Ringing In Summer

On Monday, I ran my 4th Ringing In Hope 10K. Don't be deceived by the number-- this race occurs multiple times per year, and sometimes on different courses.

I typically write a race report within hours of finishing the race so my memory is fresh and that I can have "closure" and move on with my day. In the case of this race, I knew that my report would be overshadowed by feelings of frustration and disappointment, so I waited until I could think more rationally and positively about my performance.

I ran the 5K version of this race last Memorial Day and it was so sweltering hot that I had decided I wouldn't return again. But when the forecast came out for low humidity and relatively cooler temperatures, I changed my mind and decided to go for it. I had also sworn off racing the 10K distance in warm weather (with the exception of Laywers Have Heart-- which I do every year). However, the forecast was for 54 and sunny at the start, 60 at the finish with the sun rising quickly. I thus opted for the 10K thinking that my performance would only be impacted slightly by the heat.

I didn't really have a goal in mind for this race. I ran this exact course on New Year's eve in 45:57 and figured I was probably in similar shape now. I decided not to look at my Garmin and I was just going to run by feel, since that has worked for me in shorter races in the past. I had no idea if the weather would affect me or how much, so I figured that trying to run a certain pace wouldn't be smart-- I would just feel the race.

Before the Race
In the days before the race, I made sure to hydrate well. I drank plenty of water as well as coconut water to make sure I had enough electrolytes. When I ran this 10K back in 2011, I suffered from heat exhaustion and was dizzy/spacey for awhile after the race was over. I theorized that I was drinking enough water, but perhaps not getting enough electrolytes so I since made that a priority.

I dressed in a sports bra, shorts, visor and sunglasses. I knew the sun would be strong, so I wanted to keep it off of my face. When Greg and I arrived to the race, it was actually chilly in the shade, but warm in the sun.  I think if this race had started at 7:00 as opposed to 8:10, things would have been a lot different for me. I wasn't obsessing about the weather, as I used to do, however. I had made a conscious decision to run the 10K instead of the 5K because I thought the weather wouldn't be warm enough to slow me down significantly. I was mentally prepared, physically rested, hydrated and ready to go.

My warmup was just under two miles, and I was feeling great. Afterwards, I met up with my friend Liz, who I had seen just two weeks prior at the Angel Kisses 5K. Liz was running the 5K at this event, too and she told me that they were starting the 5K at 8:00 and the 10K at 8:10. This wasn't advertised anywhere on the website or in information emails, but I figured it wouldn't change things too much and might even be better because I would know who was in my race versus the 5K. I cheered for Liz as she crossed the start line and then chatted with Greg as we waited for my race to start. Greg, who is still recovering from a foot injury, was prepared to take photos of me and hand me a bottle of water at the halfway point.

Mile 1: 7:23 
This race features a long, gradual uphill during the first mile. I always tell myself not to go out too fast on it and to save up for later in the race. I ran up the hill at what felt like a conservative effort for a 10K, and then sped up when it came time for the downhill. I noticed that there weren't very many women ahead of me in the first mile. Maybe 4-5. This worried me in thinking that I had gone out too fast, but everything felt good.

Miles 2-3: 7:41, 7:58
At the end of the first mile and for the entire 2nd and 3rd miles, I was dodging 5K runners. I hadn't thought about this when I learned of the different start times. Typically everyone starts at the same time so I am not passing slower 5K runners/walkers on the first loop. Potentially a few 5K walkers on the second loop, but

The end of mile 3, 5K runners in background

they are all spread out by that point. Instead, I spent my entire 2nd and 3rd miles passing people, yelling "passing" as I ran through very narrow areas of runners. No doubt I was expending extra mental and physical energy here, and it was extremely annoying. There were large families with kids all over the course and nobody was telling the 5K runners to keep to one side or the other. There were several occasions where I just had to plow my way through and yell "sorry" as I brushed against people. It was crowded and I had no other choice. Other 10K runners were doing the same.

