Rotary's Run Around the Pier 5K, Sept. 29, St. Petersburg, Florida: race recap

I thought a Saturday evening 5K was the ideal race for me ... well, besides it being a 5K. Perhaps it would be ideal if I didn’t spend the whole day running around getting a car loan and starting the car-buying process (and not drinking enough or eating properly). And, if I didn’t rush to the race with 10 minutes to spare. And, if it wasn’t 87 degrees at race time (my potential new car has a spiffy temperature display in it). 

Fortunately, I already picked up my race packet. Handy that they had packet pickup at my running group location on a running group night. 

 
So, all I had to do was find a restroom (a real restroom – hooray!), find my coach (who was pacing me) and run this thing.

I immediately saw people in my running group (and my coach), so I signaled I was heading to the restroom. I managed to meet them in time for the national anthem and start of the race. Whew!

The race started right on time. My coach’s plan for me:

• Mile 1: tell her a story
• Mile 2: have a conversation
• Mile 3: she’ll tell me a story 

The idea: start off easy and run harder throughout the race.

So, I started off telling her the story of my day. I told her how painful it is to buy a car, how I was kind of sad I’d be saying goodbye to my old car, and how I ran around all day long (bank, car dealer, lunch, back to car dealer, airport to pick up lost luggage, home for 10 minutes before heading to race).

Even though I was talking almost all of mile 1, I knew I was going a little fast for me (especially in the heat). But, being the stubborn, competitive person that I am, I kept going.

When my coach picked up the pace in mile 2, I knew I was in trouble. When she asked about the pace, I admitted that I needed to back off a little. So, we slowed a little, but not much. The main problem: the heat. This course was sunny. I’ve run into problems with the Pier before, and I was again. It’s long and hot and miserable. 

We finally hit a water stop about halfway through the course. Normally, I don’t even use water stops in a 5K. I had to this race. I was looking for it, and I was so relieved to see it. I slowed down to drink what I could while still running and then dumped the rest over my head.

The rest of the race, I just kept thinking, “It’s miserable now, but as soon as you cross the finish line, you’ll feel better.” I really don’t remember the last half of the race besides remembering I wanted it to be over. I also remember my coach talking a lot (in a good way … I needed a distraction).

As I made the final push at the end, I felt fuzzy and wobbly. But, I kept thinking, “Just finish, and you’ll feel better as soon as you cross the finish line.”

Fuzzy and wobbly, but almost to the finish line

It's about to get better, right?

As I crossed the finish line, I still felt fuzzy and wobbly (Man, I lied to myself the whole race! I was supposed to feel better now). I do remember getting asked if I wanted my towel (part of the race goodies), so I grabbed that. Then, I remember more wobbling and my coach taking me to sit down.

I don’t remember much after that. I know I sat down for awhile, and then I decided to move away from people because I felt nauseous. I made it to an area with less people, and then sat down again. I tried drinking water, but that made me more nauseous.

The race had food and beer, so my coach graciously offered to grab me some food, thinking it might make me feel better. She came back with a roll (she said the food line was out of control, so she grabbed the only thing she could). I nibbled on it, and eventually I felt better.

We said our goodbyes, and I apologized numerous times for a rather dramatic 5K. 

Finally feeling well enough to stand

Why did this happen? I have some theories:

• It was hot.
• I didn’t drink enough water during the day.
• I didn’t eat enough during the day (because of the whole car-buying extravaganza, I only ate one meal around 1:30 p.m. – not smart).
• The whole day was a rush.
• It was a combination of all of the above (probably most likely).

What I do know is I don’t want it to happen again … even if it does result in a PR. Yep, a personal record! My time: 33:20, a nice 1 minute and 12 seconds faster than my personal best (thanks to pacing by my wonderful, patient, caring, kind coach). OK, maybe it was worth it. Or it at least made it better.

I did get faster for the first two miles (as the plan called for), but that last 1.1 was a little slower (due to the wobbles).

