Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Looking forward

Well, finished the Daysprings 5K faster than I did it last year, so that's a plus, but was slower than my other 5K times this year. Ah well, it's still a + in my column.

Coming up, don't think we're going to do the Jingle Jog 5K since I've registered Reann and I for a trail half marathon in February and we need to focus on training for that. Plus I'll be doing the Red Top Rumble 11.5 mile race 6 days before the half marathon, so we've got our work cut out for us. May add a 10K in there somewhere, need to shoot for a good qualifying time for the Peachtree Road Race yanno!

Here goes:

2/7/10 Red Top Rumble 11.5 mile, Cartersville, GA

2/13/10 SweetH2O SweetHeart Half Marathon, Lithia Springs, GA

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

I know, I know...

I've fallen behind once again.

Let's recap, shall we?

9/7/09 U.S. 10K Classic: Reann and I rose at o'dark:30 and headed over to Cumberland Mall to park and get to the starting line. A nice big crowd greeted us, not quite as big as Peachtree, but a respectable 15,000+ as it was. The prerace festivities were great, including the skydivers who parachuted down to Cobb Parkway (no way would you catch me doing that, not with the hills or the power lines all around!). Then to watch the cyclists start, then the inline skaters, then the wheelchair division, then it was our turn. Oy. You start off going a slight downhill, down and under the 285 overpass, then you start climbing the first hill of the morning. Ugh. lol.

I wasn't feeling it that morning, so sent Reann along ahead once we got to the top of the hill with a stern warning to wait for me at the finish line and NOT TO MOVE ONE INCH PAST IT! lol So I plodded on, running when I could, walking the hills, and actually started to feel better as I went. Hit mile 4 in a respectable time and spotted Reann not long after that. By the time we hit the "Big Chicken", I knew we'd be alright. All we had left was a downhill to the finish line, or so I thought. Who's madcap idea was it to have you run hell-bent for leather downhill after the big chicken only to then have to run UPhill to the finish line? WTH? I about died lol. But I finished it and crossed another race I will not do again off my running "bucket list".

We decided not to do the Ekiden Trail relay.

10/31/09 Silver Comet Half Marathon: Here it is, my first half marathon. It snuck up on me, or better perhaps it clanged me over the head after life threw me off my training stride. I wasn't completely out of it once it came around, but I sure could have trained better for it. Anywhoooooo... Another o'dark:30 wakeup call, this time making sure Chelsea and Reann were up (momma needs a cheering section, yanno!), then we were off. A pit stop at Dunkin' (America runs on Dunkin', and so do I, just not this morning). Hot chocolate for the girls and a plain bagel for me. Got there early enough to get a primo parking spot behind the Mable House Arts Center, picked up my race # and timing chip, found a spot to secure the timing chip to my laces (zip ties? really?), then cooled my heels for a bit, had an espresso love gu gel (got my caffeine anyway), stretched, did a slow jog around the parking lot, then nature called. Whoa...nice lines at the port-a-potties. Got in line and started chatting with another girl who was running her first half also. Traded advice we'd received from others, even gave her one of my gu gels to try out. Finally was able to take care of my own business, and got out in time to see them herding everyone into groups based on what their anticipated race pace would be. I plopped myself towards the back of the 12:00 minute group. Then we followed the crowd back around front of the building on Floyd Road and waited, and waited, and moved up, and waited, and waited some more. Finally, we were off!

Started off with a slow jog while we all started to spread out over the mile and a half we had on the road before turning onto the Silver Comet trail. Of course, it couldn't stay mild and overcast, about 3/4's of a mile into it, the skies opened up and the wind picked up. We'll call that a torrential downpour that stayed with us just about all the way to the trailhead. Ah well, what's a little water going to do? It wasn't stopping me, no way. Although I heard afterwards that plenty others turned around and went back. Their loss. I felt good out there, in the rain. It was a bit daunting for me though, I will admit. Hard knowing how far out I had to run before I could turn around and come back the same way. The first hour and 15 minutes or so were the hardest mentally for me, until I saw more of the faster runners passing me heading towards the finish line. That energized me all the way through mile 12, where I alternated saying I'd have enough for a finish line sprint, and I wasn't going to make it. I was getting dog-tired by then and really had to push myself. Of course mile 12 is also where a sneaky incline starts, so I had that working against me too. I kept the argument going with myself in my head about whether or not I would be able to sprint at the end, all the way until I saw the 2 EMS guys on the side. THAT got me going and sprint I did, once again taking Chelsea and Reann by surprise so that they only got a picture of me from behind heading for the finish line... haha.

It was a bit on the awkward side to have to stop right after crossing the finish line so that they could cut the timing chip off your laces ($35 fee if you didn't turn it back in, ouch), and that probably didn't help me. But I finished! YES! Even made sure I got my finisher's medal! Ahhhh, it felt good to know I was done, that I made it 13 miles. It wasn't pretty, and I'm happy with the fact that it doesn't have to be, as long as I'm satisfied with the end result. And I AM!

Aside from some shoe issues I had and soreness from said shoe issues, I'm good and looking forward to signing up for another half. I'm leaning heavily towards the SweetH20 Sweetheart half that our Rogues are doing in February. A trail half! YES! I think a trail half will really help me decide if I'm going to pursue a race distance beyond 13.1 or not. As of right now I'm still undecided.

At any rate, the next upcoming race is one Reann and I did last year, so this may become a tradition.

11/14/09 Daysprings 5K, Douglasville GA (this one usually benefits one of the local schools, this year it benefits the flood victims from this past September)

12/12/09 Jingle Jog 5K, Atlanta GA (haven't registered yet, trying to make it a family thing for the three of us)

2/13/10 SweetH20 Sweetheart Half Marathon Trail Race, Lithia Springs GA...???


Hmmmm...