Six things I learned from my sixth half marathon

Apparently, I'm a slow learner.  It took me until my sixth half marathon (the Clearwater Halfathon ... otherwise known as the race with the big, scary bridges) to finally learn something. Well, six somethings.

1. Don't let your fears hold you back. I was scared (extremely scared) of the big bridges in this race. I panicked. I wondered if I should do the race. Was I ready to run these bridges? I didn't think so. I can't lie: I thought about not doing it. I wanted to wimp out. Thankfully, I didn't. And, guess what? I ran those bridges (slowly) and loved them. I felt so accomplished and proud when I was done, too. Totally worth it.  

2. Trust your training. I was nervous that I didn't get enough running in between Christmas and the new year. I missed some runs here and there, including a few long runs. I assumed that I wouldn't be able to handle this race. You know what? All of the hard work I've been putting in since August didn't just disappear. I still had that base, and I could still run a half marathon. 

Four months of sweaty work (apparently, sticking
my tongue out is my thing?)

3. Run your own race. Yes, I've heard this many times before. I never get caught up in the initial start. I always start at the back, and I start slow. No big deal. But, in this race, I encountered a bridge before mile 1. So many people were walking already. I wondered if I should walk, too. If I ran, I thought I might be sorry later on. But, I felt awesome, and I wanted to run that bridge, so I did. And, the next one. And, on the way back, too. Why? Because it was my race, and I knew I could do it. 

4. Don't give up. I did not feel great during this race. I wanted to turn around at the 5K turnaround and at the 5-mile turnaround. It was just not my race, I thought at the time. Thankfully, I stuck it out, and it became one of my best races ever.

5. Enjoy your surroundings. It's easy to get "in the zone" or so focused that you really don't notice anything around you. But, if you look around, you're likely to see something beautiful, funny or awesome. I enjoyed the views in this race more than any race before, and instead of dreading the bridges, I just enjoyed the views from the top.

6. Think of those who can't run. This race was special to me because I was running mile 11 in honor of my friend, Linda. She's been couch-bound for a good deal of her pregnancy, and she was itching to run. Mile 11 was her mile, and I thought about her each step. I enjoyed each step. I appreciated what I was doing even more because I was thinking of someone who couldn't do it. 

What have you learned from running?

Best Damn Race, Safety Harbor, Florida, Feb. 2, 2013: recap

I hesitated doing this race. Why? The name of the race. I know, I know. But, really. I don’t use the word “damn,” and I wasn’t sure I’d feel comfortable telling people the name of the race.

Then, I saw the medal, and it was all over.

Fortunately (?), I got over my non-use of the word “damn,” and fully embraced it in relation to this race.

This damn race was damn early, and it was damn cold. Too much?

With a 10K start time of 6:30 a.m., this total non-morning person was not happy. Thankfully, it was in Safety Harbor (only about a 10-minute drive from home). This inaugural race also included a half marathon at 7:15 a.m. and a 5K at 9:30 a.m.

I (along with my boyfriend, a.k.a. photographer, and my dog, a.k.a. cuteness factor) arrived at the race around 6 a.m. 

I went the bib-on-leg route because I thought
my jacket would come off ... I thought right.

After freezing alone for awhile (yes, 48 degrees is freezing in Florida), I met up with my running group at the start.

Fit2Run St. Pete represent!

After freezing some more as a group, we were off. My running buddy, Lori, and I set off at a comfortable pace. The first portion of the course went along Tampa Bay (b-e-a-utiful) with a turnaround to come back by the start.

When the pack leaders made the turnaround to come back, we were greeted (?) by Angry Bike Pace Leader Man. I understand the need to be stern and loud, but man, this dude was mad. I'm not sure what we did to him, but we got a very angry "TO THE RIGHT" command. We did as we were told.

Mile 1: 11:58
Mile 2: 11:55 

We grabbed water or Gatorade (blech) at each stop, and I never worried about running into one. They were plentiful, thank goodness.

Around 2.5 miles, we again encountered the Angry Bike Pace Leader Man. Only, he wasn't angry.

Lori even mentioned it to him. "You're not angry anymore."

I was laughing so I didn't hear his response, but I guess he mentioned he almost died earlier. I guess that's reason enough to be angry?

The course continued along Tampa Bay until we made a turn into a neighborhood where we encountered some unexpected "hills." I've decided I don't mind a big hill, like a bridge, but these little, gradual, unexpected hills and I are not friends. 

Mile 3: 12:03
Mile 4: 11:56

After the neighborhood, we wound into a park where we made the turnaround to come back to the finish. 

Lori and I noticed a girl running who was kicking one leg out as she ran. We thought it was kind of strange, but then realized she must be hurt. As we ran by her, Lori asked if she was OK. She said she was, but had tears in her eyes. Lori encouraged her, and she started running with us.

She said she hurt her knee in a mud run, and it still wouldn't heal. Poor girl. She said her knee didn't hurt when she ran with us, and she ran the rest of the race with us.

