New Bedford Half Marathon - 2013

Two years ago I ran New Bedford for the first time, just before tearing my hip.  I was a little faster and thinner back then, but after re-reading my race report from that day, I've found that some things never change.  I was whining about my sore foot and painful stomach that were slowing me down, which sounds eerily familiar to how I've felt leading up to this race.  It's kind of sad that after two years, I still haven't gotten a handle on these issues.  The biggest difference this year is that, unlike two years ago, this year I was more than prepared.  Boston training is peaking at this stage, so this 13 mile run is nice and short!  Never thought I'd say that!
This year I went into the race looking for redemption.  I had disappointed myself two years ago because of my stomach problems and never really got to enjoy the race.  I was so sick that Hiroshi and I never got to enjoy anything after the race.  We immediately hopped into the car and high-tailed it home, me turning green and rolling down the window for fresh air.  We still laugh about it.
My goal for today's race was to run it faster than a training run and beat my time from two years ago (2:02 something).  I prepared well for this race.  I ate well all week, shutting down vegetables and other fiber by Friday night.  I hydrated well by drinking tons of water all week and no alcohol.  I got ridiculous amounts of sleep (8-9 hours a night).  On Saturday I did almost nothing but read a book, and then took my horse out for a little light ride in the afternoon.  Nothing strenuous.  Nothing would foil my plans.
Despite my first encounter with this race, I was really looking forward to running it again.  This is a great race, very organized, tons of crowd support, and the course is awesome.  I consider this course to be a condensed version of Boston.  There is a long stretch of downhill running in the early miles of the race, and an uphill at the end when you're good and tired.  And of course, down along the water you can be sure to endure some serious winds, and today was no exception.
I carpooled to New Bedford with Kerri (so weird that Hiroshi never called, haha).  The race doesn't start until 11am, but since I wasn't 100% sure where I was going and I have a phobia about navigating through cities, I wanted to get there early.  Kerri and I made great time getting there, arriving at the YMCA just before 9am, just in time to snag one of the last parking spots in the lot.  When we started opening the car doors and struggled to push them open against the winds, we knew we were in for a world of hurt.  We went inside, grabbed our numbers, and hung out inside the gymnasium while other club members arrived.  Crowds started getting really thick so we decided to make our way to a restroom and then head back to the car.  Back outside, the wind continued to howl and we opted to stick it out inside the car for a while before heading to the start.  It is at this time that I should have put my phone away.  If I had, I might not have seen a couple of text messages come through that I wish I hadn't seen, that really stressed me out.  Angry and a bundle of nerves, I decided it was time to head to the start line.  On the way, we'd stop in the porta-john line.  We were horrified to see the line spanning the length of a city block, and wondered if 30 minutes was going to be enough time to get to the start line.  Leave it to me to arrive two hours before the race and still nearly miss the start.  We got to the start line just in the knick of time, but couldn't get into our pace area.  I think we were stuck in the 14 min/mile section, but at least we found Ronnie.  He was pretty easy to spot with his awesome St. Patty's Day hat.
The horn started, the race was off, and after a couple minutes of standing still the crowd slowly shuffled across the start line.  We started off at a pretty decent clip, not too fast, and Kerri, Ronnie and I stuck together.  Around the 2 mile mark, Ronnie made a quick burst past a few runners, Kerri stuck with him, and I just couldn't be bothered.  I stuck to my planned pace and enjoyed the run.  Starting so close to the back has its advantages.  Psychologically it was pretty awesome passing so many people!  I remembered there being a hill at mile 3 and mile 12, and in a sick sort of way I was looking forward to them.  I wanted to prove to myself that the hill work I have done this season has been worth it.  I was definitely pleased with the way I powered up the hills at mile 3, passing tons of other runners, and by the time I reached the top I had finally warmed up.  And the best part about being at the top was that I knew the next 4 miles were downhill, and then another 3 miles after that were flat, before the next hill.  I sped up a bit, letting my legs just roll down the descent.  My foot felt totally fine which made me so happy, and the sun almost felt warm.  I even rolled up my sleeves for a little while!  About halfway down the hill I felt nearly toasty and decided to chuck my $1 throwaway gloves.  I heard someone yelling my name and turned in time to see Jackie, Hiroshi's fiancee, waving to me.  How exciting!  I hardly ever see a familiar spectator during a race, and that was so great!  I truly enjoyed running this race, seeing the spectators, all the different dogs on the side of the road, the St Patty's Day house parties, and the different costumes. 



La dee da, feelin' groovy, definitely beating 2:02. Maybe break 2:00!

 I hit the bottom of the hill and ran along the coastline, soaking in the great views.  Then the wind picked up.  The "flat" felt hard after running with the benefit of a downhill for so many miles.  Then my stomach rolled over with a nasty bout of nausea.  This isn't happening.  Yes, it was happening.  I had passed a row of porta-johns thinking I was fine, then realized I wasn't.  I marched along as quickly as possible, determined to find somewhere to make a pit stop.  I wasn't happy about having to stop, but if it meant having a strong finish and feeling good at the end, I could deal with that.  Just as I spotted another row of porta-johns, I hear my name.  Hiroshi had caught up to me.  "Jill! The hills are coming! The hills are your friend! How you doing?" he shouted. "I gotta pooooooo!" I exclaimed, and bolted to the toilet.  There was a line to use the facilities where I got a chance to practice my deep breathing while trying to calm the cramping.  Finally I got in there, and man I really did need to go!  So imagine how it felt, after nearly crapping my pants, to be heckled by the runners in line behind me waiting to go.  "Hurry up... the rest of us gotta go too ya know!"  I wouldn't say that it was necessarily directed at me per se, since there were 3 toilets, but it sure made me feel like crap.  HA! 



You can see where the pace started to falter, then got serious, and so on...

