Brat Trot 5K, Topeka, Kansas, May 25, 2013: race recap

I signed up for this race on a whim (and with the hopes of a sweet T-shirt). 

I was headed to visit family in Kansas over Memorial Day weekend, and I thought I'd throw a race in there, too. 

After arriving in Kansas City on Friday evening (and eating the most delicious barbecue in the world), I didn't make it to my dad's house and in bed until around midnight. The race was Saturday morning, but it wasn't until 9:30 a.m. I thought this was a great thing for a morning hater like me. I still got a decent night's sleep. (But, I broke many of my destination race rules.)

We arrived at the race around 9 a.m. and set up camp.

My smart spectators with chairs, drinks and snacks

 

It was a small, neighborhood race with 158 people running the 5K. They also had a fun run. It started and ended at a church. 
 

Funny. I stand out in purple, while those in
neon yellow blend in.

Side note: I need to wear something different to a race. I look the
same at every race (unless in costume).

The course wound through the neighborhood surrounding the church, and I was completely lost. I never had any idea what direction I was running or where I was in relation to the start/finish line. All of the houses (and barking dogs in front yards) looked the same. 

This was a hard 5K for me ... almost the entire way. Right from the start, I felt that it was pretty difficult. Mainly because of the thing I thought was a wonderful thing at first ... the late start time. Although the temperature wasn't too terribly hot, the sun was blazing and made it feel toasty. My vampire self doesn't do the sun. 

This was the first 5K I've ever walked in. Even my very first race, I ran the entire way. Even with things got difficult in other races, I kept running. In this race, I walked through the water stop (at mile 1.5) for an extended period and then did one additional walk break after that. 

I started to get irritated and feel a little down on myself. How could I run 13.1 miles a little more than one month ago and now I can't even run 3.1 miles?

But, I pulled it together toward the end and even had a nice sprint to the finish. 

My official time: 32:54, which is my second-fastest 5K. Maybe it was difficult because I was pushing myself? Let's say that.

The post-race food? Brats, of course.

I also took advantage of a post-race massage (I never do this at big races because of the long waits, but I was able to walk right up here). 

This was a really fun, small, local race. Everyone was so friendly, and I'm looking forward to doing this race again next year. 

Oh, and the sweet shirt I was hoping for? I got it.

Do you like small, local races? Have you ever walked in a 5K? Are you a morning person? Have you ever ran a race with a 9:30 a.m. start?

A week in Florence

I’m back from a week in Florence … South Carolina. It really is less exotic than it sounds.

It wasn’t a vacation, but it wasn’t because I wasn’t in a vacation spot. It was because I was working … OK, and it isn’t a vacation spot. It really isn’t.

Why the heck was I there? Good question. I keep asking myself that. My boyfriend is there doing contract work. So, I drove up to South Carolina with him (with a stop in St. Augustine, FL) to spend a week there before driving back home (with another stop in St. Augustine).

Somehow I started watching “Ghost Adventures,” and I kind of fell in love with the idea of hunting ghosts (not with tight T-shirts and cheesy spiked hair, thank goodness). So, we did a ghost tour each time we were in St. Augustine. Amazingly enough, a ghost was spotted.

Perhaps it's time to try some bronzer.

My official ghost hunting tool was reacting like crazy, trust me.

But, the coolest thing about St. Augustine.

Beachfront Avenue!

I could not stop singing “Ice, Ice Baby” for two weekends. I know my boyfriend appreciated it.

Speaking of music and the boyfriend, that is one of the really terrible things about road trips with him. We do not agree on any music. Well, except for Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Prince, Nirvana and the White Stripes. That’s it. No beautiful Bruno Mars, boy bands or ‘90s rap. Or if the beautiful music is involved, lots of complaining follows. Sigh.

In happier times (not in the car listening to music)

Thankfully, I’m not going to the Bruno Mars concert with him.

Speaking of Bruno, how adorable is this? 