Mile 5: 12:25 (Oops.)

We also ran into two other girls from our running group, and we finished the race together. We really picked it up the last full mile.

Mile 6: 10:54 
Mile 0.2: 2:06

My official time: 1:13:16. It is almost exactly in the middle of my other two 10Ks.

It was so awesome to cross the finish line five strong! After hugs from the injured-knee girl, we met up with some others from our running group.

I also cheered Caroline across the finish, who rocked out the 10K and then ran 2 additional miles.

After watching others in our group come in, it was beer time. Yes, it's completely acceptable to drink beer before 9 a.m.

Oh, and that medal that made me run this race. Yeah, it's pretty sweet. I love that it's functional ... or it's supposed to be.

It doesn't actually function as a bottle opener. But, the race organizers kindly offered to send your name on to the awards company (that produced the medal) who will send you a fully functioning medal. Yes, please!

I loved this race. It was a beautiful setting. It was well organized. It did have one of the best damn after parties (beer, pizza, subs, fruit, brownies and a DJ). And, I ran it with some of the best damn running peeps.

Reunited, and it feels so good

This training session, I've run a bunch of races ... alone. I finally conquered that half marathon PR I was chasing for almost a year. But, it doesn't mean as much to me as running with my running buddy, Lori, or our rockin' running group. Damn.

Do you use the word "damn"? I don't curse at all (I do listen to expletive-filled rap, though), but I just picked this up. Have you ever come across an angry bike pacer in a race? Do you have any functional medals? Do you like the idea?

Carnival Classic Half Marathon, Long Beach, Mississippi, Jan. 26, 2013: race recap

This race was completely last minute. On a running high from the race with the big bridges, I happily agreed to travel to Mississippi (Long Beach in da house) for a half marathon the next weekend.

It wasn't all about the race. My boyfriend and I usually take a trip at the end of the year. Instead, our house was packed with guests from Dec. 20 until the first week of January. We really needed a trip after that (just kidding, family ... kind of). 

So, after too long of a drive, we arrived in Mississippi on Thursday. I know so many people love road trips. I do not. I love flying. If the drive is anything more than two hours, I want a plane. But, the drive allowed us to take this crazy girl.

She's worth it ... I guess.

The race started at 8 a.m. on Saturday. That seemed late to me. I'm used to 7 a.m. starts. But, I actually got a great night's sleep, and I thought I was ready to run. I thought wrong.

The first 3 miles were completely painful. Not just as in an "I'm totally not into this," which I wasn't, but an "Ow! My calves are cramping," kind of painful. This is new. This hasn't happened before.

I think part of it was because I felt like everyone took off at the beginning of the race, and I was left by myself (this isn't completely true). I ran faster to try and keep up with the pack. And, part of it was probably due to not drinking my usual Nuun the day before. I like to drink a few tablets worth of it to up my electrolytes. Whatever the cause, my calves hurt!

Mile 1: 11:11 (Eek! Started too "fast")
Mile 2: 12:02
Mile 3: 12:09

After slowing down and grabbing some Gatorade at a water stop, the calf pain eased, and I felt better. Still not great, but at least I wasn't in pain.

Mile 4: 11:58
Mile 5: 11:47 (I took a GU gel around mile 4.5)
Mile 6: 11:47

It wasn't until mile 6 that I felt totally in the race. Prior, I had dreams of stopping, calling my boyfriend to come and pick me up and booking it to New Orleans. Not that I was going to do it, but it was fun to dream. 

I came into this race wanting a personal record (PR). I thought it was finally my time to get that PR I've been chasing for almost a year, knowing it was a super-flat course. Before mile 6, I really didn't think it was going to happen.  

Super-duper flat

Mile 7: 11:36
Mile 8: 11:46
Mile 9: 11:31 (I took another GU gel around mile 8.5)
 
I started to get more optimistic after mile 9. I finally felt great, and I wanted to get to New Orleans.

Mile 10: 11:12
Mile 11: 11:14
Mile 12: 11:07

Coming into the last 1.1 miles, I knew I had a fabulous shot at that record. I wanted it, and I hoped I could at least keep up the pace of mile 12.

Mile 13: 10:45 (Holy crap! My fastest mile of the entire race was the last full mile!)
Mile 0.1: 0:43

My official time: 2:30:54. FINALLY! I took off almost 3 minutes from my personal best. 

Super-duper happy with my PR!

Pretty sweet medal

This course was gorgeous. It was an out-and-back of this view.

Maybe the repetitive scenery made me run faster?

But, it was the same thing for 13.1 miles. I know there are worse things in life to look at for 13.1 miles, but it got boring. I need variety ... waaah, right? I'm such a baby. 

But, the after-party made up for it. 

Homemade gumbo? Yes, please.

Beer? Yes, please.

=

On the beach? Yes, please. 

Oh, they also had hot dogs and pizza ... but, why? 