 The good thing about the pit stop was that afterwards I felt heroic.  It was like I was just starting a run fresh.  I booked it out of the porta-john (kindly holding the door for the lady that just heckled me) and settled into a good pace.  I was encouraged seeing some people that I had already passed just a few miles ago, so I didn't really lose that much time.  The mile 12 hill finally surfaced, and I don't remember it being anything like this last time.  I remember last time I had to talk myself up every step of that hill.  I wanted to quit so bad.  It had been agony.  This year it didn't seem bad at all.  Of course, I didn't feel sick this time, and I was in better shape.  The wind, on the other hand, was brutal.  The last few miles of the course included a bitterly cold head wind, which seemed like a cruel practical joke going up the hill at mile 12.

Strong finish!

One of my favorite things about running and racing is looking at my Garmin activity afterwards, seeing the split times, and checking out the elevation.  For some reason, once we hit sea level, the Garmin couldn't register any elevation.  I thought this was a problem just with my watch, but a search on Garmin Connect revealed that other runners complained about this too.  I took the liberty of correcting it.




You can see here the life-like self portrait of me, complete with flames shooting out of my feet, powering up the hill

 I crossed the finish line, without intestinal cramping, in 2:05:37.  Ronnie was there to give me a big hug and tell me how someone handed him a beer, which he drank, while running up the hill at mile 12.  Kerri was there too, and told me that she heard from Jackie who heard from Hiroshi that I had to poop.  We made a beeline to the car to change into dry shirts, and then headed to the beer garden for a beer and soup.  The piping hot soup really hit the spot, and we all relived the best and worst parts about the race.  And as usual we got a good laugh about my delicate bowels, and I have promised to try even harder to get this straightened out.  Preferably before April 15th! 

A Gritty 10k

Hopedale 10k race report

        I had tentatively planned to run this 10k but acknowledged it would be a game-day decision, since I never know how my hip is going to treat me in the morning.  Since this race was put on by my running club, I signed up to volunteer before and after the race, and if I was up to it I’d join the run.  I almost got Kerri to run the race with me, but she had other plans so I went alone.

        I arrived at the Hopedale boat house at 7:15 and we got to work setting up registration tables and organizing the layout.  Charlene and I took control of the pre-registration table and handed out racers’ bibs and t-shirts.  I like this part of volunteering the best, because I get to meet people all morning!  Once the post-registration table was set up I whipped out my cash and filled out an entry form, sealing my fate!

        Just before the start of the race, John asked about my hip and looked surprised I was running.  He said, “have you seen this course?”  I mentioned that I planned to take it slow, and I’d walk on any hills if I had to.  That’s when he mentioned the mile and a half hill I was about to climb.  That shook my confidence a little, but since I really didn’t have a time goal in mind (yes I did, hoped for under 60 minutes) I was okay with just walk/jogging the hill to chip away at it.

        The first mile was great.  I ran with Marie and Charlene and we chatted away on a nice flat to downhill stretch.  When the hill started it wasn’t too bad and I chugged along, but it got progressively more difficult.  I wasn’t the only one struggling, and passed a number of runners huffing and grunting their ways up the hill.  My legs were burning, and only 2 miles into the course I was ready to give up.  I refused to let myself walk on this long hill because I knew if I did, I’d never start running again.  Eventually I reached the top of the hill and immediately headed downhill, only this side of the hill was very steep.  My hip is just as bad on downhills as uphills, so I had to carefully shuffle down the hill as well, frustrated by the other runners that were able to gain momentum and make up time.  This race just seemed to have no recovery section.  Once we reached the bottom of the steep decline we entered a trail, which lasted about 2 miles.  It was on the trail that I finally gave in and walked.  Some of the hills were a little too gnarly for me, and my legs were as heavy as lead.  Finally I exited the trail and saw the 5 mile marker, and thought there was a chance I could actually finish this race!  I continued on, and the road finally leveled out but the heat was tough.  The humidity was so high that all of my clothes were dripping as though I had swam across the pond rather than ran around it. 

        This race was certainly a test of grit, because around every corner I was looking for the finish line or an opportunity to stop.  Even passing the 6 mile marker, knowing the finish was within sight, I still considered walking.  One last high-five from Frank, and cheers from my running friends, and I mustered enough energy to finish strong.  I was thrilled when I crossed the line, thinking “Thank God that’s over”, and was very satisfied with my 59:39 finish.  That may not be a great time, but I have to put this in perspective.  This is by far the hardest 10k course I’ve ever run, and I actually ran it faster than the Harvard Pilgrim 10k at Gillette Stadium, which is about the flattest race I’ve ever run.  I’m giving my hip a few days to recover, and then I’m crossing my fingers that I can run the final trail race of the year, the West Hill Dam 5 miler on Thursday.  I know some people think I’m crazy to keep pushing myself, but hey…I plan to get my money’s worth out of my surgery in October!

The course

Dam race, damn hip

I’ve come to the realization that I run for approximately two reasons:  1 – to eat unlimited amounts of ice cream, and 2 – for exciting blog material.  There are probably other reasons as well, but those are the ones that stand out.

                Last night was the second race in the Woodland Trail Series at the West Hill Dam in Uxbridge, put on by my running club Tri-Valley Front Runners.  Last month my hip was too cranky to run it, and instead I volunteered and had an unexpected blast.  I’ve been looking forward to helping out again at this one, assuming my hip wouldn’t be in shape to run.  I’ve babied my hip lately with short, flat runs on the treadmill and even managed a 3.2 mile run earlier this week at a campground I was staying at.  A few days ago I got a message on Facebook from Joanna, a friend from high school and college, saying she was running this race.  We hadn’t seen each other for a zillion years and I was thrilled that she was coming.