I had no idea he was in “Honeymoon in Vegas” until last week. I am now certain he is my favorite singer, and we have so much in common. 

Theresa and I are just like Bruno.

Well, aside from the fact that he’s 5’5”, and I’m 5’10”. And many other things, really. But, we both wear Elvis suits and that counts for something.

Now that I’m back in town, and it’s confirmed that Bruno and I are best friends, it’s time to focus on a race this weekend.

Yes, a race. In May. In Florida.

I’m wondering why I decided to do this.

It’s a 10K-5K challenge. I’ve done anything like this, and I’m guessing it’s a good thing I decided to do it in May.

So, I run a 10K, and then I line up and run a 5K. It sounded like a good idea at the time. Now, I’m a little worried. Heat makes me nervous. So I definitely won’t be running it in an Elvis suit (those things are super hot; ask Bruno).

Have you visited Florence, South Carolina? St. Augustine, Florida? Have you worn an Elvis suit? Have you ever run a 10K-5K challenge? Do you like running in the heat?

Another one of those pesky 5Ks ...

I’m running a 5K today. Yeah, the race distance I despise. But, it will be fun because my dad is doing it, too. It’s his first! For that reason, I’m excited. 

I'm hoping to run it faster than my last 5K in September (and hopefully not feel like puking like I did then). My dad's plan is to run one mile and walk two miles in interval fashion (he just recently started the Couch-to-5K program).

I'm a little nervous about it because I haven't gotten enough sleep all week or ran (well, aside from the half marathon on Sunday) due to work, Dad arriving and general craziness. Also, we'll be at a spring training game from 10:30 a.m. until almost 4 p.m. in the skin-sizzling sun ... with the 5K starting at 6:15 p.m. Eek! 

Thankfully, we were in the shade this game.

But something working for me: even though this race is in the vicinity of the Pier, and I think you'll be able to see it almost the entire course, it doesn't involve running on the thing. Yay! No pesky Pier! 

It's nice to look at ...

 

I’m debating about wearing bunny ears for the race. I have a hard time resisting a costume, and with Easter looming, I thought it would be fun (and easy since I already have the ears). I also like the humor factor: a person who proclaims to be a turtle wearing rabbit ears.

(On a side note, wearing things on my head does not bother me during a race. I usually forget they are even there. I always think I am going to want to toss the thing off within the first mile, but I never do.)

If these didn't bother me, I don't think anything will.

Maybe Dad's first race, no Pier and bunny ears will make my dislike of the 5K disappear ...

Should I wear bunny ears? Do you like 5Ks? Do you run 5K races regularly? What is your favorite distance? Do your parents run? Have you ever run a race with them?

From excited to eh to excited

So, I have a half marathon this weekend.

And, I was really excited about it because I haven't ran a race in more than a month.

Now, I'm kind of eh. 

I had a disastrous run on Thursday night. Disastrous as in my stomach hurt, and I walked almost half of it. 

And, I don't feel like I've run a decent distance since the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in February. I think my longest "long" run was 7 miles. (I've been running consistently, but focusing more on hill work than distance.)

And, I know the course. It's the same course I ran for the Halloween Halfathon (in a Mr. Potato Head costume). And, I know it's boring. Flat, but boring. 

But, since it's on St. Patrick's Day, I'm getting festive again (and that makes any race better). 

And, I have some running group friends that will be at the race.

And, I'll be receiving this awesome medal. 

And, it will be my fourth halfathon in this series, which means an additional medal for completing them all.

 Oh, and beer after the race. 

OK, I'm excited now. I'm ready to race on Sunday!

Anyone else doing a St. Patrick's Day race? This is my first, but I love being festive! 

Clearwater Halfathon, Jan. 20, 2013, Clearwater, Florida: race recap

You know those days when from your first step, you know it’s going to be an awesome run? Well, Sunday (the day of the Clearwater Halfathon) was not one of those days. 

