Timlin 5K

I hate 5K races. To me, they are like sprints. As a marathon runner, I greatly prefer the longer distance races. That's because I can slow down my pace. And I like a slow pace. But with a 5K I feel like I am sprinting the whole time. So why did I run it? Well, I'm a member of a running club that has a Grand Prix Series where you get points for running Grand Prix races, and this was one of them. Why I really care about this, I don't know. My busy schedule doesn't allow me to run enough Grand Prix races to place in the top at the end of the year and get me an award. But I guess it's still enough motivation. I also knew I'd see some friends at this race, so I figured it was worth attending. But when my alarm went off at 7:10am, I was very tempted to sleep in and skip the race. I'm glad I went, but now I'm sleepy. And I'm going to be up late babysitting my nephew. Perhaps it's time for a nap!

Side note about the race that reflects one of my race pet peeves: the race had about 1,500 participants. There was chip timing (the new disposable D-tag) but there was no timing mat at the start. Without that chip mat at the start, you don't get your actual time that you ran the race. Your time reflects not only your race time, but the time it took you to cross the starting line. For me, that was about 30 seconds. I wore a Garmin 205 watch which tracked me via satellite and I hit "start" when I crossed the starting line. That way I could at least know for myself what my actual time on the course was (30:18, by the way). So I'm sure my "official" time will be around 3:48-ish. Oh well! The race is for charity (ALS) and I was told the chip mat at the start would cost 3 or 4 thousand dollars, so I can't complain too loudly.

Another interesting note: the Timlin in the name of the race refers to former Red Sox pitcher Mike Timlin and his mother Sharon, who passed away from ALS. Although Mike is no long with the Red Sox, he still got Tim Wakefield (Sox pitcher) to come to the race to sign autographs. It's a great event; not only do they typically have Sox players, but there are a ton of vendors giving free samples and a lot of activities for the kids. Giant slide, anyone??

Tomorrow it's a 9 mile run in the warm rain. Longest run since the NJ Marathon.

one pain ends, another begins

So I decided not to run the trail race last weekend. I really, really wanted to do it, especially because it was wet and muddy, which is just awesome for me for a trail run. Plus, I would get to run with my friend Sue. Everyone (on Facebook and email) told me not to run. They said the race would be there next year and it was best to rest my injury. As hard as it was, I took their advice, slept late, and didn't get out of my pajamas until 4:00. It was the best decision, as now the pain seems to have subsided. Let's hope it's gone for good.

But another pain has begun. My upper back and neck are so sore, the kind of sore where you can't turn your head to either side. I attribute it to a lot of time at my computer at the office lately and very bad posture. I am getting a massage on Monday and I'll ask her to spend most or all of the time in that area. Hopefully that will help. And I'm trying to improve my posture. I'm sure stretching would help, too!

So far so good in terms of the marathon training runs and mileage. I think I have mentioned before that I follow Hal Higdon's Intermediate I training program. I have made just a few changes to the schedule so far. I reduced my long run during week one to 6 miles (from 8) because I was still recovering from injury, and it's looking like I'm going to be eliminating one 3-mile run this week (though I still have a few hours tonight to get it in if I get motivated). And tomorrow I'm running a 5K race instead of a 5 mile run. Minor adjustments, in my opinion. Sunday I'm due for a 9 miler and I do plan to do that. May have to wait until the evening if it's too hot during the day. I simply cannot run in the heat especially when the sun is out.

Week two almost done! Woo hoo!

training begins with injury

Okay, so my first official day of training was a cross-training day which usually means rest for me. On my second day of training, the first day of running, I became injured. Not a good start. I ran 5 miles at lunchtime on trails and on the roads. About half-way through I started getting a pain in my butt. Not to be uncouth, but that is where the pain was. The pain worsened as the run went on but I did finish.

The next morning I woke up and could barely walk. Okay, so how was I going to run 3 miles at lunchtime that day if I could barely walk? Well, as it turns out: very slowly and very awkwardly. It was sort of a "gimpy" run with lots of breaks. Pace was 11:51 or something like that. But I did it.

My friend Jen thinks it is piriformis (or something like that) which I think is something like sciatica. She sent me some suggestions, which include a stretch. She sent a link to the stretch that included pictures. I can't quite figure out how to do the stretch so I will ask her for a demonstration when I see her this weekend. I am getting a massage next week. I hope that helps!