                As the day wore on yesterday I started thinking, wouldn’t it be fun to run the race.  Real slow, of course.  Plus, it would make much better blog material to RUN the race (one-legged) than to volunteer again.  I tossed around the idea, and ran it by a couple people.  The general response was: No, you dumb idiot!  YES, absolutely run it!  Even driving home from work I still wasn’t convinced I should run, hip throbbing as I sat in my car.  But before I could talk myself out of it, I walked in the door, changed into running gear, packed a change of clothes, and flew out the door.  I got to the race and several buddies looked at me in disbelief, saying “You’re running?!”  My response: “Um, I think so.”  Even 10 minutes before the start I pondered if I could get my money back if I changed my mind.  I don’t think I’ve ever had less confidence heading into a race than I had last night!

                By 6:30 I had run out of opportunities to back out of the race and took off at a trot with everyone else.  I started at the back of the pack, and that’s exactly where I finished!  The course was nice (very familiar since it’s in my backyard) and the bugs weren’t bad at all.  I averaged a 10:00 pace, tiptoed in the rough sections, and walked up and down some of the hills.  Most people were out of sight by the time I hit the 2 mile mark, and I was thankful for my thorough knowledge of the trails.  At one point I wondered if I was dead last, but after rounding a corner, I heard a volunteer clapping for people behind me.  I certainly took my time and tried not to be discouraged at the Garmin display as it edged up to 11:00 and 12:00 minute paces.  On sections of good footing I tried to move out a little more, but my hip reeled me back in with a quick burn.  I crossed the finish in a record slow 50:18, but I was greeted with lots of cheers from the club and that was a great way to finish a race!

                Joanna and I stayed to watch the awards before heading out for some post-race victory beers, and we were shocked when she won 1^st in our age group and I won 2^nd!  We laughed about it, saying we must’ve been the only people in our age group, or there must’ve been a mistake.  We had our picture taken and it made for a good story afterwards at the bar.  We were award-winning runners!



Joanna & I - award winning runners.  (I want Joanna in all my pictures from now on, she makes me look so tall!)



                This morning I got an email from the club apologizing for the confusion, but as it turns out one of the runners in the 20-29 age group was mis-categorized and really belonged in my division, and oh by the way she actually won.  So… victory was sweet while it lasted, but Joanna got bumped to 2^nd and I got bumped to 3^rd.  I have no plans to disclose this to the people at the bar, who think I’m a running genius.  Let them go tell their families about the award winning runner with the pronounced limp they met in the bar, who guzzled well-earned Sam Adams like a champ, and then left abruptly…in search of ice cream.

Some of the TVFR runners and volunteers: a fun (and sweaty) bunch!

Harvard Pilgrim 10k race report

Today was the 2nd annual Harvard Pilgrim 10k at Gillette Stadium, and I've been looking forward to this race since I ran the first one last year.  About a mile into this run I thought to myself, why the HELL have I been looking forward to this??  True, it's a fun race.  Yes, it's a super flat course.  Yup, very scenic.  Definitely a fun experience to run through the inflatable helmet and cross the finish at the 50 yard line.  So what's not to like?  Just the fact that it takes place on the 4th of July which is bound to be...you know...HOT.  As we New Englanders say, it was a real scorcha!  The sun beat down on us with very little shade, and the result was people dropping like flies all around me.  I can say I was very grateful for already determining I would be running super slow due to my hip, which eliminated any pressure for me to hit a time goal.

The day started off fairly cool and I was hopeful that it would remain that way throughout the morning.  Unfortunately the race started at 9:00am, which I think is a bit late for a mid-summer race.  I wish they would consider starting it early.  I packed up my race bag as well as a cooler full of goodies for after the race, ate my bagel thin with almond butter, downed two preemptive Motrin, and headed to Foxboro.  My son Andrew came with me and was on camera duty.  I asked him to take some scenic shots while I was out running.  Apparently Andrew and I differ on definitions of "scenic".

About 15 minutes before the race started I lined up, and stayed in the 10:00 minute pace area.  Within that 15 minutes of standing in the sun, I already had worked up a good sweat and knew that the race was going to be tough for me.  I never do well in the heat.  We started off and I tried to stick to my slow pace, and kept about a 9:40 pace for much of the first couple miles.  I was running amongst all sizes and shapes, shufflers, limpers, stroller pushers, and speed walkers.  Less than two miles in I got passed by Captain America.  I also got passed by a guy in combat boots and camouflage pants carrying a giant American flag.  Although some of this was a little discouraging, I had two main priorities with this race. 

1. Don't cause further damage to the hip, and require a lift back to the stadium
2. Don't get heat stroke and die, and require a lift back to...wherever dead runners go

I stuck to my plan, grabbed water and walked at every water stop, and even built in a couple extra walks in the shade when I needed to.  I did get a little nervous at one point because I started feeling chilly and had the goosebumps.  I reflected on the last time I ran these streets, back in February during the very frigid Foxboro 10 Miler, and thought of how many layers I was wearing that day.  Today I was thankful to be wearing a nice light airy singlet.  Around mile 5 I caught up with Team Hoyt.  Seeing Dick Hoyt pushing his son Rick in the wheelchair was uplifting and gave me motivation to forge ahead.  How can I possibly complain about being a little hot when he's pushing his grown son in that chair, and he's twice my age.  I continued on until I reached the stadium and then did something unusual.  I slowed down!  It's kind of instinctual for a runner to speed up near the finish line.  "Finish strong!", we always hear.  But running through the tunnel, then the inflatable helmet, and finally out across the field...this was an experience I didn't want to pass too quickly, and I decided to enjoy every moment.

Officially I have said all along that I didn't have a time goal in mind since my goal was just to finish this race, but my unofficial hope was to finish in less than 60 minutes.  My official time was 60:07.  I guess maybe I shouldn't have wandered quite so slowly to the finish! 