But thankfully, around mile 5, it turned into one of those runs.

Before that, as I saw the 5Kers make the turnaround to go back, I wanted to go back. As I saw the 5-milers turn around to go back, I wanted to go back. I kept going (afraid to walk at a water stop because I was afraid I would never start running again, so I proceeded to spill water all over myself). 

Then, glorious mile 5 came along, and I didn’t want to stop running. The rest of the race went by so quickly (this is a relative term because I am not quick). Instead of “Ugh! It’s only mile 7,” it was “Wow! It’s already mile 7?!” This went on for the remainder of the race.

Yes, the race that scared me. The race with the big, scary bridges. THAT race. 

You know what? It turns out that I liked running up and over two big and scary bridges, and I liked running back over them to get back to the finish. Well, “like” may be a strong word for the bridge at mile 12. But, it was doable. But, it was also a challenge. It was fun to run up it when so many walked. I felt strong. I felt amazing. I felt empowered.

Before I even hit mile one, I went up the first big bridge (Clearwater Memorial Causeway). Then, I made my way to Clearwater Beach and up another big bridge (Clearwater Pass Bridge) before mile 5. Miles 5-9ish were flat until we went back up the bridges on our way back to the start. 

Before mile 1 (picture not taken on race day)

Down the other side

The weather ended up being pretty awesome: 60s and overcast. Considering it was in the mid-80s earlier in the week, I thought it was fabulous.

And, the course was beautiful. 

I never got bored on the course, and I think the bridges helped with that … as did the sweet views of the gulf. 
 

I took GU Energy Gels (mandarin orange and island nectar) at miles 4 and 8, and I took water and sometimes Gatorade (blech) from each water stop.

As I made it to Mile Linda (mile 11), I made sure to enjoy every step (which wasn’t hard since I was already doing that). But, it was a beautiful mile (I wish I was talented enough to take photos while running, but I’m not).

It was also at Mile Linda that I started calculating my possible finish times. For some reason, I am terrible at math while running (this is not the case when I’m not running). I could not figure out why my finish time was going to be so high. It felt like a great race despite the pesky bridges. Um, unfortunately, it’s because I thought I had 3.1 miles left at this point (instead of the actual 2.1 miles).

When I made it to mile 12 (and the final bridge),I realized my math was off, and I got excited about my possible finish time. That final bridge ascent really wasn’t fun (and it was pretty darn slow for me), but a sweet descent to the finish followed. 

Across the finish

My Garmin time was exactly the time of my official chip finish time: 2:38:29. It’s my second-best half marathon time, and it was on the most difficult course I’ve ever run. This is exciting to me! 

So, even though it wasn’t a personal record, it was an amazing race, and I’m really happy with my result. I loved the race, I loved the experience of the bridges, and I love that I’m back in the 2:3Xs for a half marathon time.

Have you ever been worried about a race and ended up surprised at how well you did? Do you like running bridges or hills?

Phinley's Holiday Run Phor Phun 10K and 5K, Clearwater, Fla. Dec. 3, 2011: race review

OK, I'll admit it. The reason I ran this race is because it had a finish on a baseball field. A baseball field where the Philadelphia Phillies play spring training and the Clearwater Threshers play Single A baseball. And, this girl loves baseball.

Phinley is the Threshers' mascot. A shark named Phinely. Get it?

I was a bit concerned because I saw three different start times for this race. After emailing the race organizers, I was assured the race time was 4:30 p.m. for the 5K (4:00 p.m. for the 10K). Then, they sent out a mass reassurance email about the start time. Other people must have been confused, too.

Since I knew right where I was headed (I hang out at this stadium a bunch during the spring and summer), my boyfriend and I arrived at the stadium about 4 p.m. Parking was super easy (ideal site for a race since there are many parking lots).