The last half of the third mile is a long, gradual uphill. Weaving through people at this point was draining me and at the same time I started to feel really winded and tired out by the heat and sun beating down on me. I had been closely following this one runner since the start of the race, and I watched as she made her way up the hill, keeping my eye on her for motivation and reminding myself of the pace I wanted to be running. When everyone around you is going up a hill at a pace that's 3-4 minutes per mile slower than you, it's hard to stay motivated to run your fastest. Looking at my 7:58 split after the race confirmed that this mile really took its toll on me. For reference, my half marathon pace from Disney last January (which was 60, humid, but no sun) was around 7:50. My Love Rox half marathon pace was even faster in cooler weather.

Finally, I saw Greg at the top of the hill, who handed me a water bottle. I took a few gulps and poured the rest over my head. It felt awesome.

Miles 4-6: 7:53, 7:48, 8:10
It wasn't long before I felt hot again and I was confronted with the same hill from the first loop. Instead of trying to be conservative, I was just trying to survive my way up it, trying to not fall too far behind that woman in the orange shirt who I had in my sight in the first mile. I felt like I was bonking and I was doing my best just to hang on. I was wondering if everyone in the race was feeling this awful but when two women passed me (one during the 4th mile and one during the 5th mile) it didn't seem like they were struggling.

My motivation for the last two miles was just to keep my placing and try to win an Age Group award. I actually caught up to the woman in the orange shirt during the 5th mile and we ran next to each other, but then she got ahead again and I simply couldn't keep up. She looked like she was in my age group, but also sort of looked like a newbie, and I thought that on any other day I could probably easily beat her.

I took some water from a water station and poured it over myself. It felt good, but I was still feeling so exhausted and worn down by the heat. Finally, it was time for that last long uphill. I knew the race would be over soon and I knew I just had to get up the hill and I would be almost done. That other woman was about 10 seconds ahead of me. The woman who passed me in mile 5 was about 20 seconds ahead of me. Liz was cheering for me at the top of the hill and it motivated me to keep giving 100%.

Greg yelled "you're in 7th place" as I was approaching the finish line. I gave it all I had, but I couldn't close the gap between myself and either of the women ahead of me.

After The Race
I felt miserable. I was so exhausted physically and happy that the race was over. Liz and Greg found me and

Liz and me post race

got me a water. I asked Liz how she did and she said she won the 5K. First place! I was so happy for her. I figured I probably won something too, just because Greg said I was 7th overall- not because I considered my time to be competitive.

Liz got her award for winning the 5K and we waited for the 10K results to be posted. I saw that I got 2nd place in my age group with a time of 48:29. The woman ahead of me finished in 48:19- exactly 10 seconds, just as I thought. She took first in the age group.


About 5-10 minutes after I finished, I started seeing black spots and getting dizzy. This happened to me after the Nike Women's half marathon, which was also sunny and warm at the end. This continued off and on for a little bit but eventually went away after spending some time seated in the shade.

I ended up winning a $25 gift certificate to a local running store, which almost covers my race entry. I had mixed emotions about the whole thing. I would have been much happier with second place if the first place winner had been farther ahead of me. But the fact that I was tailing her the entire time and she looked like somewhat of a newbie annoyed me. I was frustrated that the heat sucked so much energy out of me that I wasn't able to trim off 10 seconds from my time.

My average pace was 7:48. By way of comparison, I ran the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in April at a pace of 7:37, and that race was windy.

Takeaways
Unfortunately, it took me awhile to be able to focus on the positives from this race. In the hours after the race I felt frustrated and disappointed. Even though I knew I ran the best race I had in me and that I prepared well, it was disheartening to learn how much slower I am in 60 degree, sunny weather. It's not that hot. This kind of weather is perhaps the toughest for me to deal with mentally. If it were 80 degrees, then everyone would have been affected. If it were really windy, then everyone would have been affected. I have others around me to "validate" that the race was tough due to weather. But in this 60-degree sunny weather, it seems like I am the only one affected to such an extent.

I was also disappointed that I couldn't just shake it off and move past it quickly. This is something I've been getting really good at lately-- focusing on the positive and not letting a poor performance get me down. This race was different and it made me realize I need to keep working on staying positive and process-focused.

• I gave 100% effort and there is no way I could have pushed harder.
• Based on my splits, I probably went out too fast. This wouldn't have been too fast for cooler weather- but the first mile was obviously cooler than the last few
• I was the 7th overall female (out of 167) and 2nd in my age group of 30-39. 
• The best way to acclimate to warm weather is to put out a hard effort in warm weather. Hopefully my next hot race this summer will be easier.
• I was good about hydrating in the days before the race and the morning of
• I was happy for my friend and teammate, Liz, to win the 5K race
• I felt really supported by Greg
• Next year, it's back to the 5K!