As for the race itself, the parts I were able to participate in were great. The packet pickup was easy. The race started on time and started in a nice location with real restrooms. The problems didn’t start until after the race (or so I heard). I can’t verify this personally because I was sitting on a bench trying not to puke. But, I did hear from reliable sources that they ran out of T-shirts, and they were in the process of running out of food and beer (part of the advertised draw of the race). Oops.

Shirt and towel (I think Gateway Radiology was a sponsor)

Would I run this again? I wouldn’t rule it out. I’d give the organizers a chance to fix the issues of running out of food and beer; it was an inaugural race, and I think they can work that out. But, I think it would be a race-time decision. I’d wait and see if the weather wanted to cooperate and was a few degrees cooler. The Pier, running, hot weather and I just don’t get along that well.

This week in running: week 1

I love the title of this because it reminds of “This Week in Baseball.” I have fond memories of watching that before every baseball game I attended growing up. I guess they used it as entertainment for the fools who got to the stadium two hours before the game started.
 

What up, fools?

But, I digress.

My half marathon training group started this week. We run together on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (6:30 p.m.) and on Sunday morning (7:30 a.m.) for our long run.

Tuesday

We met the coaches and each other did a short run to acquaint ourselves with the area.

It brought back bad memories from last year’s Women’s Half Marathon. This stupid pier was the least favorite part of the race: long, hot, no shade at mile 9. Yuck!
 

Pesky Pier

But, I conquered that thing (it was still hot with no shade). It could have helped that it was only a 2-mile run, not part of a 13.1-mile race. Watch out, Pier! I’m coming for you in a race!

Distance: 2 miles

Thursday

Our mission: run 22 minutes out and 22 minutes back. Our group stopped for water along the way because it was freaking hot. I think that is the hardest thing to get used to: the heat at 6:30 p.m.

I’ve run at night or on a treadmill the entire summer. There is a reason I do that: to avoid the big, scary ball of fire in the sky.

Distance: 3.5 miles

Sunday

I’m not a morning person … at all. Especially on the weekend. So, I was thrilled to meet the group for a 7:30 a.m. run.

But, it was SO much better than running in the evening. Not that it was cool by any means, but the sun was not as strong. And, I rocked out the run and had the whole day for fun stuff like Costco and car rides and walks with my dog.
 

Chloe's favorite weekend activity

The group of three I was running with made three water stops in our 50-minute run, walking up to them and walking just a bit after to make sure we swallowed our water before starting again. It wasn’t speedy by any means, but I’m happy with the results.

Distance: 4 miles

Six things for surviving the sun on the run

Being a pale-skinned, major sweater, I avoid the sun as much as possible. I'm a night-time runner mainly for this reason. But, there are times when running in the sun aren't avoidable. Hello, the majority of races!

So, even the girl that runs in the dark as much as possible needs a plan of attack for the scary, giant ball of flames in the sky. Here are my six must-haves for making runs in the sun bearable.

1. Sunblock

This is a non-negotiable item. I have pale skin. I live in Florida where it feels like the sun is sizzling my skin (and it probably is). I must have a strong sunblock and preferably one that doesn’t run into my eyes when I sweat buckets while running.

It took some experimenting (and some painful, watery eyes) to finally find the one. And, I’m in love.

The one

When applied properly, I’ve never gotten a burn, and it doesn’t run into my eyes. What more could a running girl want? Oh, it also doesn’t feel greasy or heavy. It does make you shiny, though. Oh, well. There are things worse than shiny ... sunburned, for example. 

2. Sunglasses

Sunglasses are a must for me. I have sensitive eyes, and I’m a big baby if I don’t have sunglasses. I don’t have sport sunglasses. I just use one of the six pairs I use on a daily basis (As mentioned previously, due to being a big baby when I don’t have sunglasses, I have plenty of backups. I always seem to be sitting, stepping on or crushing sunglasses, unfortunately. Due to this, I buy cheap sunglasses. So, I’m a little nervous about spending big bucks on a sport pair.)

For the most part, the cheapos do the job. They are big and block the sun (my main requirements). Occasionally, I have them fog over, but I deal with it … for now. I may take the sport glasses plunge someday.