Ronnie & I after the race.  (He hasn't discovered technical fabrics yet)

After crossing the finish line I made a beeline to a giant container of water bottles and ice.  I grabbed handfuls of ice and stuffed them down my shirt.  That really did the trick and I was feeling cool in no time!

Bumped into fellow TVFR member Charlene at the finish line...


Once I finally caught back up with Andrew, we snuck him onto the field so he could feel the experience too.

We met up with more of Ronnie's friends, fellow runners from Papa Gino's.  We snapped more pictures before heading out.


Ronnie with his Papa pals

Finally with the race behind us and heart rates back in a normal range, we left the stadium and headed over to Ronnie's house for a cookout.  Lounging around in the pool all afternoon with a couple Corona's was a perfect end to this holiday and a great post-race treat.




Triathlon training

Notice I've said very little about my hip?  Honestly, it wasn't too awful.  I think the strategy of running slow and sticking to flat runs is a good one!  (I know, I sound like such a wuss).

Yes, I will most definitely have this race on my calendar for next year too.  I'm just going to pray for a cloudy morning!


Click here to see the course

Picking battles

The hip drama continues, a constant cycle of rest, run, reinjure, repeat.  I can honestly say I've been a better patient over the last couple weeks though, and as a result I've been feeling pretty good the last couple of days.  I'd like to say it's because I'm maturing, but I think honestly it's because I was really just in too much pain to run.  Some days it was almost too painful to walk.  Tomorrow is the Harvard Pilgrim 10K at Gillette Stadium (home of the Patriots!) and I've been looking forward to this race all year.  The thought of having to miss this race gave me the motivation I needed to give my hip a break.  As promised, I even bailed out of racing the West Hill Dam 5 miler on Thursday, although I did still volunteer.  (More about this in an upcoming blog when I can do it justice). 
The extensive rest seems to have helped a bit, because the inflamation has definitely gone down and my hip has been feeling a lot better.  Finally, on Friday I had to test it out.  I knew if I had any chance of running a 10K this weekend, I had to at least see if I could run.  So, Friday night I slowly (and I mean slowly) jogged 3.75 miles around the West Hill Dam trails.  At an excrutiatingly slow pace I shuffled along, testing out the hip and all other body parts.  Everything in my body seemed to say the same thing.  What the?? I thought you retired us!  It was frustrating running so slowly, especially when my hip was burning and I was hovering close to a 10 minute pace.  The run was a success though, and mission accomplished.  My hip wasn't any more sore after the run, and everything else seemed to hold up just fine.  (And, no heart failure!)  After that hip-tester run, I finalized my weekend plans for the 10K.

On Saturday Kerri, Andrew and I took a drive down to Patriots Place in Foxboro to pick up our bibs.  It was a nice afternoon to check out the shops and it was a great chance to see Gillette Stadium when it wasn't mobbed with people.  It really is such a beautiful stadium.

Gillette Stadium. Eerily quiet!

We took our time wandering through the shops and I grabbed a couple horsie shirts in the Life is Good store.  I scoped out some future watering holes.  I'll be paying this place a visit real soon!

I'm excited for tomorrow, and it's a fun feeling to have no pressure going into this race.  Not that I've ever been a fast runner, but knowing that this race will most certainly be my slowest, and that I'm truly running it "just to finish" somehow is a relief.  It's going to be a great time with a fun atmosphere, lots of friends there, and my son cheering me on and taking pictures.  After the race, a bunch of us are heading over to Ronnie's for a little grilling and swimming.  I'm hoping for some cool water to soak what's sure to be an aching hip.  Reader beware, the next race report blog post is bound to be a colorful one!  Happy 4th!

Hyannis race report - hip hip hooray!

I had every intention of posting once more before the Johnny Kelley half marathon in Hyannis, but with a bad stroke of luck my internet blew up on Friday and wasn’t repaired until yesterday, when I was already at the Cape.  If I could have blogged last week, I would have given the latest and not-so-greatest update on my hip injury.  It no doubt would have left you on the edge of your seat, wondering for days “will she or won’t she run Hyannis?!”  Sorry to spoil the surprise.  I’ll just give a quickie update on the hip and move onto the race report.  (Um, surprise!)

As I’ve mentioned a time or two, I’ve been seriously stressing out over my ability to run this half marathon ever since my hip injury in April.  I’ve been able to run lightly over the last few weeks, with the exception of the week following the dreadful arthrogram, at which point I was barely able to walk.  This past week I did a few light runs, and the hip held up fairly well.  What didn’t hold up quite so well was my ability to run in the heat.  Summer arrived in New England this week, and like a typical New Englander, I will complain about the weather even when it’s perfect and just what I had been praying for.  The problem was that it just came on so fast, my body wasn’t ready for it.  Wednesday was a fairly hot run, but Todd and I ran Jaimee’s route at lunch, which turned out to be 4.5 miles (I would’ve guessed closer to 5).  It took me all afternoon to cool down after that hot run.  Then on Thursday, Todd, Kerri and I opted for the trail run.  Since it was very hot that day, we thought the trail run would be a cooler option.  It was, but the problem was the 1.5 miles in the sun down to the trail, and the 1.5 miles in the sun back from the trail.  On the way back, I was cooked.  I had to walk, and really didn’t know if I would get back to the building alive.  My heart was beating like crazy and I was just a big melting mess.  At that point I decided I won’t be running during lunch on hot days again.  It’s just not worth it.  Last summer I ran before work or after, and that was fine.  I’ll be doing that again from now on.