Running Shoes Re-visited

Today is a landmark day as I went for my final run in the Brooks Adrenaline. I've been wearing this shoe for over 8 years, with 37 pairs accounted for in my training log.

The Early Years as a Fitness Runner
I started running back in 2001 as a way to stay fit. I was a treadmill runner and from about 2001-2005 my standard routine was a mile warmup, 30-40 mins of weight lifting, and then 4-5 additional miles on the treadmill. The runs were always at tempo effort. I didn't know what "tempo effort" was, but I just tried to run pretty hard to make sure I was getting the most out of my workout. And I did this 5 days a week! There were two reasons why I never attempted to go further than five miles at a time. First, my sports bra would chafe me horribly and I hadn't discovered body glide. After 5 miles, I could no longer tolerate it. Second, the bottoms of  feet would hurt me.

For shoes, I would go to Modell's, a discount athletic store, and buy whatever New Balance shoe felt the best. I chose New Balance because my college roommate seemed to like that brand, so I figured it would be good. I changed them about every six months. Miraculously, I was never injured.

Transition to Racing
At around the same time I started racing, a runner friend of mine suggested that I get properly fitted for running shoes. I went to Metro Run and Walk, a local running store, and was told I needed a stability shoe. The Brooks Adrenaline felt the best of everything I tried on. With that shoe, I realized I could go further than five miles without my feet hurting. Shortly after the new shoes came the discovery of body glide- which meant that my sports bra chafing wasn't going to hold me back.

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 6

In 2005, the Adrenaline GTS 5 was the current model. And when the 6 came out, I liked that even more.

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 6- Ready for the Marathon

But when the 7 came out, my knee immediately started to hurt. I thought I was injured until  I went back to wearing the GTS 6 and realized that it was the shoe that was causing the knee issue. Thus, I stockpiled. I went to every website on the whole Internet and bought every GTS 6 I could find. When the GTS 8 came out, I realized I could wear that shoe without my knee hurting, but I still preferred the 6. So my stock of 6's became reserved for half marathons and marathons only. Lasting me all the way through 2011, at which point my coach told me they were too old to run in.

Mizuno Wave Elixir: It Must Be Love
As much as I loved the Adrenaline, I found another shoe that fit me even better. In 2008, I discovered the Mizuno Wave Elixir, a lightweight shoe with stability. My foot is on the narrower side of normal, and Mizuno shoes are known for being narrow. I loved the way it felt to run in this shoe. But I was afraid that the lack of support would contribute to injury, so I reserved the shoe for speed work, 5K's and 10K's only.

In 2011, as I started doing longer track workouts, I realized I'd probably be okay for a 10-mile race in the Elixirs. I successfully wore them for a 10-miler, and then tried them out in a half marathon and the support was definitely sufficient.

Goodbye Foot Slapping and Heel Striking
In 2011, I noticed that my gait was starting to change. In the summer of that year, I started working with my coach and during our first long run, he told me that I was a foot slapper and I shouldn't be making that noise when I ran. He didn't provide any tips for stopping it, so I just tried to be more aware of doing it.

I think that my regular track workouts contributed to a more efficient stride and within a few months, I was no longer a foot slapper. I am not sure what I changed specifically, but I no longer hear the noise while running.

In 2012, I started to realize that I was no longer a heel striker. This wasn't a conscious change, it just happened naturally. Here is a progression of race photos which shoes my transition from heel strike to mid-foot strike.

Richmond Half Marathon, 2008

Potomac River Marathon, 2010- Heel strike not as pronounced

Crystal City 5K, 2012- Midfoot strike

Angel Kisses 5K 2013- Midfoot strike

The Search for A New Shoe
At the beginning of this year, I was starting to feel like the Adrenalines were heavy and bulky on my feet. I continued to wear them for long runs because they were the only shoes I trusted would carry me the distance without injury. I had also been rotating in the Mizuno Inspire, which is a compromise between the Adrenaline and the Elixir. It has more support than the Elixir, but not as much bulk and pronation control as the Adrenaline. It felt better on my foot than my Adrenaline, but I was worried it was just not enough shoe for the 20-milers and the marathon itself. Nothing could pull me away from my trusty Adrenalines!