Today I ran 3 miles at lunchtime again and somehow managed a 9:58 pace. Either I am learning how to run through the pain or I am getting better. I did take like 3 breaks during the run, though. One of them was for a bunny! He/she was happily eating and I didn't want to disturb the cute little thing. Eventually I had to get going, though, and somehow I still didn't disturb the bunny.

I'm signed up for a 6.7 mile trail race this weekend. Either I'll need to start early or they'll have to wait for me at the finish. I'll be lucky if I can hobble to the end! Will do some stretches this weekend and see if that helps.

Oh what fun this first week of marathon training is turning out to be!

Training Begins!

Marathon training starts today, but it's a cross-training day, which usually means rest for me. So I start training without running. :) I’m still not sure which marathon I’m doing, but the two I am deciding between are both on October 11th so the training schedule is the same. I’ve gone back and forth between the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, PA and the Towpath Marathon near Akron, OH. There are great reasons to do both, but what is making me lean towards Steamtown at this point is that I think I want my Ohio marathon to be at my alma mater, Kenyon College. They have a marathon there in April. It is VERY small and fairly new, so I guess I should check to make sure they plan to continue it for a few years.

The bonus to doing Steamtown is that my friend Peter from NJ said he would travel with me, but that is only if he is still in NJ (he is possibly relocating this year). So I can’t guarantee that. The bonus to the Towpath, though, is that my friend Deb lives near there and could possibly come with me to cheer me on. But it’s her birthday weekend and is not sure she’ll be in town. What it boils down to is that I know I will eventually have to run some of these marathons on my own with no one on the course out there to support me (at least no one specifically designated for me) but I’m not sure I’m ready to go solo just yet. What do I need this person for? Many things….such as supplies (i.e. GU energy gel, water, Gatorade, Body Glide), cheering, and picture-taking. It’s also a huge motivational boost to know someone is out there waiting for you at certain mile markers. It helps motivate me to get to that mile. And of course it doesn’t hurt to have someone there to drive you after the marathon, since your body is not in great “driving shape.”

The main reason that I am deciding between PA and OH is that in the fall I want to go on a trip to visit friends in these states. You see, I just turned 40 and I decided that for my 40th birthday I wanted to spend some time with people who had a wonderful impact on my life, but who I don’t get to see often. Some I haven’t seen in years. So it will be special to visit with each of these people, if only for a cup of coffee (hopefully more!). If I run a marathon in one of these states, I can combine the marathon with my birthday trip. Of course all of that driving won’t be easy after running a marathon but I’ll manage somehow. I think I’d rather run the marathon first and then visit everyone, as I don’t want to expend too much energy the week before the marathon.

Once I complete my fall marathon, I will have finished 9 marathons in 7 states. By the end of 2010 I hope to complete my 10th state so that I can join the 50 States Marathon Club! So far in 2010 I am planning on the Gasparilla Marathon in Tampa, FL at the end of February so that I can visit my brother and his family, who are moving to that area this summer. And I’m thinking about Kiawah Island in SC in December so that my parents can be a part of that one. It would be cool to have them there when I finish my 10th state. We’ll see!

Now that I am back to training I will be writing more updates to this blog. And I’ll let you know what I decide to do on October 11th! :)

Marathon Report

So what happened to this blog?! I was in training for the NJ Marathon on May 3rd and POOF: The blog came to an abrupt halt. I really can’t explain why. I had a wonderful marathon experience (yes, I did run it and finish). In fact, I was on a high from the marathon for about a week. And then the post-marathon exhaustion hit. It wasn’t really physical exhaustion; I just felt so unmotivated and mentally fatigued. I have said many times before that 90% of marathons (and running in general, for that matter) are mental for me. So it makes sense that the mental exhaustion is what ended up prevailing.