If it hadn’t been for the heat, I would have considered those two runs to be successful.  I had some hip pain after but not too awful, so I definitely leaned towards running Hyannis this weekend.  The final roadblock was my doctor’s appointment on Friday.  This was the follow up appointment to review the results of the MRI.  The news, as it turns out, was pretty much exactly what I expected.  I have a labral tear in my hip.  He said the type of tear I have is fairly uncommon and there aren’t a lot of surgeons that repair them, but lucky for me there’s one in the Boston area.  It may not even need surgery, but I’ll need to meet with the surgeon to discuss the pro’s and con’s of having it repaired.  He said there’s a chance that by the time I meet with the surgeon I’ll be feeling good enough that I won’t want surgery.  In the meantime, we’re going to give the steroid shot a chance to work and see how it goes.  He said there’s no problem with continuing to run lightly.  I nodded in agreement, intentionally not pressing him for specifics on his definition of “lightly”, because I thought it might trigger a debate.  I just kept nodding and solemnly swore to myself that I would run Hyannis “lightly”.

That brings us to this weekend!  Yesterday I packed up and headed to Hyannis.  It’s hard enough packing for a race, but this was my first overnight stay at a hotel the night before a race so it required extra forethought. 



Organized packing!  (3 pairs of running socks, just in case)

 I got to Hyannis, checked into my hotel, and then walked down to the town green where they were handing out race packets.  I intentionally booked a hotel within walking distance to the race, and this worked out really well.  It was a picture perfect summer afternoon and I had a nice time, although it would have been better if I had some buddies with me.  After picking up my race packet, I strolled over to Ben & Jerry’s, picked up a small ice cream, and ate it on the grass in the park.  I did lots of window shopping, scoured the streets looking for my next meal, and then went back to my hotel to rest and freshen up.  I went to a great little restaurant downtown, sat at the bar, and had bruschetta, linguine, and a glass of wine.  (And two waters!)  After dinner I relaxed in the hotel room, continued drinking lots of water, and set my two alarms for 6am. 

Had lots of spare time in the hotel room to prep for the race!

Here are a couple of my mistakes I noticed right off the bat this morning:

1. I woke up with sore legs.  I believe this is due to the amount of walking I did last night in flip flops, which my body isn’t used to.  Which brings me to mistake #2.
2. My feet were covered in little blisters and raw spots, due to the amount of walking I did last night in flip flops.
3. Although I carefully set the alarm clock in the hotel room last night, I neglected to notice the time on the alarm clock was set as AM when it should have been PM.  Luckily I had set the alarm on my phone as well.  And if all else failed, the front desk was kind enough to call me at 6:30 for a wakeup call, even though I didn’t request one.  I politely thanked them and didn’t bother to tell them they dialed the wrong room.  I laughed wondering whose morning plans I just foiled.

Another oddity of my hotel room: I woke up this morning and everything in the hotel fridge was frozen.  This included my bottled water and my peanut butter sandwich I had packed for breakfast!  There’s almost nothing less appealing than eating a frozen peanut butter sandwich at 6am and washing it down with slushy water.  I managed to eat half the sandwich and tossed the rest.

At 7:15 I left my hotel room and walked to the race start.  I got there just in time to see the 5k runners starting off at 7:30.  I walked around the common for a while, drinking lots of water and eating a package of Sports Beans.  I thought about hitting the toilets but I couldn’t find them anywhere.  I know this was covered in the “things to remember” email from the race director a few days ago, and I was kicking myself for not paying closer attention.  I lined up close to the 10:00 pace section, because I knew the only way I had a shot at getting through this race would be to start slow.

Sure enough, the race started and I was SLOW.  I honestly felt like I wasn’t moving.  I was just shuffling along, not breathing hard, not sweating, and not passing a single person.  I wasn’t really thrilled about this approach but I was determined to stick to the plan to avoid the humiliating DNF.  The good thing was, now that I mastered my Garmin I’m able to track individual miles, and that would keep me in check.  Mile 1: right on target at a 9:39 pace.  Mile 2: still barely moving at 9:25.  I have to pee.

Mile 3: I swore I’d never be one of those people that can’t get through a race without hitting the outhouse, especially in the first 20 minutes of a race.  I broke that rule today though.  I figured, if I’m already running slow anyways and not trying to PR, then who cares if I lose another minute or two?  I spotted the outhouse and made a beeline to it.  The stop was totally worth it.  I felt like a million bucks afterward.  It was like Clark Kent went in, and Superman came out.  Okay, maybe not that dramatic, but still I felt pretty refreshed.  I immediately picked up the pace and it didn’t take me long to catch back up to people I had been running with earlier.  Mile 3’s pace was 10:40, which is pretty good considering the pit stop.

Miles 4-7 I continued to take it slow, averaging about a 9:20 pace.  I didn’t want to edge my speed up until I was well past the halfway point.  At Mile 8 I started to speed up and clocked my first sub-9:00 mile.  Miles 9-12 were all right around a 9:00 pace.  When I hit the 13^th mile, it was so refreshing feeling like I still had gas in the tank.  I easily increased my speed and hit the last mile in 8:40.  I was absolutely thrilled to see I finished the race in 2:02:29, and felt great when I crossed the finish line!  When I started the race so slowly, I thought I’d be lucky to cross in 2:10.  I never imagined I’d be just over 2 hours.

I remember back to New Bedford when I finished feeling horrible, depleted, and sick.  I wanted so badly to erase that race with a strong finish.  Today’s finish may not have been a PR, but it was a huge accomplishment in several ways:

• I finished the race feeling great.  I felt like I just finished a run, not a half marathon.  After crossing the finish line I grabbed water and two hot dogs, and sat in the park.
• I stuck to my plan by starting off slow and gradually increasing my speed over the second half of the course.  This is the first time I’ve actually successfully done this, and it was a phenomenal feeling passing people constantly in the last three miles of the race.  I need to do this for all races going forward.
• I completed this race even without logging a long run since Mid-April
• Um, hello… I just ran a half marathon with a torn hip! (“lightly”)

If you want to check out the course, click here.  What this link won’t show you is the JFK memorial, the Hy-line ferry, the salt marshes, the yacht club, the rocky piers, or the sweet smell of salty ocean air.  It also won’t show you the GIANT tom turkey that stood still on someone’s front lawn honking at us as we all went by.  He appeared to be a seasoned spectator!  That you have to experience for yourself.