This race is ideal for a "fast" time. It's super, super, super flat (yes, it deserves three "supers"). And, at the end of January, it shouldn't be too hot (for a race in the South) — it was actually warmer than I hoped, but it wasn't unbearable (70s by race-end). As an added bonus, it's only about an hour's drive to New Orleans. YES! 

Have you ever had calf pain during a run? Do you know why? What did you do to resolve it? Has it even taken you 6 miles to warm up? Ever run a race right along the coast? Ever get bored with the same scenery (no matter how beautiful) during a run?

Tuesday tidbits

So much to say, but so little time to type it in. 

•  You can save $20 on Pretty Muddy through January 31. What is Pretty Muddy? It's a 5K course with mud and obstacles. And, it's a women-only event (sorry, dudes).
  It's going to be my first mud run, and you should join in the fun. There is a Tampa event (for local gals), but there are also events across the country. Use the code GIRLTIME to save $20 when you register.
• I just got back from a rather last-minute trip to the Biloxi, Mississippi area. It included a half marathon and a trip to New Orleans. These were both extremely awesome. A full race recap to come.

I'm not sure why I love this area so much ...

• I'll also have a post on things to do when traveling to a destination race. This was my first one, and I learned what to do (and what not to do, unfortunately).
• Some things to do when visiting New Orleans? Visit Cafe Du Monde. Eat beignets.

• Chloe wanted someone, anyone to drop a beignet. No luck. People hold on tight.

• Everything about New Orleans makes me happy ... especially the beignets ... and Bloody Marys. Whew, it's a good thing I ran a half marathon before I visited.

Have you ever done a mud run? Did you like it? Ever been to New Orleans? Do you love it? You have to love beignets, right?

An impromptu trip ... and race

In the last few days, my boyfriend and I decided to take a trip to the Biloxi-New Orleans area.

Yes, it's rather last minute. And yes, I usually like to plan trips. But, this was too good to pass up.

First, I love the area. Second, there is a race nearby. This was the selling point for me.

After my glorious half marathon on Sunday, I am all about running. When my boyfriend suggested a destination race, I immediately said, "yes, please" (or something to that effect).  

Yay, running! Where can I run next?

I was shocked and excited. Why shocked? He's not a huge fan of races. He's not an early morning person, and he doesn't understand why you'd pay someone to run (yes, he's one of those people). So, when he suggested traveling somewhere for a race, I jumped on it. 

My first thought: Vegas. Unfortunately, Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas isn't until November (I really want to do that race). Then, I started thinking closer. And, since we both love the Gulf Coast, that area seemed like a logical choice.

Thankfully, the Long Beach Carnival Classic Half Marathon and 5K is on Saturday, and I'm registered for the half. (I immediately started thinking of all the Long Beach rap references: "so much drama in the L-B-C," "Long Beach in da house!" and "Compton and Long Beach together, now you know you in trouble," right off the top of my head). And, then I decided they need a race shirt that says, "So much runnin' in the L-B-C." Right?!? I guess they're not technically talking about Long Beach, Mississippi, but I think it could work.

So, back-to-back half marathons. I'm pumped. I had such a great race on Sunday, I can't help but think good things for Saturday. Why? Cooler weather and a flat, coastal route. I've never done a destination half marathon, so I'll see how it goes. But, secretively (or not really), I'm really excited and optimistic.

Have you ever done back-to-back races? How did you feel? Have you ever done a destination race? Did you like it?

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?

An eerie calm

I tend to panic. It’s not a good thing, but it happens.

Thankfully, I already went through my panic stage for the Clearwater Halfathon. My panicking usually happens closer to a race, so this is kind of strange for me. The race is Sunday, and I have an eerie calm about me.

So why am I so calm?

•  I know I can do this. I can run 13.1 miles. Even if I didn’t run for a few weeks around Christmas and the new year, I’m still quite capable. Why? Runners don't lose much V02 max over a 10-day period of inactivity. And if you have to miss two weeks, it only reduces it by 6%. Thanks to Julie, I know this and feel so much better. I love her (not in a weird way … don’t be scared, Julie).
• I’ve done this five times before.

• It does involve big, scary bridges, but the Holiday Halfathon did, too (but not as big and not as scary). Guess what? I actually liked the bridges in that race. It broke up the race. It was something different. It was a challenge. That’s a good thing. 
• I'm running mile 11 for my friend, Linda. I've dubbed it "Mile Linda" (sounds better than mile 11, right?). She's been on bed rest during a good deal of her pregnancy. No matter what, that is difficult; but, Linda is a runner, too. So I'm running the 11th mile (her favorite number) in her honor.
• I’m really looking forward to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in St. Pete and view that as my “A” race this year. I love that race. This race will be a build up to that.
• When it comes down to it, it’s only a race. It’s not life or death. I’d love to finally beat my best time, but if I don’t, there’s always another race. It’s not that I’m not taking it seriously or that I don’t want to do well, but on the “what’s-important-in-life” scale, it’s not at the top.

Do you panic before races (or any big events)? Or are you more rational than me? I hope so.