I’ll address in a later blog what happened after the marathon, but for now I want to share the marathon experience. The marathon was on Sunday, May 3rd. I drove down to my sister’s house in northern NJ on Thursday night. On Friday I drove down to the Jersey shore where the marathon was being held to pick up my number, browse the expo, and drive the course. I was excited to find Crocs for 10 bucks at the expo. I also bought a plastic poncho for 3 bucks, knowing that rain was predicted for marathon day (it’s great to use these ponchos as you are standing around waiting for the marathon to start, and then you can ditch them and not feel so bad that you lost only 3 bucks). I was very glad to drive the course, as it gave me a great sense of what to expect, and also more information to share with my spectators.

On Saturday I drove to the B&B where I was staying, about 7 miles south of the marathon start. I purposely avoided the marathon start/registration area on Saturday because I knew it would be a flurry of activity and chaos, and I just didn’t want to deal with that. I prefer to stay as far away from the marathon stress as I can. This is why I made a special trip on Friday to get my number, as I knew it would be quiet on that day (and it was). After checking in, I drove to find a pizza place that someone had recommended so that I could carbo-load. The pizza was delicious! I miss NJ pizza so much. I set out everything I’d need on marathon day, and made sure to pin my number to my shirt. I knew I had to be up very early the next day and I didn’t want to lose sight of any details.

I woke up around 5:00 on marathon day, knowing I needed to get on the road by 5:45 in order to park near the start (the lot was about .7 miles from the start, so it was a decent walk). The other option was to drive to Monmouth Racetrack where they were offering a shuttle. Thank God I didn’t go with that option! From all I have read on the internet, that was a complete disaster. There were many complaints on marathonguide.com about the shuttle system and how disorganized it was. Apparently some shuttles even got lost on the way to the marathon (and it was only a few miles away).

Anyway, I arrived in the parking lot just after 6:00 but the marathon did not start until 7:30. I basically just sat in the car because it was raining and I didn’t want to get my clothes wet. I chatted with some runners next to me and took care of some last minute details (like trying to find my Garmin watch, which I found after about 20 minutes of looking. I had stuffed it in an extra running shoe but forgot it was there and you can imagine how long it took for me to find it there!). I walked to the starting area a bit before 7:00 because I knew I needed to check my bag (dry clothes to have at the finish line). The hotel where the bag check was located was totally mobbed. I guess because of the rain everyone tried to huddle in there. With 10,000 runners and only a 5-story hotel, it was literally like a sardine can. Trying to figure out where the baggage check was and then trying to get to it was quite a challenge. However, I tried not to let it bother me because I needed all the energy I had for the actual run.

After finally checking my bag, I hung around outside just south of the starting line, where there was a huge conglomeration of port-a-potties. And there weren’t that many people in this area, so it made for a calmer place to be. To keep dry I was wearing pants I had bought at a thrift store and a vest I had won at a race, as well as the plastic poncho. As 7:15 or so approached, we were informed that the race start would be delayed!!!! Are you kidding me??!! All that preparation for a 7:30 start (mentally and otherwise) and they were going to delay the start?! They said an accident occurred and that the police would not allow the race to start. That may have been true, but after all I heard about the shuttle bus disasters afterwards, I can’t help but think that they held up the race start at least in part because some of the shuttles were late. They kept delaying the start by 5 minutes until we started at 8am. However, I am proud of myself that I did not let this start bother me at all. I kept telling myself there was nothing I could do about it so I shouldn’t worry about what was out of my control.

The start area was PACKED, as many of the runners had already been standing and waiting there for a 7:30 start. They had finish times posted and you were supposed to stand near the time you wanted to finish in. I always hope for less than 5 hours, so I wanted to stand near that sign. However, given how crowded it was, the closest I could get was the 5:30 sign. Oh well!

Just before the race started, I dumped my pants, vest, and poncho. And I tied my long sleeved shirt around my waist (which later got dumped at mile 13.2). I am hoping someone donated these items to a local charity, but I’ll never know. The first half of the race, but especially the first few miles, were PACKED. That’s because the majority of the 10,000 runners (about 7,000+) were running the half marathon. It’s a double-loop course, which means that the half marathoners run the loop once and the marathons have to go around again. It was a bit too crowded during that first loop but again, there was nothing I could do about it. What was nice, though, is that there were a lot more spectators during the first loop since most of the runners were running the half marathon. That may have been the only benefit to that aspect of the race.