3. Bondi Band  

I normally have trouble with hair bands being comfortable, staying in place and actually blocking some of the massive amounts of sweat coming out of me. The Bondi Band is different: it’s comfortable; it stays in place; and, it blocks so much sweat (I’m a sweaty girl).

Bondi Bands (and medals) make me happy.

This delightful device helps bunches with the sunblock-running-into-eyes problem because it blocks so much of the sweat that would normally run down my face.

They come in fun colors and some have fun sayings. No matter what they look like, though, this is something I won't be running without.

4. Tech shirt

These things are the greatest invention. Remember the days of wearing regular T-shirts for working out? They’d get so sweat-logged and heavy. It was disgusting. So, you can bet that all of my running shirts are tech shirts. 

I’m still working on finding an absolute favorite, but my current favorite is the Under Armour HeatGear short-sleeve T-shirt. It keeps me really cool, and it is a decent length. It doesn't hurt that it's one of my favorite colors.

5. Water bottle

Water is a necessity when the temperatures are hot. I have two water-carrying options: handheld bottle and the water belt.

I use one or the other on most of my summer-time runs. I know some people don’t like to carry anything when running, but I really don’t mind this Nike bottle (I think it is discontinued). It has a strap and a case (so you can stuff things inside: keys or GU Chomps are my favorites). The downside: it really doesn’t hold that much water (less than 10 oz.). So, unless you’re not running a long distance or you have options for refilling it along your route, I’d recommend the water belt.

This Nathan Speed 2 Waistpack is perfect for long runs. It has two, 10 oz. bottles, plus a zip pouch (that I usually fill with keys and GU Chomps). It sits low on my hips, and I really don’t notice it since it stays in place while running.

6. Brain 

I take my brain with me on every run; I just need to remember to use it when it comes to the heat. Never keep pushing if you feel too hot, dizzy or nauseous. Stop. Walk some. Get in the shade. Drink some fluids. No run is worth serious health issues.


What are your running must-haves for the sun? Did I leave something off the list? Tell me.

A week later, I ran

So, I didn't make it to my running group on Sunday morning. That unmotivated feeling I was having really didn't go away. But, I did run tonight (for the first time since my half marathon). In the craptastically hot gym. On a dreadtreadmill.

I just ran 3 easy miles, and it felt good – aside from the smothering heat and limited air circulation. The fan was working tonight, but it only hits at ankle level. This is better than nothing, and I can't say I mind having cool ankles, but I'd appreciate some air movement on the remaining 99% of my body.

To pass the time, I watched part of "Kourtney and Kim Take New York" (and some Monday Night Football) ... please tell me why I'm still watching the Kardashians? Oh, yeah. I got hooked when Kim was dating Reggie Bush. I watched each episode in hopes of catching a glimpse of gorgeous Reggie, and thankfully, I got those glimpses. But, he and Kim are broken up, and have been for years ... well, at least a year (this girl moves fast). I just never quit watching. But, I think you'll understand why I needed to watch it.

 

Now, I don't need to watch it. That Kris Humphries guy seems like a jerk, and a severe step down from Reggie. But, if that silly show is on, I'll watch it. It's not a must watch, but if it's on, I'll usually see what's up.

Tomorrow, I'm back to running outside with my group. And without the Kardashians.

I'm in charge, nerves

With four days until my first half marathon, I’m extremely nervous (and occasionally excited). My current stomach knotters:

• The weather: it’s hot and humid. I don’t run well when it’s hot or humid. Excellent.
• An illness: I’m afraid I’ll get sick before the race. Every sniffle, every cough, every ache or pain is cause for concern. Am I getting sick? I CAN’T get sick.
• Tripping: as in, tripping and falling or tripping and spraining an ankle, knee, leg, something. I'm clumsy. This is entirely possible.

Looking at these concerns, I'm realizing the ridiculousness of them. I can't control any of them. So, I'm going to focus instead on things I can control.