Threshers game with dad

Threshers game with friends

Threshers game with Chloe (bark in the park night)

We walked in the stadium and into a super-long check-in line. Soon, I heard the announcement that the start of the 10K was delayed, and the 5K would start about 20 minutes after the 10K. So, no need to worry about the long lines. And, not really a surprise.

After checking in, getting my number and chip, I still had plenty of time before the race. And, I could use an actual restroom (not the typical race porta-potty situation) since we were in a baseball stadium.

About 20 minutes after the 10K start, they asked all 5K participants to head outside the stadium. So, we all trudged outside to a sidewalk. They asked anyone who ran 7-minute miles (yeah, so not me) to move to the front. Soon after, there was a commotion and the race started. I actually think someone just said, "Go." Seriously.

Even though we had timing chips, we never ran over a mat, so I was kind of confused how they were keeping time or where the race technically started. I started my Garmin watch when I got to the "start line" (where those speedster 7-minute milers started).

The course wound behind the stadium on a trail and under an overpass and into a park. It was really pretty and hilly (for Florida). I was happy with how I handled the hills and with how this race started. I kept a pace under 11 minutes, which is good for me.

Almost the entire course wound through this park. There were two water stops, which I really didn't need, but it's nice that they were available.

At one point, a Frisbee almost hit some runners in front of me. Oops. Apparently, this trail went right through a disc golf course.

I kept up my under-11-minute-mile pace, and I felt really great throughout this race. I was getting anxious to really push myself the last mile. I knew I still had a lot of gas left in the tank, and I knew I could fly through it (I use "fly" rather loosely here).

Then, we made a turn off the trail and onto an uneven grass area behind the stadium. Uneven as in you had to be careful with each step or else you might topple over. For someone who sprained an ankle almost two years ago, and who still feels it, this made me extremely nervous. So, unfortunately, I had to slow down considerably instead of really making that push at that end.

After the uneven grassy area, we turned into the stadium for the lap around the warning track before third base finish line. I could finally pick up my pace, and I was really happy with my strong finish.
 

I'm in blue

Making the final push amidst all the Santas who yelled "Ho! Ho! Ho!" a good portion of the race

My Garmin time: 33:09, which is 1:23 faster than my fastest 5K time.


The third base finish line (apparently, I was so fast my boyfriend couldn't get a picture of me from the front ... this is obviously a joke)

After turning in my chip (I still didn't understand how it was a chip-timed event), we headed to the post-race party to grab post-race goodies.

Yes, a beer and a hot dog

I loved hanging out at the stadium after the race. Baseball stadiums are my happy place.

There were definitely some issues with this race: three different advertised start times, long check-in line, delayed start, odd start with no official start line and a rough course (uneven grass) with obstacles (Frisbees). That said, I'd do this race again in a heartbeat. This was a fun race for a baseball-loving girl (good thing since it's billed as a Run Phor Phun). I even got a really cool medal.

Remember how I said I was confused about the chip timing? Well, obviously, the race organizers were too. The results have me running a 58:35 10K. I'd love that, but I didn't do it.

This baseball-loving girl is in!

I'm a sucker for baseball and mascots and good deals, so I couldn't resist the $10 race with a finish across home plate and a high-five from a mascot this weekend. Oh, I also don't like getting up early, and this is on a Saturday evening. I'm pumped.

I originally signed up for the 10K, thinking it could suffice for my long run for the week. However, once I got my training schedule, I realized this would not. I'm supposed to run 9 miles. I thought we'd knock the mileage down a bit, but I'm OK with it (after the initial shock). I think I'll be better prepared for my next half marathon. So, I switched to the 5K, which will satisfy my 30-minute progressive run on the schedule, and then I'll run 9 miles on Sunday morning with the running group.

A few things concern me about this race, though:

• I've seen three, yes three, different start times. The active.com site lists 4 p.m. The commercial above, which I would think the race organizers would make or approve, says 5 p.m. And, radio stations are advertising a 6 p.m. start time. Eek!
• The site listed on active.com to "click for more information," doesn't exist. Eek!