Recently, I went to two local running stores for an updated recommendation. I actually hadn't been fitted for a shoe since 2005, and I was curious to see what they would say. The first store told me I would be fine in a neutral shoe, and the second told me I have slight pronation, so I needed a light stability shoe. Both stores advised that the Adrenaline was too much stability control and that it wasn't ideal for me.

Another interesting bit of information I uncovered was that my Adrenalines were too small on me. Sure, I frequently lost toe nails and my feet would almost always go numb. But I thought that was normal. And when I had tried on the larger size, it felt too big. Once the running store rep pointed this out to me, everything made sense. How wonderful would  it be to not have numb feet and loose toenails after a long run!!!

My Mizuno Inspires and Mizuno Elixirs were not too large on me. I bought those in a half size larger than the Adrenaline because they were narrow and fit better at a larger size.

So I had my answer. No more Brooks Adrenaline. The Mizuno Inspire will be my shoe for daily training and the Elixir will continue to be used for speed work and racing. But what about the two pairs of Adreanlines I have left that have low mileage on them? I figured I could still wear them on recovery days, like today.

But I was wrong. I don't know if it's mental or what, but my run in the Adrenalines today was simply unbearable due to how tight they felt. Unless my feet have somehow adapted to the properly-sized Mizunos, there isn't a good explanation for it. I actually cut my recovery run short this morning because the Adrenalines  were hurting my feet. How ironic is it that the shoe that once enabled me to go far beyond five miles, is now limiting me to five miles?! So I must say goodbye to those shoes forever now, and open a new chapter of running with solely Mizunos.

This Is What Strong Feels Like

This morning I ran my 2nd Angel Kisses 5K in Chantilly, VA. My favorite thing about this race is that it's just over 2 miles from my house-- 2.3 miles to be exact. The perfect distance for a warm up and cool down. No worrying about parking, traffic, getting there an hour early, etc. Just a nice jog to the start line from my house and a nice jog back afterwards.

Greg and I had been doing our long run a few years ago and noticed the race taking place, so we decided to run it last year for the first time. And now, we're hooked!

I knew that I wasn't in the best shape physically going into this race. I had only done about 3 speed workouts in the past two months, and that's if you include the Cherry Blossom 10-miler as a workout! Everything else was easy running and low mileage as I felt like my body was asking for a break. The plan is to keep things light and easy for the rest of May and then start packing on the miles in June.

I did want to be prepared for this race, though, so I had done some hill sprints on one of the course's larger hills. On Tuesday of this week and Tuesday of last week, I had run to the race course and done some sprints up the hill. I told myself that I would NOT be running the hill as quickly as these sprints during the race, and the point of these sprints was to make the hill seem more manageable during the race.

Before the Race
Things  have calmed down for me a bit since the blow-up at the Nike Women's Half marathon and I've been sleeping well lately. Going into the race I felt rested, energized, well-hydrated, and relaxed.

We left our house at about 7:20 for the 8:00 start. Greg has been battling a foot injury-- which we think is a strained ligament. He hasn't run in four weeks, and was hoping that today he'd feel good enough to do the 5K. But unfortunately, the jog to the race aggravated his foot, and now it hurts more than it did previously. Instead, he played the role of cheerleader/photographer.

When we got to the race, I was pleasantly surprised to find Linda and Kathy there, who I pool run with regularly. Both of them would be running with their kids in celebration of Mother's day. One of my teammates, Liz, was also there, so it was nice to be surrounded by a group of runners I was friends with.

My strategy was to take the first hill (which measured 0.3 mile when I was doing the sprints) easy. To not get pulled out by all the little kids. And then gun it on the downhill afterwards. I was not going to look at the Garmin until after the race was over-- just like last year.

My time from last year was 22:24, which was good for first place in my age group (30-39). Given that today was windy and I wasn't in as good of shape as I was last year, I thought that my chances of beating it were slim. But I wanted to come close! After seeing Liz, I knew that she would end up taking the 30-39 win, so my hope was to come in second.

