Hi, everyone

I have run only one race since the HM in July, and that was a 5K August 20, with only 27 runners. It's hard for me to imagine a race with "only a few 100", let alone one of the huge marathons with 40,000 people. I live in a fairly rural area, and work makes it difficult to seriously travel, so I look for local races. Since there aren't that many it makes for a little more incentive to enter when I have the opportunity, which is what happened with this last race. I wasn't really sure I wanted to get up early on a Saturday and run hard.

There were some good things about this race, one of which is that I knew the course, both because it's local and I have driven over these roads, and because I ran the same race last year. The weather was sunny, and not *too* hot. The best thing was that when I arrived I found out that the race was being run in the opposite direction from last year. It's a loop course, and last year the second mile was a long shallow uphill, with a steep short downhill around mile 2 1/2. Running the short steep hill uphill near the beginning, and having the long shallow downhill in the middle made me much happier. My strategy was to rest my legs with the uphill, by taking short strides, and trying for longer strides on the flat and downhill sections, when I didn't have to worry about getting out of breath -- my stride rate stays pretty constant, so the only was I can run faster is to try to lengthen my stride. As always, the biggest barrier to running faster is the mental part that tells me that I can't do it. I've been running five miles for my regular runs, which helps a little, as I try to convince myself that 3.1 isn't all that far.

Even with such a small race they had a professional timing group, and at the finish line a large LED display that showed the elapsed time. There was a short uphill and then a left turn to a relatively flat stretch heading toward the finish, and at this point I tried to run really hard, with the time clock being a real incentive as the seconds ticked off. I could tell as I went by that I had finished in 25:59.xx, which was rounded up [my brother, who is the real runner in the family, tells me that times are *always* rounded up, even 0.01 second is rounded up] to the official time of 26:00 -- but I have the satisfaction of knowing that I came in under 26 minutes.

I felt pretty good about the time, but I'm still not sure how it happens that I can run faster in a race, when it seems as if I'm working just as hard on the regular runs.

There's supposed to be a 5K this coming Saturday, but that's probably going to be my last race this season.

Steve and Marie, I hope that you're soon beyond your injuries and back to running.

Jo Ann, I am in awe of the incredible things you are doing -- you go, girl!

Robin

mkayc

I have two (alternate) suggestions for you. The first would be that when you feel that you're too stressed (winded, legs tired, whatever), slow down. That was one of the best pieces of advice that I have ever received, and just knowing that I *can* slow down if I need to tends to take the pressure off. The second would be to try alternating running and walking in your training, which would give you practice in starting to run again after a walk break. It's a well recognized strategy (and was used by the winner (Hal Higdon, IIRC) of a world master's marathon).

So, I just competed in what may be a record for smallest 5K, with only 7 or 8 runners. It was in my home town (population < 4000), which is how I happened to hear about it. It also included part of my regular winter running route with a back road I'd never run on before. The weather was clear, sunny, and dry (after several days of hours of rain followed by hours of mugginess); the starting temperature in the high 50s, and the finishing temperature in the low 60s. I was a little worried that with such a small group I might finish last -- there was a guy running who looked to be in his 40s, another woman I figured to be close to my age, 3 young women (one had a Beach to Beacon 10K tee shirt on, as she had run that race in August -- she said that Joan Samuelson was there and shook each finisher's hand as they came past the finish line), and a younger girl who might have been 12 or 13. My time was 27:18, which I didn't think was bad, although not as fast as my time in August, on a hillier course, and I didn't finish last. In fact, about half way through the race I passed the man who was running, and I finished first -- not just age group, not just female -- I actually won the race. It made for a pretty good start for the day.

Robin

Way to go Robin!!! Congratulations on your win!!

Hey, Mary Kay

If I'm reading your post correctly, you ran almost EIGHT AND A HALF MINUTES FASTER ON A COURSE THAT WAS ALMOST 1/2 MILE LONGER!. That kind of improvement is awesome!

Trail courses are, I think, harder than road races, and definitely slower. We had a trail race in early July, and the winner, a HS cross-country runner, ran about 19 minutes. Two weeks later the same guy ran a road race in 16 1/2 minutes, 2 1/2 minutes faster (so I figured I was also at least that much slower on the trail.)

The other thing about races is that, for all the fun of running with other people, camaraderie, cheering, we are running harder than in training, and that means that they are more work, so the *fun* is relative. For me, the good things about running are how I feel when I finish a run, how I feel about being able to run, and the long slow distances (and very occasionally shorter runs), when I feel as if I'm in a groove and can let my mind drift off -- and even then it's not effortless the way it looks when I see other runners.