• Hydration: Our coach told us about the importance of hydrating two to three days in advance of the race. I can do this. I like water. I drink a lot of it anyway. Easy enough.
• Diet: I've read many, many articles (and listened to my coach talk) about race day (and night before) nutrition. Basically, eat things you're used to eating. Don't try anything new. Carbohydrates are an ideal form of energy. Same thing for the morning of the race. I can do this. I'm in charge of what goes in my stomach.
• Sleep: That's it. Sleep. Get good rest the night before, but more importantly, two nights before the race. I rock at sleeping! I need to sleep well Friday night? No problem! I'm always exhausted from the work week, and I have no problem whatsoever getting in some serious sleeping hours.

I am in control of this race. I trained. I know I can do this. I will hydrate, eat smart and sleep well. Bring it!

Day 43 (Nov. 15)

It's taper time!

So, tonight instead of our usual pesky intervals, we just ran 3 miles. An easy 3 miles. And, I'm OK with that because it was stinking hot. And humid. I sweat. A lot. Boo!

If it could cool down or at least be less humid for the race, that would be awesome!

So, this taper thing isn't too bad. I didn't kill myself with intervals. I had an easy, enjoyable run. I got home from my training group early. Then, I relaxed with Chloe. You know, I didn't want to put any undue stress on my legs. And, she's the perfect taper week companion (well, she's pretty darn perfect any week).

Day 22 (Sept. 27)

Due to a pesky thing called work, I missed our group training run on Tuesday. Boo!

But, I was determined to stay on track. After getting home late, and after it raining buckets during the day, I decided to hit the craptastic gym for a treadmill run. I know, I know. I already said I highly disliked the treadmill and that sorry excuse for a gym. But, it was after 9 p.m. by the time I was ready to run. And, there are some deep puddles around the neighborhood from the buckets of rain we’ve been getting lately (How do I know this? I stepped in one while walking my dog. It was a foot deep, seriously.).

When I arrived at the gym that looks more like a kitchen, I noticed the fan was unplugged. Since I sweat an extreme amount last time, the first thing I did was plug it in and turn it on. Well, there was a reason it was unplugged, it didn’t work. Argh!

I had some issues getting the TV working, too, but thank goodness, it eventually came on. After finding the Rays-Yankees game (Go Rays!), I hit the treadmill. After my last incident with the safety key on one of the treadmills, I decided to give the other one a shot.

Tonight was a speed interval night: four, three-minute hard intervals followed by three-minute jogs, with a total run of 45 minutes. All was well for about four minutes. Then, I started sweating profusely. Darn! This so-called gym is blazing hot!



I ran a 10-minute warm up, and then I started in on the speed intervals. I ran two of the three-minute hard intervals with three-minute jogs in between each. After my third three-minute hard interval, I walked the three minutes (solely due to sweat recovery) instead of jogging. Sweat was beaded on my arms. Sheesh! I did the next hard interval with a three-minute recovery walk (again to try and control the sweat). I ran the remaining time slowly (and sweat profusely). Man! I’m OK with the limited equipment, kitchen-like appearance, and cheesy artwork, but get some decent ventilation in this place, people!

Knowing for certain that this ridiculous amount of sweat would come across in a photo, I snapped one after the run.

Um, hmm. Maybe not. Sweaty, yes. But, it really doesn’t convey the level of sweat that was occurring (although it does showcase one of the causes – the broken fan).

I’m glad I got the run accomplished, even if it was in a sauna setting. So many nights after working late, I crawl home, watch a little TV and hit the bed. Things are changing, though! This training group keeps me extremely accountable – I don’t want to fall behind. I’d highly recommend a group to anyone training for a race (or just wanting to run, period). It really is changing my life (ha! That sounds so dramatic and so not me, but I really feel like this).

Day 21 (Sept. 25)

The day: Sunday. The time: 7:30 a.m. My mission: run 7 miles.

Mission complete!

I'm so happy I made it to our group run on Sunday. It's so much better to run with a group and knock out the run early in the morning.