If anyone is ever looking for a fun way to spend Memorial Day on the Cape, I highly recommend this race.  The Johnny Kelley Half Marathon is one of three races that all take place at the same location, as part of the “Great Hyannis Road Races”.  The other options are the 5K and a 7.2 miler.  But if you only do the 7.2 miler, you are going to miss out on 6 beautiful miles of Cape Cod scenery.  And if you only do the 5K, you are going to miss out on 10 miles of beautiful Cape Cod scenery.   I’m just sayin’…

Feeling surprisingly refreshed after the race

SNETT race report - an unofficial/sort of/I think PR

I had tossed around the idea of jumping into a 5k today but wasn’t ready to fully commit due to the weather forecast.  (Freezing cold, buckets of rain ahead.  News anchor said: stay inside in your PJ's, it's gonna get ugly). Ultimately I talked myself into it for a few reasons:

1.       It’s been a while since I’ve done a 5k and I wanted to use it as a speed workout

2.       The race was to benefit the Southern New England Trunkline Trail (SNETT), of which I am a huge fan and frequent user

3.       It was located on the former grounds of my company, where I worked for the first 13 years of my career before being relocated an hour north.

So, with those factors pushing me into the race, I texted Kerri and off we went to our old stomping grounds in Franklin, MA.  It was very hard to be cheery about this race, with the raw conditions and miserable forecast.  When we arrived at the race it was 38 degrees and raining, and it was downright uncomfortable.  We spotted an unusually long line at the registration booth, and that, unfortunately, was a sign of things to come.

Kerri and I stood in line shivering, teeth chattering, and jumping around in an effort to keep warm.  The line moved excruciatingly slowly and many of us started getting antsy, including a young man behind us who repeatedly expressed concern over his ability to properly warm up.  After an eternity we were registered, got a nifty t-shirt, and I unwillingly removed my winter coat to prepare for a warm up.  Kerri and I jogged around the parking lot to warm up anticipating a 9:00am start, but unfortunately the start was delayed by nearly 20 minutes, which made it very difficult to keep my muscles warm.  As we waited and hopped around in place, we checked out some of the other runners and spotted four “elite” men.  (Relatively speaking).  One of the four was the young man behind us in line, who seemed to be warming up just fine.  Another was a young man wearing a USA singlet, which caused me to repeatedly refer to him as “Team USA”, and also created this irresistible urge to chant, “USA! USA!”  Kerri was pretty sure the hypothermia reached my brain by this point. 

"There are so many other things I could be doing right now" (That's team USA in the Patriots hat)

Finally they said “Go!” and we went.  My plan was to start off at an 8:00 pace for the first two miles and then do the third mile in 7:30.  Of course, as usual, that plan got foiled because I started off too fast and logged the first mile in 7:20.  I backed off the pace a bit on the second mile, and then came back to finish strong in the third.  Overall I was pleased with my results and felt that I really put in a solid effort.

There's nothing wrong with your eyes.  It's just blurry cuz we're going sooo fast!

Back at the registration table, we viewed the awards and saw that the age group was 19-40 and they only placed the top two.  Knowing that there were four females ahead of me and pretty sure at least two of them were between 19 and 40, I knew I wasn’t in a position to place.  I was quite disappointed that there wasn’t a clock at the finish and no one told me my official time.  (It’s possible I just didn’t hear it over my panting).  My Garmin clocked me at 24:05 but I think I stopped it a couple seconds late, and my mother thought she overheard 23:something when I crossed.  After all the runners finished, I approached the registration table to see if I could get the results.  They said that they weren’t sophisticated enough to post the results online, and would only be announcing the winners at the race.  I was very irritated by this, since it’s a very reasonable expectation that all runners should be able to find out the basic details of their performance, including time, place, and pace.  The cold rain started to get heavier and we decided to head out before they announced the winners.  Mom was able to confirm that the winner was, in fact, the man behind me at the registration table.  (Thank God!)  Apparently his limited warm up was sufficient.  She believes Team USA came in third.

It wasn’t until I got home that I realized one critical error we made: Kerri isn’t in my age group.  She probably actually won her age group, and we didn’t even realize it.  Unfortunately since they won’t be posting the results and since they didn’t bother recording the runners’ contact information, we may never know.  I truly hope that the race organizers learn from this year’s “1^st Annual” event and listen to feedback so they can put on a better race next year.  The course itself was great, and in my opinion the race is for a very worthy cause.  My suggestions would be to start with a more efficient registration table, and hire someone to do the timing.  Tightening up some of these details could draw a bigger crowd of runners, and more runners means more money for the SNETT trail! 

Despite some of the organizational issues, I’m still quite glad I ran this race this morning.  It was the only part of the day that it wasn’t pouring, and if I hadn’t run this race I wouldn’t have run at all.  Plus, in reviewing my PR list it just occurred to me that I just beat my own PR by nearly 30 seconds!  So that’s a big win in my book.  After doing a very light week of running (only 14 miles this week before today), this was a great way to kick off my more intense training for the Great Hyannis half marathon on May 29.

Boston Marathon race report - spectator edition

Today was the 115^th running of the Boston Marathon, and marked the first time ever I went to a race just to watch.  The morning ritual was similar: set the alarm super early, hit snooze, hit snooze again, swear at the “Matty in the Morning” show that keeps waking me up, pack a backpack, etc.  That’s pretty much where the pre-race similarities end.  I didn’t have to think about what to eat (I didn’t eat anything), and I didn’t have the pre-race jitters.  Instead, like a tourist I had my bag full of goodies like a phone, camera, spending money, bottled water, apples, gloves, and other random incidentals. 