Things like this drive me crazy. Oh, wait. I already arrived at crazy a long time ago. But, they irritate me. The act of proofreading is an important step, people! Consider it. Especially when you're planning an event and actually want people to show up when it starts (not two hours later). Maybe I should start bartering: proofreading for race entry.

Women's Half Marathon, St. Petersburg, Florida, Nov. 20, 2011: race review (Part 2)

I woke up at 5 a.m. on race day. Normally, I hate waking up early. I wouldn't say it was my favorite thing this day either, but I was happier than most days.

First thing: toast an English muffin, spread with a little peanut butter and slice a half a banana on it. Second thing: eat this.

Due to the aforementioned car starting problem, as soon as I ate my runner's breakfast of champions, I headed out with my dog to see if my car would start (oh, and to let my dog go to the bathroom). The car started! My dog went to the bathroom! Hooray on both accounts!

Knowing my car would start made the morning a little more relaxed. Of course, I thought that even though it started that time, it may not start the next time. Sheesh! I always think of something to ruin my relaxedness.

After getting ready (handy that I set out the clothes the night before and packed everything I needed ... I should do this every day) and after Chloe wished me luck, I headed out the door.

I still left in enough time that, if necessary, I could call a taxi. I was a little nervous starting the car, but thankfully, it started without issue. Whew!

Since my running buddy, Caroline, lives close to the course, I parked at her house, and we walked to the start line (probably about a one-mile walk). We left her house at 6:30 a.m. for a 7:00 a.m. start time, and even with a stop at a porta-potty on the way in a park (not a race porta-potty, thankfully; this one smelled like cinnamon and had hand sanitizer) and a stop for a quick photo, we made it to our corral by 6:52 a.m.

This was just enough time. I didn't get nervous about not making it, but I also didn't have too much time to stand around and get nervous about the race. Although, one thing did trouble me: I started sweating on the walk there. Yes, a walk. Before sunrise. I was afraid bad things were to come.

I was extremely impressed with the organization of this race. About 7,000 runners fit easily into their corrals for an on-time start. Almost three minutes after the horn to start the race, Caroline and I crossed the start line to "Going the Distance" (I love some Cake. I'm glad the race organizers do, too.)

The first few miles were a breeze. The street was crowded, but it wasn't too difficult to pass someone if necessary. There was a ton of fan support at the start, so that helped pass the time, too.

Miles 4-5 got a little hot and boring. We ran through a neighborhood with little crowd support. But, we did hit our first water stop of the day, and we ran into the race photographers. I tried to keep my vow to myself: look happy in all of the photos. I started off on the right track.

Even though you can already see my shirt is soaked with sweat, I'm still happy (or pretending to be). Caroline is still really happy, too (I love this picture).

I don't really remember being that happy from this point in the race forward. Oh, wait. I was happy when I saw Caroline's husband and parents. That was fun. But, that was probably the last memorable happy time during this race. We kept trudging along until we took our first walk break (about the 6-mile mark). It was then we decided if we wanted to finish, we needed to walk some. It was freakin' HOT and HUMID, and it was barely 8 a.m. Oh, and it's November!

We kept going. Hit the next water stop hard. I took water (sometimes two or three) from each stop (The water stops were plentiful and well-stocked. I am extremely grateful that this was the case. Thank you, Women's Half Marathon organizers). I drank some and poured the remainder on my head.

I think miles 8-9 (I may be off on my miles because I was somewhat delirious from the heat)were the toughest of the course. It involved running The Pier. No trees. No shade. Out and back. Extremely hot. I almost had a meltdown when I realized we had to run around the stupid thing as opposed to turning around in front of it. This was really probably only an additional 0.1 mile, but this explains my level of hate of this portion of the race. We ended up walking a portion of this stupid pier, too. Maybe our longest walk break of the day. Stupid, stupid pier!

