Monday, December 22, 2008

Snow feelings...

I think i am finally recovered enough to start running again. I went out on saturday for an easy 5 miles and felt alright, just trying to shake out the cobwebs in my muscles. My calves still get tight when i run and i am a little worried about it. I can't really take any more time off from running. My marathon is in less than 4 weeks.

I went out again today and did a moderate 8 miles. Felt a lot better than saturday but my calves still got tight at about 4 miles. Now, its snowing and the roads and sidewalks haven't melted from the last storm. This is my least favorite part of running during the winter. I absolutely cannot do treadmills, which means, i just have to make do with the conditions i live in. I have to work back up to my endurance level and i should be set for the full in january. I am thinking that one way or another i am going to finish that full marathon. I have too many friends giving me encouragement to wimp out on it. The next few weeks will be key.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Recover, recover...

Recovery has been my mantra this week. I knew it was going to be a stretch running a half marathon only 6 weeks before my marathon. And a stretch it has become. A stretch of quads, hamstrings, and calves.

My week started with a few days off, seeing as though it was a struggle to walk. I think the combination of a bad warm-up before the half and a mostly down-hill race with a little speed mixed in made for a long recovery. I went on a 5 mile, easy day today and felt absolutely horrible. My legs were tight in the first half mile and living in flagstaff means no flat ground...anywhere. I am obviously a little worried about my preparedness for the full marathon in january. If it was a struggle today to run 5 miles, its going to be a struggle to finish my long runs.

I did swim on thursday and rode my bike yesterday. I have not been totally dormant. I am thinking i need to add some more cross training to my schedule next week and resume full running by next weekend. Ultimately, i am regretting my decision to run the half, but seeing as though it was a friend's first race of any kind, i wanted to be there to support him and get a feel for my fitness at the same time. Its going to be all on time's shoulders to tell if i am going to be prepared for the full in 5 weeks, but the race organizers have an easy transfer of races: Just start in the half marathon. It might be a race week decision on which race i do.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Tucson Half Marathon...

Thank you to everyone who came and watched, offered words of encouragement, and most of all prayed for myself and all the runners yesterday. Here is my race recap.I was up at 4:30 yesterday morning because we had to park in a lot behind Ventana Medical in Oro Valley by 6am. I ate a bowl of instant oatmeal and threw my jersey on. I put on all my sweats cause i knew it was going to be cold.I rolled up to the Medical center at about 5:15 and there was a line of cars, literally, two miles long. Obviously, the parking of cars was difficult and taking a long time. I finally got parked at 5:45. Took my "drop bag" and water bottle and headed to the buses that were going to take us to the start line. They didn't have space at the start line for all the cars to park, hence the bus ride. The ride was about 15 minutes long up to the entrance of Biosphere 2. Again, the organization was horrible. We sat on the bus for almost 40min. They didn't have space for all the buses at the start line. They had them wait at the entrance until a bus left and then the next one would go and unload its humans. Took forever, people decided to just walk the mile to the start line because it was only 20 min til start and we hadn't warmed up. I was one of the people in the mass exodus form the buses. Warmed up, gave up my 'drop bag' on the bus that was going to take it to the finish line and did my normal stretching and warm up. We started about 15min late. Everyone was lining up. I got in the front and people were filling in around me. I ended up being about 3 rows back from the start line. I looked around and I was thinking "no way are these peolpe faster than me." Some were older, some women, some overweight, no way were they faster than me. I took my self out of the line and went right to the front where the 'fast' looking guys were. Annoucer says, "ready, set, go!" We're off.I start out a little faster than expected but want to roll with it and see how my body reacts. There are about 7 or 8 of us at the front by the first mile. 5:27. We drop 2 or 3 people between miles one and two. mile 2 split-11:09. By mile 2 there are five of us. The first aid station comes up, i come up empty handed because the volunteers don't necessarily understand how to hand out water. A runner moving at an increased rate of speed stretches out a hand to a resting cup. Every action has an equal or lesser reaction. In this case, the reaction was a smashing of the pepsi cup and water going everywhere when one hand comes in contact with a resting hand. See if you can't visualize my frustration. Mile 3 split-16:41 By mile three, there are only 4 of us and a large gap back to the rest of the pack, with one runner in no man's land between the two groups. My shins are starting to feel tight already, but i keep pushing despite thoughts of slowing down. Mile 4 split-22:22 Two of the four in our group have started pulling away from myself and the other runner next to me. I start feeling a cramp in my side which affects my breathing. I haven't slowed down but i can't go any faster. Mile 5 split-27:53(?) By this time, i am looking forward to seeing what my 10K split is going to be, because i know regardless of the time, it is going to be a personal best. 10K split- 35:23 I PRed my 10K by over 2 minutes! my previous 10K was 37:47. During the last mile the runner i was with starts pulling away from me and i am not able to keep up. I am now safely, for the time, in fourth place. Right about the 7mile mark, a runner comes blazing passed me. He looks really strong. He ends up winning the race. Mile 7 has our first gradual up hill of the whole race. I am also starting to fade a little. One of the front runners from the beginning of the race is fading quick and i feel like i can catch him. Close to mile 8 he stops and takes his shoe off, i figure he has a blister. After the race i find out his toe was bleeding for one reason or another and bled through his shoe. He dropped out. I am back into fourth position. But there is a huge gap. I shake my cramp at mile 9. But my legs just don't have anything left to give. It is just a battle to finish now. I come through mile 10 at about 57 or 58 min. I don't remember my splits as well because my mind is just set on finishing. But i wanted to be under an hour at 10miles and i was safely under that. Now, my goal was to finish under 1:18. Another runner passed my at 10.5 miles. I tried to stick with him, but like i said earlier my legs just didn't have anything left. The last few miles, i was just cruising. They were the hardest miles of the course as far as elevation goes and i just didn't want to get passed again. My last 5k ended up being about 20min give or take a few. I finished in 1:17.36. Better than expected and i ran personal best times at every distance from 3 miles and up. And i was only off my 2mile PR by 5 seconds. So, it was a good day. I am too sore to even walk straight and now its time to recover so that i will be back in running form by January for my full marathon!