Mile 1: 7:06
I really tried to hold back on this hill, but I probably didn't hold back as much as I should have. Lots of little kids shot out at a fast pace and probably took me with them. I focused on my form and remembering that

The end of Mile 1

this should feel easier then all the sprints I did. The entire first mile is a loop, so I also focused on staying as close to the inside as possible. After getting to the top of the hill, it was time for the long downhill. I knew Greg would be there with his camera, and it was nice to have him cheering for me as I passed.

Mile 2: 7:20
More hills, which I expected. During this mile, I was really gaining on this one woman, who I remembered from last year. I remember that last year, she was significantly ahead of me, so I was excited to be catching up with her. When we reached mile marker three, we were neck-and-neck. The mile hurt a lot, as is typical in a 5K. I developed a new mantra on the spot "this is what strong feels like". I was working so hard and everything just hurt to be exerting that kind of effort, but I refused to back off and kept thinking "this is what strong feels like." Pushing through the pain- demanding that my body give everything that it possibly can for just over 20 minutes.

Mile 3: 7:26
That woman got ahead of me again and I had her in my sights for the rest of the race, but I couldn't catch her. She looked extremely fit. Very toned, very strong and I actually was surprised that I was even in her league. I knew she wasn't in my age group, so I wasn't extremely motivated to beat her-- I just wanted to keep her close. This is where the wind really got me, and all the other runners I talked to afterwards. There was a long straightaway directly into a headwind, and of course, up a hill. It was like a losing battle going up the hill and fighting the wind. I remember how hard that last hill was last year without the wind. This was grueling, but I pushed forward. This is what strong feels like!!! If this mile didn't have a nice downhill finish, I probably would have averaged way slower. According to my Garmin data, I was running about an 8:15 up that hill into the wind, but then once the downhill came, I was in the 6:20's.

Last 0.1: This is what strong looks like!

Last 0.14: (6:14 pace)
Once the finish line was in sight, I focused on it and ran as fast as I could to it. I saw the clock as I was coming through and was slightly disappointed. I realized that I didn't beat last year's time even though I had given it my all. I didn't let it bother me, though. I knew I gave 100% and that the wind was truly a force to reckon with.

I finished in a time of 22:46. This was 22 seconds slower than last year, but still good for second place in my age group.

After the Race
Liz and I ran about a mile cool down and then we met back up with Greg and our other friends. The food at this race is really good-- fresh muffins and bagels and cookies! Greg had downloaded this special app for his phone that allowed him to take like 20 photos per second, so he showed me what he had taken.

I was pretty sure I came in second in my age group, and that was confirmed once the awards started. My friend Linda won her age group too! I ended up with a $15 gift certificate to a local running store. Greg and I  started walking back to our house when he told me he didn't think he'd be able to run at all. I ran home, got the car, and then picked him up. :-( I feel so badly for him.

Key Takeaways

• I gave 100% effort during this race, which is always the best you can hope for
• It was nice not looking at my Garmin during the race, and it turns out that my pacing was similar to last year (6:58, 7:17, 7:18). 
• I think the wind probably took about 10-15 seconds off of my time
• I was very happy with my AG award
• This course is pretty hilly- definitely not a course a PR on.
• I really loved that Kathy, Liz and Linda were all there. It was great to have that camaraderie and it was really nice to cool down with Liz.
• I will plan on making this race an annual tradition- the best part is getting to run to and from the start line!

As I said above, I am still in "break" mode for the next two weeks and then I will start ramping up again. I'll probably run some more 5Ks in the next month or so, but I am not sure which ones.

Elizabeth's dominate the 30-39 bracket!

Spring 2013: Season in Review

After the Nike Women's half marathon last week, I consider spring racing season over. I spent the winter months building up mileage, putting in the weekly tempos and intervals, and then I backed off the training to taper/recover for my spring races.

I had my most successful training cycle ever and as a result, became faster than I had ever been previously. The lack of injuries and relatively tame weather enabled me to consistently complete workouts. About 90% of my runs went well, or even exceeded expectations and there was only a small percentage where I felt "off". For the runs that didn't go well, I brushed them off and was feeling good within days. I saw paces on my track workouts, tempo runs and long runs that I had never seen before, while not "racing" the workouts- but doing them within the prescribed range and heart rate zone. I peaked in early February and then tackled an aggressive race schedule.