Robin

Today's race 42:35 with avg. pace under 14. Trouble was I walked at least half a mile. Being in a crowd that size with so much hype was exciting. I got swept up in the mood. Started out too fast and lost my pace again toward the middle. It was so hard to let hoards of people pass. It seemed like hundreds. Trouble is you don't see the ones who aren't passing. Then when I tried to restart running after taking a walk break in the middle, I got discouraged because I was surrounded by walkers (they had different colored bibs). So, I bought into *I might as well walk because I'm so slow and miserable*. In the end, though my time was way better than I expected so I was only miserable awhile. Anyone else run this weekend?

Mary Kay

Mary Kay  -- congratulations on your 5K and better-than-expected time. That's one of the reasons a lot of people use a run walk method, better times than trying to run the whole distance. Fewer injuries and more fun are other reasons. I should say that I had been running for about 14 months before it occurred to me to run a race. I look forward to reading your race reports next year.

Marie -- way to go! What a great time!

I didn't race this weekend, but I did run. Five miles yesterday, at a relatively faster pace (I still haven't figured out what speed makes a training run or a lactic acid threshold, but I do know that somehow it's never as fast as what happens in a race, and I don't know how that happens). Saturday is often a faster day, because I don't run on Wednesday or Friday, so my legs are rested. Today I slept late (7 a.m., waking from a dream of having arrived somewhere and having forgotten to pack my running gear), and it was sprinkling. By 9 a.m. I'd had breakfast and the sun was out, with the forecast for sun and temperatures in the 70s or 80s. I figured it was time to try out the hydration belt I'd picked up at the New Balance Tent sale, since we probably won't have another warm Sunday in Maine for another 9-10 months. I typically run 9.5 miles for my long slow distance, and don't need to do more than have a few sips of water before I leave, but it's usually not this warm. I decided to justify the hydration belt by running 13.5 miles, and found that it worked pretty well (although I think that it might have leaked just a little -- not sure.) Now I'm a little sore, but planning to run again tomorrow, but not far, and not fast. Some runners would call it a "junk" run, but I find at an older age that keeping up the mileage is important, so I'm calling it a recovery run.

I hope everyone else had a good weekend.

Robin

Ran the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure yesterday with 19,000+ of my closest friends!

I ran in memory of my Aunt Audrey, and for dear friends Ann, Marie, Sue, Susan, Cyndi, Marilyn and Valerie who are survivors of this terrible disease. The event was very well run, with lots of volunteers, information stations and most important -- port-a-potties!  The vibe was electric with the record breaking number of participants, and all the emotion and support for loved ones shown by crowd. 

This was my first race since running the sweltering and poorly run(no water) 10k in July.  Yesterday's weather was in the low 60's, gusty winds coming off Lake Michigan to make things interesting.  The race was not timed, so I had to depend on my trusty Timex Ironman watch for timing.  

The best thing about a race with thousands of people is you have no other option than to start slow until the crowd thins out.  The start was located at our stunning Santiago Calatrava designed art museum, and the first mile and a half was along the beautiful lakefront.  As the first 1.5 mile completed, there is a .5 mile hill called the Komen Klimb.  Previous courses I've run have all had hills that beat me up.  My goal was to run this hill, no walking, no stopping, no excuses.  The hill was flanked on both sides with hundreds of area high school cheerleaders, complete with rousing cheers, pom-pons and high fives.  I can't tell you how encouraging they were, and without that boost of enthusiasm I don't believe I would have been able to conquer the hill.

The final 1.1 mile of the race weaved through the downtown area with 12 turns!  As the turns progressed, it was fascinating to look back and see the river of PINK flow through the streets!  As I made the final turn, finishing under 36 minutes was another goal.  I mustered up my remaining energy, set my sights on the arch of pink balloons at the finish line, and.....squeeked in at 35:57!  Whoo-hoo! 

Stretched out the ol' muscles, grabbed some coffee and got home before the thunderstorms and 2" of rain started.

Next weekend, running in a much smaller race(only 60 signed up to date), but another worthy cause to support.

Mary Kay-that reggae run sounds like a mess-way to stick with it.

I am doing a 10K in November also, and have only done 5K races thus far.  What you can do is plan a slightly longer run once weekly- run it at a slower pace, don't try for a great time.  the other days you run a normal distance, for you-maybe 2 or 3 miles, at a slightly faster pace.  each week make your "long, slow run" 0.5 miles longer, to get your body used to the pounding.  By Thanksgiving you will be able to do the 6.2 miles.  The key is gradually increasing your distance, and only once weekly, to allow your body to adjust and not get injured.

Hope that helps.