As I approached mile 11, I heard a lot of people saying “you’re almost there!” and “only 2 miles to go!” I told them not to say that because I was running the full marathon. J (I’m not one to keep my mouth shut when I’m running a marathon and get irritated by something.) I had mentally prepared for about a week that I would have to cross over the finish line (literally) and do the loop again, so actually that part didn’t bother me a whole lot. It almost made me feel powerful….most of the people were going to the left to finish, and I was going to the right for another loop. I am woman, hear me roar! J

I had needed to go to the bathroom starting about mile 5, but the port-a-potty lines on the course were long and there were no trees or bushes I could hide behind (and there was no way I was going to lose precious time from my marathon finish time to wait in line to go to the bathroom). But another benefit of being one of the few who was doing the marathon is that on the 2nd loop there were not lines, so I was able to slip in and out quickly around mile 13.3 without losing too much time. Luckily that was the only time I had to go to the bathroom the whole race.

I should back up a bit and tell you that I had two support people on the course: my sister Jennifer and my friend Peter. I had requested that Jennifer be in a section that would allow her to see me at miles 5, 13, 18, and the finish; Peter would be at miles 8, 11, 21, and 24. I had to look hard to find Jennifer at mile 5 as there were a lot of runners and spectators, and I wasn’t sure what she was wearing. I also wanted to stop to tell her that the race had started 30 minutes late, since I had given both her and Peter time estimates of when I would be passing by each mile. It was great motivation to have someone to look forward to at so many points in the race. But I felt badly for them. That’s because the drizzle turned to pouring rain about an hour into the race. And it was cold. I was able to manage wearing a tank top and shorts because I was moving so I didn’t get cold. But to just stand there in the cold pouring rain is miserable. But I couldn’t worry about them; I just had to focus on the race.

As I hit the halfway mark and saw that I had been running for about 2 hours and 25 minutes, I knew it probably wouldn’t be a PR (personal record) day for me (usually you run slower in the second half of the race, and my marathon PR is 4:53). That allowed me to relax a bit, and not worry so much about my pace. I started to have thoughts of walking somewhere around mile 16 or so. But I didn’t walk. For sure I did not want Peter or Jennifer to see me walking! Having them there was great incentive to keep running (even if it was a slow jog at times). The only times I remember walking are when I stopped for water or to take some GU energy gel. I have trouble swallowing when I’m running, so it was a nice excuse to slow down for a minute. I may have walked for a minute or two at other times, but I don’t actually recall doing so. My stride may have slowed down, but I was still “running.” Of course I was drenched from the time it started to pour rain, and I just got wetter and wetter. I hadn’t realized it was possible to get that wet. After trying to avoid puddles for a while, I decided it was a waste of time to do so; therefore, I ended up running right through deep puddles. I had my Smartwool socks on which had carried me through a rainy Boston Marathon, so I felt confident. Oh, and I had my Boston Red Sox hat on and, despite being in “Yankee Country,” I only got slightly razzed once, and that was right before the finish line when I had no energy or time to say anything back. In fact, I saw a number of Red Sox hats among the spectators and got a few shout-outs from them.

Around mile 24.5, I realized that it was possible for me to finish in less than 5 hours, which is always a wonderful achievement for me. So believe it or not, at this late stage of the race, I kicked it in. I’m not sure how I did it. There was a guy in a royal blue shirt who seemed to want to do the same thing as me, so I thought if I could just keep up with him I’d be okay. But I couldn’t. No worries, though. I just really focused myself and forced myself to run as fast as I possibly could. I kept my eyes straight ahead, grimaced, and ran. Lots of people were shouting my name, as I had my name on my shirt. Earlier in the race I would acknowledge them with a smile, wave, nod, or something like that but this time I meant business. All I could do at that point was look straight ahead and run as fast as I could so that I could get there in less than 5 hours. And I did. In fact, my official finish time was 4:59:31. Couldn’t get much closer! Unfortunately the official clock over my head said 5:02 or 5:03 something, but that’s because the clock goes by when the gun went off. Luckily they use chip timing there, so my actually time was recorded (meaning it took me a few minutes to get to the starting line once the gun went off). (When I plugged my Garmin watch into my computer later that week, I saw a huge spike in my pace for that last mile, proving that I really was able to step it up and speed things up at the end when I needed to.)