The first 2.5 miles of the run were really smooth, and then I hit a hill. I know I said Florida is completely flat, and it is. The hills are bridges. Since we added more mileage to our runs, we have to run a bridge across the bay (a very small portion of the bay) to get to an area to increase our mileage. Curses! So, I hit the hill, and I walked.

Once I got across the bridge, I wasn't sure of the route, and I lost the faster folks in front of me, and the slower folks were too far behind me. So, I had no idea where to go. I picked a route, which was a very bad choice (lots of street crossings). I ended up getting to an area where I could run along the bay fairly uninterrupted, but it was a frustrating process getting there. While frustrated, I walked. I managed to get my 3.5 miles in, took an energy gel and headed back. 

I missed the bridge entrance on my way back (argh!), but managed to realize it and correct myself in a  reasonable time. I walked the bridge again. Pesky, hilly bridge!

But, back on the flat land (and after a water refill — it was blazing hot by this time), I managed to run the last two miles without a walk break. I was super-impressed at myself, as was my assistant coach (who ran with me). Yay!

And, I'm super-impressed I felt as good as I did. My legs weren't sore. And, they weren't sore later in the day or the next day. I defnitely felt like I did some physical activity, but they weren't overly painful. Sweet!

I learned three things from this run:

1. I need a bigger water bottle. My baby bottle didn't cut it (despite its cuteness). Thank goodness there is a water fountain (with surprisingly cold water) along the route, so I could refill it.
   
2. Plan your route before heading out on your run. Kind of a duh!, I realize, but I never really experienced the misfortune of not doing this. It is extremely frustrating to not know where you're going or stumble on a bad route.
3. Training really works! I never thought I'd be able to say I ran 7 miles (with minimal walk breaks). And, not be in excruitiating pain from it. Mind-blowing!

Day 6

I'm not going to say that I love running at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday ... yet (or maybe ever), but I did enjoy this week's run (maybe because I was more awake and actually remembered it).

The plan: run 4 miles. I ran 3.1 miles, and then I did walk-run intervals for the remaining 0.9 miles, ending with a run. I felt really good throughout. And, I feel like I could have run the full 4 miles. I had it in my head that I was going to run at least a 5K distance because I knew I could do it. When I got to that distance, I stopped. I think mainly because I had it in my head that I was going that far. After stopping, I realized I was sizzling. Yep, it was hot again.

I feel like I'm getting stronger, and I finally feel like I'm seeing some improvement. Yahoo for running!

Day 5

Thursday: hot. Surprise! OK, not really. I live in Florida. It's summer.

The plan: run 40 minutes with a group about your speed. I was not excited about this. I don't really fall into a group. We have the really fast group, and that is definitely not me. Then, we have the group that does a combo of running and walking (three minutes of running, then two minutes of walking), and that isn't me either. The rest of the group runs, but some stop running before me. Some start out faster than I do. Others just don't run as far. I felt like I'd be taking a step back if I didn't run as far as I could. But, I did what our coach said to do and found a group about my speed.

Our group of three ran at about an 11:30 pace, which was fine by me. We ran 21 minutes, and then stopped to walk (I really felt like I could have gone farther, but I was doing as I was told and stuck with the group). After a three-minute walking break, we started running again for about six minutes. After another three-minute walk break, we ran the remaining seven minutes.

I felt great. And, even though I didn't go as far as I could initially, I felt stronger toward the end, which I guess is a good thing. Maybe that coach of ours does know what he's talking about. 

Day 4

How was your run? Hot.

I feel like a robot because that is how I answer that question every time. Tuesday’s run was no exception.

The plan: run 40 minutes. I didn’t. I ran about 30 minutes, followed by walk-run intervals for the remaining 10 minutes. At one point, my coach ran by and asked if I still had water in my bottle. I said I did, and he replied, “Good.” That concerned me a bit. Did I look dehydrated and near death?

Again, I felt disappointed with my performance. But, after talking with some other girls in the group, I am attempting to not be so hard on myself. It is tough to run in the heat. When it cools off, it’ll be easy. I’m trying to believe them …

When we meet again on Thursday, we’ll have the same plan: run 40 minutes. I guess all I can do is keep trying. Even though I’m somewhat disappointed in my training runs, I still always have fun and enjoy running, which I guess is the important part.