January: Disney World Half Marathon

Cherry Blossom 10-Miler

February: Love Rox Half Marathon

March: Bright Beginnings 5K

March: B&A Trail Marathon

April: Cherry Blossom 10-Miler

April: Nike Women's Half Marathon 

For each month from January through April, I raced a half marathon distance or longer. I can see now that I wore myself out, which is why by the time Nike and Cherry Blossom arrived, I didn't have much left. 

I backed off my training quite a bit in March and April, but I don't think I allowed myself enough time to recover post-marathon. I figured that since I wasn't sore, I could run and not get injured. But recovering from a marathon isn't just about your legs-- it's a whole-body thing, and I wasn't aware of how much I exerted myself during that race since my average race pace was my "easy" pace. I saw it as a 26-mile run at easy pace, something that should only take 3-4 days to recover from. I think my legs saw it that way, but my system as a whole didn't see it that way!

There are many angles from which I can review this racing season. I've been working very hard to look at it in a positive light, to value my hard work and training and to feel accomplished that I gave 100% of myself at each of these races. 

It can be a struggle, though. I am not naturally inclined to be process-focused-- I am naturally inclined to look at my race times and see failure. As I try to have a more positive outlook on my racing, I sometimes find my demons fighting back at me. Avoidance is not a strategy and if I try to ignore the negativity, I think it will ultimately bubble up in some other form later on down the line.

In the spirit of non-avoidance, here are the "demons" that I am battling:

• Even though I was in the best shape of my life, I only got one PR.
• The marathon PR I got was nice, but I still didn't perform to my full physical capacity.
• All that fantastic training, and nothing to show for it.
• My teammates and running friends are all setting PRs and improving. I am not.

This is me-- looking for failure and finding it. I know that thinking about my racing season in this light will only set me up for failure in the future because it's killing my confidence. I would do better to think about each of the bullet points this way:

• My one PR was the marathon, which was the "goal race" that all the training was geared for. The other races were not target races.
• The marathon PR was very significant because I hadn't PRed that distance in 4 years. I had been struggling with anxiety and DNFing. I finished this race strong and worked hard to deal with my race anxiety. It's unrealistic to expect that after years of anxiety-ridden races, I am just going to break out of it suddenly with a 3:30. My mental abilities still need to catch up with my physical abilities and I am showing progress.
• I didn't do the training to have "something to show for it". I know that I worked hard in my training. I know that I consistently got faster as the weeks went by. I had mono for most of last summer and it a lot of patience, focus and dedication to get back to my previous level of fitness, and even exceed it. This training cycle has given me the confidence to do even more with the next training cycle.
• Some of these teammates and running friends haven't been running as long as I have, so they have more room for improvement relative to their natural ability. Also, most of them didn't have the same aggressive race schedule that I did and allowed for more taper/recovery between races.

Looking at specific races, here is the way I should be thinking about them.

The Disney Half Marathon was warm and humid. I've never run a half marathon that quickly in hot/humid conditions. So I would consider it a "warm PR".

The Love Rox Half Marathon was a PR for all intents and purposes. I can't officially claim it because the course was actually 13.45 miles and there were 6 large staircases to run up throughout the race. I've never

Bright Beginnings 5K

run 13.45 miles including staircases that quickly, so yes, it's a PR.

The Bright Beginnings 5K was windy and I had just returned from a business trip from Chicago the night before. It was my second faster 5K ever, which is pretty good considering how windy it was and how "off" I felt.

The B&A Trail Marathon was a huge step forward for me. It was the first marathon I had completed in 5 years that felt good at the end.

The Cherry Blossom 10-miler was extremely close to my PR, and had it not been for the wind (which we didn't have last year), I am confident I would have PRed. I went into the race feeling tired and run-down, so my performance was particularly strong given those conditions.

The Nike Women's Half marathon was the only race where I didn't perform well, and it wasn't for lack of trying. I went into it with only two hours of sleep the night before and very little sleep for the week leading up to the race. I didn't quit and I continued to push when things got hard.

Whenever my mind starts to wander to the first set of bullets, I will remind myself of the second set of bullets.  I don't want to avoid or ignore my feelings- I want to face them head on and fight against the urge to be disappointed in how this season turned out.

Up next, I have some short races to practice speed, and then onto summer training where I hope to be averaging 60 mile weeks and peaking at around 65.