The starting line in Hopkinton is about 20 minutes tops from my house, but getting there on race day is a whole other animal.  Roads closed at 7:30am, but luckily I was able to park in a friend’s driveway within walking distance to the start.  With plenty of time to kill, Andrew and I leisurely walked around the town common scoping out prime viewing spots and perusing the vendor tents.  I felt a little foolish snapping pictures like a tourist since I drive through Hopkinton almost every single day, but I was caught up in the Boston fever. 

TVFR runner Gary Atlas and friends posing for a shot

We even split a fried dough.  (Now there’s something I would never do before a race!)  I put down the dough long enough to get a picture with the official race starter.  (This picture would have been way cooler if his hand, holding the gun, wasn't cut off in the shot). 

Moi with the race starter

There were news anchors broadcasting from the common, and a few runners lying in the sun trying to stay warm and limber.  Staying warm was a real challenge, with temperatures in the low 40’s and a strong gusty wind. 



WBZ-TV's David Wade conducting an interview on the common



It was an exciting day and there was plenty of hype leading up to the event, but it seemed weird to be on the other side of the fence.  I used it as an opportunity to scope out the runners and see what kind of gear they use.  To say the gear was varied would be a gross understatement.  We saw everything from a firefighter in full gear, to a gorilla, to a Neanderthal in nothing (and I mean nothing) but a loin cloth.  There was a Spiderman, a Sonic man, a man in a tutu, a Shaman, a girl dressed up like a hamburger, a man with bunny ears, a hula dancer, and a man juggling.  There were compression socks, Vibrams, arm sleeves (which I’m kind of in love with), and every form of fuel belt imaginable. 

One of the best parts of the day was seeing the elite runners so close.  Both the men and the women are so amazing, and they look more like machines than humans.  I took an opportunity to snap a few pictures as they warmed up right in front of us.



Ryan Hall warming up.  He went on to set a new American record!



Dick and Rick Hoyt - always the crowd favorite!

The other great moment was seeing Dick and Rick Hoyt pass by.  Dick is 70 years old, still recovering from a knee surgery, and is one of the most recognized figures of the Boston Marathon.

 

Elite Women




Elite Men



After the elites went through, the rest of the 27,000 runners filed through in three separate waves, and we were deep in our own little marathon of clapping. 

Endless sea of runners headed to Boston

I knew about a half dozen people that were running but it was nearly impossible to see anyone specific in such a thick sea of runners.  The only familiar face I saw was my pal Hiroshi, but he was on the other side of the road and out of earshot.  One thing was clear: the runners were thrilled to be a part of this race.  Thousands of runners passed by us with smiles and overwhelming excitement.  Many of them carried cameras and took pictures of their own as they ran down the course.  I could only hope for their sake that their excitement would carry them all the way through. 

A short time later, after all the runners had passed through the start line, I was back at home watching the first of the elites crossing the finish line.  It was a great experience seeing them on TV after I had just cheered them at the start of the race.  I have truly been bitten by the Boston bug, and I’m starting to seriously wonder if I should be adding this to an upcoming race calendar.  I think I’ll finish out this year’s races, wait for the Boston bug to die down, and see if the interest is still there.  Only time will tell.

Boston Tune Up 15K race report

In all my two years of running this race, it never fails to impress and delight me. Today it seemed the weather gods were cooperating and the conditions were perfect for running this race.  Temperature was low 40's, sun was shining, with just a mild breeze.  Compared to yesterday's little snow storm, this was just ideal.  I'm sure at this point you are waiting for the "but...", but, there's no but.  I've been pumped up looking forward to this race and it didn't disappoint.

Best Parts:
The People!  I ran into so many familiar faces and it was great to meet more members of the running club.  Kerri ran this race with me and I was happy to see a familiar face on the course as we constantly leap-frogged eachother.  My mom volunteered at the 7.5 mile water stop with Hiroshi and Anthony, so I was really looking forward to hitting that mark.


The photographer - the unsung hero!


The Course!  I love this course, even though it's a little painful.  Most of the course is either uphill or downhill and it requires some serious strategy if you want to finish strong.  I didn't actually have a serious strategy, and I'll be working on that for next year, but at least this year I knew exactly what I was up against.  Almost.  I think of this course as like giving birth.  In other words, when you give birth you immediately say "I am never doing that again!".  But, over time you tend to forget about the pain and only remember the good parts, and then you get suckered into giving birth again and say, "OMG now I remember, I said I'd never do this again!".  This course is kind of like that.  In fact, I remember running it for the first time with my friend Heather who had said ahead of time "There's a few rolling hills", and then a few miles in she said "I forgot about all these hills!!".  Unlike giving birth however, the scenery is fantastic with beautiful houses and farms, and most people can walk immediately following the event without requiring hospitalization.

PR!  Well, I feel a little guilty calling this a PR because it's not hard to PR on a 15k course since they aren't exactly popping up all over the place, but heck... I'm taking it.  Last year was my first year running races at all, and this was my longest race last year at this time.  My finishing time then was 1:27, with a 9:23 pace.  This year I killed that, finishing around 1:22 and an 8:49 pace according to my Garmin.  Major improvement, and I'm considering that a huge win.

The bib!  I know this seems trivial, but having a bib with your name on it is a huge deal.  Not only does it make you feel like an elite runner, but everyone cheering you on is calling your name.  And, you don't have to screw up someone's name if you aren't quite sure you remember them.  Although, I saw a guy named "Cupcake" so that might not be 100% true. 

