age group, and with about thirty women in it, I'm happy with that result.
I must also say this about the Chocolate Miracle Race--it was really well organized! They had a great course--it was mostly pretty flat, with the only hills coming around the halfway point. Afterward, there were a lot of snacks and drinks, though I heard they ran out of water and Gatorade! I did see people hauling in 5-gallon jugs of water, so at least they had that much. I guess that's one thing I'd suggest fixing, but fortunately for me, I didn't run into the problem. There were also chocolate chip cookies from Chocolate World, which was exactly how I got my mother-in-law to come do the one-mile walk. They're delicious, especially after a run.
Next, marathon training is starting to wind down. I did my last 20-miler yesterday and felt great. I was especially surprised at this because I ran 12 miles on Saturday. 32 miles in 2 days = phew, time for a cheeseburger. I also did the first half marathon of the run at marathon pace, maybe even a few seconds per mile less, so I'm feeling good. The mileage talk brings me to a question that has been bugging me for a while:
Do you always stick to your training plan, every run, every time?
I'm on the Pfitz 18/55 plan, and it's been--tough. I mean, obviously it's tough to do any training plan, but when I say "tough," I mean, life gets in the way a lot, especially in the summer. Every time I miss a training run, I feel incredibly guilty. And I know that even Pete Pfitzinger recognizes in his book that life happens and you just have to do the best you can with the time you've got, but there were so many times throughout this plan that I had to cut runs short because it was getting dark (or, in the morning, it wasn't light enough for long enough before work to get all the miles in), I had somewhere to be, or whatever else. Like I said, I felt great yesterday and feel very minimal soreness today, and maybe that's my best gauge of where I stand, but it's still frustrating. I often liken it to when I was on Weight Watchers and I'd go over my points. You know it's flexible, but you're still disappointed in yourself.
Please let me know your thoughts on sticking to your marathon training plans and how you gauge where you stand with regard to your training!
P.S. I promise to be better about posting. Really!
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