All I wanted when I finished was to get some water. But there wasn’t any. And I couldn’t figure out where the food tent was. Jennifer came running up to me yelling “you did it!” and all I could do was wander in a stupor asking other runners where the water and food was. No one responded. Perhaps that is because they knew that the race had run out of food and water! The only thing they had was a box of bananas and some sort of energy booster drink I had never had before. No soup. No Italian food from Tuzzio’s Restaurant which we had been promised. I told the volunteer how mad I was, but also nicely told her I knew it was not her fault. And I ranted at my poor sister for several minutes. She was there to congratulate me but all I could do was yell and swear about the lack of food and water. Luckily she had water in her bag that I had given her for the race, so I was able to drink that. After running 26.2 miles it is not only a desire but a NECESSITY to have food and water at the finish. I was incredibly irritated. We walked to the hotel to meet up with Peter and so that I could get my bag and change. It took me a really long time to change clothes because the bathroom was PACKED and I had a hard time moving my body anyway. I really wanted to take a shower but they were charging 20 bucks for a shower and I’m so darn cheap. Jennifer, Peter, and I chatted for a bit and then I wanted to go out and get a picture taken in front of the ocean. My original plan had been to jump in the ocean after I finished, but given the rain and the cold I figured that everyone was just ready to get the heck out of there. We took a few pictures and then headed home. I drove Jennifer to her car at the racetrack, and Peter headed further down the shore to visit his father in Lavallette (which is where I spent my summers growing up and where I first met Peter). After I dropped Jennifer off I looked for the first fast food restaurant I could find, as I still hadn’t eaten anything besides a banana. McDonald’s was my first sighting, and a Big Mac meal served as my post-marathon nourishment. I needed to vent about the lack of food/water at the finish to someone who would truly understand (a fellow marathon runner) so I called my friend Jen and luckily she answered the phone. I vented at her for quite some time, and she agreed with me that it was appalling. Thanks, Jen!

I got a little lost heading back up north, but eventually made it to Jennifer’s house where I took a shower and then rested and relaxed on the couch for the rest of the night. I had to drive back to Massachusetts the next day, so all I wanted to do was veg on the couch. And that is what I did!

(Post-script: After many emails back and forth with the race director about the lack of food and water at the finish, I discovered that the volunteers who were handing out water and Gatorade at the finish line had abandoned their post without notifying anyone. That certainly didn’t make me feel better, but at least there was a reason. And the Race Director claims that they had enough food left over to donate to a charity. Where that food was, I will never know. Even the food volunteer told me they had run out. And no, I wasn’t so delirious after the marathon that I couldn’t understand her; you can ask my sister and she’ll tell you the same thing!)

nerves

I don't know why I am so nervous; the marathon is 6 days away! I hope my nerves settle down because they take the energy away from where I need it most. I've already started to make a pile of stuff to pack even though I don't leave for 3 1/2 days. That's partly to expend my nervous energy and partly because I have to be packed and ready to go Thursday morning and I have plans until late Wednesday night. In other words, I need to be packed and ready to go before bed on Tuesday. I am always afraid I will forget something, but honestly, when it comes right down to it...I can buy most things at a store! As long as I have my running shoes and my planned running outfit, everything else can be bought. (I guess technically I could buy new shoes and running clothes but runners know you should NOT wear anything new the day of a marathon!). I'm going to the expo on Friday to pick up my number and shirt, and to browse around. I'll also drive the course. That way, on Saturday all I have to do is drive to the B&B and RELAX! I don't even need to go NEAR the frenzy that will be at the Expo on Saturday!

Need some Motviation!!!

It's hot today. In the 80s and very sunny with no clouds. A perfect day for the beach. A perfect day for many outdoor activities. But not so perfect for me for running. I would rather run in a snowstorm than in heat. In fact, I'd rather run in just about any weather condition (except for lightning). But it's hot today. And I must run. I'm scheduled for only 3 miles today and 8 miles tomorrow. Sounds pretty simple given the earlier long runs during my marathon training. But even 1 mile for me in this heat is too much. I had planned to switch the mileage and do 8 today and 3 tomorrow because I have plans tomorrow and I don't want to have to cram everything in. As the day progresses, we'll see what I decide. I'm just kind of living in denial for a few more hours until I have to head out the door...