The food!  The club really outdid themselves this year with a ridiculous amount of goodies after the race.  There were about 8 different types of soups and chili's in crock pots, and a huge variety of cookies, cakes, breads, and such.  I was very much looking forward to the soup, but apparently you need to run faster than an 8:49 pace to be eligible for soup because most of it was gone by the time I got in the food line.  I settled for a mini cinnamon roll and a biscotti.  Kerri and I went outside and ate in the sun since the crowds were pretty thick inside.  It was a nice way to unwind and see some runners crossing the finish line.


Kerri (oh wait, you knew that already because of her personalized bib!)

 As always, there are certainly some things I could have done better. 

Wardrobe: This was a really tough call, because it was pretty cool this morning, and I kept going back and forth with the clothes.  Ultimately I settled on a thin blue long sleeve tech, my singlet, and running tights.  Honestly I was pretty warm after a couple miles and easily could have run in capri's or maybe even short sleeves. 

Mile 1 adrenaline rush: Although I said I wouldn't do this and told everyone in sight not to do this, I started out too fast.  I was feeling great, the first portion of the course is flat to downhill, and I wanted to take advantage of the terrain.  When the marker at Mile 1 shouted 8:10, I knew I was going to regret that.  I scaled back slightly for mile 2, and then the hills around mile 3 and beyond took care of any further concerns I might have had of going too fast.


Me at 1.5, going way too fast and loving every second of it

 Also happy to report there were no stomach issues whatsoever at the race.  (This was the first thing Hiroshi asked).  Pre-race breakfast included a bagel thin and almond butter 3 hours before the race, and a bottle of water.  From every perspective, today was a success.  It's been a full year that I've been racing and I'm feeling better and stronger than ever.  I'm almost (almost) jealous of all the guys running Boston 16 days from now.  Hmmmm.

New Bedford – a PR in… Puking?

Today was the New Bedford Half Marathon, which I by my own admission had not trained well enough for.  Due to my sore foot and painful stomach I hadn’t logged a long run since Hyannis, so the best I could hope for was that my base would be enough to carry me most of the way, and grit would fill in the blanks. 

                Luckily I carpooled down to the race, which was great since I probably never would have found it.  The race was well organized and volunteers were ready and eager to help runners whenever needed.  What made this race different for me though is that I’m a simple country girl.  I have this weird expectation that there’s a starting line right in front of the packet pickup, along with a sprawling parking lot to store each and every one of the 2,700 runners’ cars.  New Bedford is a city, so the starting line was a couple blocks up and the parking was wherever you could find a spot.  Again, luckily I carpooled with a seasoned veteran of this race so the logistics were out of my hands. 

                It seemed that everyone from the city was out cheering on the runners.  They treat the runners like celebrities and I couldn’t help but get swept up in the excitement.  Most of the races I’ve run have very few spectators, so this was my first glance at what a big race feels like.  Now I see why people are so obsessed with Boston and NYC.  I wish I could say that my performance wowed the crowds, but today was just not the day.  The course itself was interesting and the scenery definitely helped pass the time.  Yesterday when I mentioned to someone I was running in New Bedford his reaction was, “Where will you be packing your gun?”  I had wondered the same exact thing.  Indeed, shortly after the start of the race we went through some questionable sections and passed pawn shops, thrift stores, and even a church set up in a strip mall (prayer needs no steeple apparently).  But there were also beautiful sections, and a very scenic stretch along the ocean with piers and lighthouses. 

                My body just wouldn’t cooperate with me today and it was pretty frustrating.  Knowing that I wasn’t in top condition, I expected to have to work a little hard and feel a little soreness.  But today, I had nothing in the tank.  Even starting the race I didn’t have energy.  I started off slow, at about a 9:20 pace, and expected to maintain that until after the first big hill (around mile 4) and then pick up speed to an 8:30-8:40.  Unfortunately I just didn’t have it in me to pick up the pace, and the best I could do was about a 9:00.  I started feeling nauseous around the 9 mile mark, which came in waves, and got pretty unbearable at the 12 mile mark (which coincided with a tooth-kicker of a hill).  I had to talk myself up that hill literally one step at a time, while trying to control whatever was going on in my stomach.

                I finished the race in 2:02, which is my slowest half marathon.  Although I wasn’t thrilled with my time, I wasn’t really disappointed either because the two hills on the course were bigger than anything I had in my previous half’s.  My only real frustration stemmed from my nausea, which got progressively worse after the race.  I had been really looking forward to sampling the fish chowder available to the runners after the race, but instead I was trying to hold in the water I had just gulped down. 

                We left immediately after the race, where I turned green and had cold sweats all the way back home.  (Actually, I wasn’t sweating because I had nothing left to sweat, but if I could sweat, I would have been clammy).  My poor pal Hiroshi thought for sure I was going to make a mess all over his car.  I’m pretty sure I won’t be invited to carpool again anytime soon!  I got sick the minute I walked in my door, and then after that I felt pretty good.  I had a small dinner, but there was no post-race victory, no celebratory wining and dining this time around.   I’m sure I will spend the next two months analyzing what caused my stomach to get into such a tizzy.  I ate my normal pre-half marathon breakfast (3/4 cup fat free cottage cheese and 4 oz black coffee) three hours before the race, and a snack (20 almonds, 2 Tums, and 8 oz water) two hours before the race.  My mother thinks I ate too many almonds.  I think that’s possible, and maybe I didn’t drink enough water.  Maybe today just wasn’t my day.  On a positive note, the rest of my body held up wonderfully.  No foot soreness, no muscle soreness, and as a bonus I got my first sunburn of the year!  (Yes, you can get a sunburn when it’s 35 degrees!) 

                I’ll be taking a couple days off from running and replacing it with yoga and kettlebells.  Then I’ll be back on the pavement, vowing to train harder and seeking out all sorts of advice on pre-race food for the weak of stomach.  Maybe I’ll sample the advice each day before my lunchtime run with my buddies.  I’m sure they would love to be witnesses to this experiment!