After the stupid, long, hot pier, we headed up to downtown St. Pete. At this time, we saw our coaches (both guys; they probably felt like pimps) and yelled at them, so that was a nice distraction. It was fun and all smiles until I realized they were finishing the race. Then, I got angry and bitter. I wanted to be them, but we still had 4 miles to go. Ugh!

The coaches saw this; we did not for another 4 miles

I knew that we were headed to Tropicana Field (home of the Tampa Bay Rays), but I didn't realize that we weren't taking a direct route there. So, when we had to turn to run around a lake in a park, I almost had another meltdown. I was also literally melting. I was hot. Really hot. As in, getting dizzy hot.

After more walking and more water, we dragged ourselves to Tropicana Field. I should have enjoyed this. I love baseball in a serious way. I love the Rays in a serious way. I should have been super-pumped that we got to run around the warning track of the stadium. I DID NOT CARE. I just wanted this race to end.


On the field at a much, much happier time

We walked some in Tropicana Field and some outside of it. Down to our last two miles, I thought I felt a surge of energy. I was wrong. Or it only lasted 0.5 mile. We walked some more and ran some more.

Thankfully, we ran into another coach at about the last mile of the race. She finished the race (in 1:44, no less), and then kept going out to find people in our group and run them almost to the finish line before she ran back for the next group. This was the sweetest thing ever and exactly what we needed. She had us running and running at a pretty good pace for the last mile. As she left us, she said the finish is just around the corner. She lied about that (or our ideas of "just around the corner" are different). But, we finished, and we finished strong!

My official time: 2:48:26 (Oh, my gosh. I am slow, but not that slow. Except on this day). I was really hoping for a  2:35 finish, and based on my training runs, I could do that (of course, our long runs were on 60-degree mornings with no humidity, and this was an 84-degree day with high humidity). I really think the heat and humidity were to blame. My body felt great. I was prepared. Nothing hurt. I just felt out of it. Dizzy. Nauseous.

After about the 6-mile mark of the race, I started feeling disappointed. I wanted to run the entire thing. I wanted to feel good throughout the race. And, things were falling apart fast. I had this feeling the entire race until the finish. Crossing the finish line strong really made these feelings go away (somewhat). I guess I'm still kind of disappointed, but hey, it was my first half marathon. It was unseasonably hot and humid. And, I finished. And got a cool medal. I now remember that this is part of the reason I signed up for this race.

It's so big and shiny! And, it has a detachable charm that you can add to a necklace or charm bracelet ... still haven't decided how I feel about that.

After getting our bling, we headed to the post-race refreshment area. First stop: ice bags. Oh, this felt glorious on my head and chest and neck! I finally could cool down.

After sitting on the asphalt (sitting on the hard ground never felt so good) applying the ice bags for awhile, we decided hit the snacks. I really wanted an orange. They didn't have oranges. But, they did have bananas, frozen strawberries, granola bars, pretzels and yogurt. I took some for later, but couldn't even think about eating anything at this point. All I wanted was liquid. So, I drank more water and more Gatorade along with more water and more Gatorade.

We finally found Caroline's parents and husband and got the cameras out!

Even though the race didn't go as I wanted it, there were a lot of great things about this race:

• Extremely scenic, beautiful course. Sometimes I forget how beautiful it is since I live and run here all the time.
• Well-organized race. Everything seemed to go the way a race should.
• Well-manned and plentiful water and Gatorade stations. This was a lifesaver on this hot day. I really don't think I could have finished without the many, many water stops.
• Great crowd support. It was pretty awesome hearing people you don't know yell your name.
• The Bondi Band did the job! I love this thing! It stayed in place (no headband ever stays on my head), and it prevented sweat from going in my eyes. Amazing!

Really, the only negative things I can think of had nothing to do with the race itself:

• HEAT AND HUMIDITY (Oh, did I mention this before?!?)

I'd definitely do this race again ... on a much cooler day. And, I'm looking forward to my next half marathon in February, when it better be cooler.