Day 3

Well, running at 7:30 on a Sunday morning really is as bad as it sounds.

I arrived in a daze to meet the training group. The plan: run four miles; two miles in one direction, and then turn around and end back at the starting point. I started off feeling pretty good (aside from being half-asleep — I kept asking people to repeat themselves because I was so out of it). I ran 2.5 miles pretty easily, and then I felt like crap. I was hot (it’s amazing how hot it is already at 8 a.m.) and nauseous. Yuck. So, I didn’t run the full four miles. After the initial 2.5 miles, I started doing walk-run intervals. Although I’m not sure how much more I ran vs. walked. I had my Garmin watch and started it at the correct time, which is an improvement. I just forgot to turn it off for the drive home … oops. I looked at my watch after a much-needed shower and noticed that I ran 23.8 miles and burned 11,107 calories. Impressive.

Running is such a guessing game. I’m always evaluating how I ran and what caused me to either run successfully or poorly. This time, my guess is that I wasn’t fuelled correctly for the run. I eat at bizarre times on Saturdays. There’s no routine, which is fabulous, because it means it’s the weekend. I also seem to eat less (most of the time) on the weekend. This particular Saturday, I ate a breakfast-lunch combo (two eggs, vegetables, mango) at about 1 p.m. Then, I ate dinner (a rockin’ pork burrito from Taco Bus) about 6 p.m. Aside from some watermelon, I didn’t eat anything after dinner. Those burritos are filling (and delicious).

The morning of the run, I ate a protein meal bar and an energy gel (which wasn’t as nasty as I feared, but it still wasn’t great). When I started feeling nauseous during the run, I also had a very empty, acidic feeling in my stomach, so I’m assuming I didn’t eat enough (and that not-great energy gel wasn’t sitting pretty).

I hope that everything comes together soon, and I can run the full distance of these training runs. I’m feeling pretty pathetic at this point. There are many others in the same situation as me, but I’m frustrated because I know I can run these distances … or I have before. If I can’t run these so-called easy distances, how in the heck am I going to be able to run 13.1 miles?

Day 2

I can describe Thursday’s training run in one word: hot. I guess there was more to it than that, but that’s all I really remember.

I’m in a training group through Fit2Run, a running store. It’s located in a mall in Tampa, and we run outside the mall along an airport service road. Asphalt. No trees. No shade. Hot.

The plan was to run 40 minutes. I did not. I suck. And, I was really hot (there’s that word again). I also screwed up my watch (I don’t think I reset it), so I’m not really sure how far I went or how many minutes I ran vs. walked. I’m estimating I ran about 25 min., and then did walk-run intervals for the remaining time (ending with a nice 5-minute run — I was proud of this). I stopped running because I felt tingly (best word I know to describe the feeling) all over. I’ve never felt that before, and I was afraid it could be heat related. Heat-related issues scare me. A hurt foot, sore calves or tired legs don’t scare me. I’ll try to run through those. Heat- or heart-related issues are another story.

So, considering the heat, I’m trying to be happy with what I did. I tend to be very hard on myself, though, and I’m actually kind of upset. I know I can run longer. I can run for 40 minutes. I know this. I just haven’t done it in the training group yet. Maybe Sunday is my day.

On a positive note, I think I am hydrating properly for the runs. I drink about four bottles (maybe a 24-oz. bottle?) of ice water throughout the day. About two hours before I run, I drink a bottle of sports drink (as disgusting as they may be). I haven’t been thirsty on the runs, although I did end up buying a small water bottle with a pouch that goes over your hand (so it’s not like you’re struggling to hold on to a bottle while you’re trying to run). I think I’ll need that for longer runs.

The plan for Sunday: I have no idea. It’s our long run of the week. So, longer than 40 minutes. We’re running along the bay, which is nice, but we’re meeting at 7:30 a.m. (UGH).