Race Report: GHS "Swamp Rabbit" Half Marathon

Pre-Race:

8 weeks of 5K training + 12 weeks of half marathon training got me here! Friday evening, I checked the weather forecast and then tried to figure out what to wear for a 2½ hour run (temperature range was 33° - 48°). I decided to wear capris, a long-sleeve tee under a short-sleeve tee, a pullover, gloves and hat. I also had two carb boom gels (apple cinnamon flavor). I set my alarm for 5 am and went to bed at 9:30 pm but I didn't really sleep much, I tossed and turned all night long. I left my house at 5:40 am and arrived at the race start (Gateway Park in Traveler's Rest) at 6:30 am. I got my bib number then sit in my car to stay warm until 7:10 am where I got in line for the porta potty then headed to the start line. I found a spot near the back knowing that I was going to be using run 5 minutes / walk 1 minute intervals. Plus I didn't care what my time would be as it would be an instant PR since this was my first half marathon so there was no point in slowing down those actually there to "race".

 

The Race:

At 7:31 am, we were off. I quickly settled into a very easy pace knowing the first 2 miles would be my warm up. The first 4 walk breaks were hard, simply because I really didn't want to take them, but I knew they would pay off later on and sure enough they did! The first two miles were done and over with before I even realized it and to my surprise I was actually able to keep a sub 11 min/mile pace for almost 8 miles. It didn't even feel like I was running that fast but it had to be the most enjoyable 8 miles I have ever run!

Then during mile 9 everything changed. My right calf just cramped up unexpectedly. It hurt like hell and if you ever had a charlie horse you know how bad they hurt. It stops you dead in your tracks until you can stretch and massage it out and that's exactly what I had to do. I stopped on the side of the trail and stretched it out as best as I could. It sort of made me angry because I was doing way better than I had ever dreamed of and was feeling so great up until then.

[caption id="attachment_1890" align="alignright" width="224"] Finishing the GHS Half Marathon with a smile on my face![/caption]

Miles 10, 11 and 12 were brutal and it was all I could do to maintain run 2 minutes / walk 1 minute intervals. I was in so much pain but at the same time I was determined to finish and wasn't going to let a leg cramp prevent me from doing just that. Once I got to the top of the hill near the baseball stadium and headed down Markley St, I got a surge of adrenaline...maybe I was excited that I was so close with a little over a mile remaining or maybe it was the fact I wasn't the only one hurting. I could tell the girls and the one guy around me was hurting too. So I ignored the pain and just ran. I didn't care how slow I was going, I just wanted to keep running to take advantage of this slight downhill knowing there was one final hill left and I was pretty sure I would have to walk up it.

Once I turned the corner onto McBee Ave and actually could see the finish line, I couldn't help but smile. When I did, it was like the pain just disappeared and I just gave it everything I had left (which wasn't much) and crossed the finishing line at 2:32:00. My husband was there waiting for me at the finish and he was able to capture a few pics.

[caption id="attachment_1891" align="alignnone" width="300"] Finished the GHS Half Marathon![/caption]

Final Thoughts about the Race

Would I do this race again? Maybe but only if I get the same DealChicken.com (similar to Groupon) deal. To me, it just wasn't worth $70 and I'm so glad I only paid $35. Here are my reasons:

1. They ran out of water at 3 of the 6 water stations but luckily there was water at the two I needed the most...around mile 5 and 10 (right after I had consumed a gel). But I'm used to running up to an hour without water so it didn't really affect me all that much.


2. There were no technical t-shirts left by the time I finished (you got them at the finish, not during packet picket on race morning). Nor did they have any smalls left in the remaining cotton tees so I just got an XL for my husband. He can wear it mowing grass or whatever.


3. Where was the food? I was wanting a banana or some sort of fruit but all I saw were cheez-its and chips. Really? Maybe I missed the food table but my calf was hurting and I sure as heck didn't feel like walking around looking for the food table.

I did confirm one thing though. I find sprint triathlons way more fun than half marathons and probably won't be doing another half marathon anytime soon. I love local charity 5Ks and 10Ks so I'll keep doing those between triathlons but running for 2+ hours just isn't my thing. Still I'm happy I was finally able to finish one and it's one more thing I can't mark off my bucket list.

Race Report: Reedy River 10K

Pre-Race:

Woke up to some nasty weather. It was in the mid 30s and a cold light rain. Of course with very little expectations with this race, I was ready for whatever mother nature wanted to give me. My game plan was to take it easy as I would any other long run in order to avoid injury before next Saturday's half marathon. Of course knowing my long run pace is around a 12 min/mile, I was expecting around a 1:15 finish.

Woke up at my usual "work day" time of 6:30 and was out the door at 7:00. Arrived at the race start at around 7:40, got my number and tech tee (once again, it's unisex and way too big so Goodwill is getting another one) and went back to my car to stay warm until about 8:10. By this time, there was a nasty rain/sleet/snow mix that was just plain miserable. At 8:15, I stood in a line (all of 3 people ahead of me) for the porta potty then headed to the start where I did a very light jog and stretching to stay warm. I had on my fleece-lined pants (they are water resistant), long-sleeve tee, rain jacket, gloves and hat. I was slightly chilly at the start which is a good sign I was properly dressed.

The Race:

At 8:30, we were off. I started near the back of the pack and settled into my easy pace and pretty much just held it there for most of the race. The first few hills were nothing and I was able to get up those without any problems. The hill right before Greenville County used to give me problems but not this time but I ended up taking a walk break anyway because I was getting too hot and had to take off my rain jacket. It was just too warm, especially once the wintry mix had stopped. Not sure why I get so much hotter in a race then in a training run. Adrenaline perhaps?

After that, it was smooth sailing until I got to the first water station which was on a downhill (really?) so once again I slowed to a walk and grabbed some. I quickly got back into my easy pace  and breezed through miles 3-5. I definitely didn't have the struggle as I did in the previous two times I ran this race or the last time I ran through here. In fact those two flat miles through Cleveland Park seemed effortless to me this time around and I was feeling really good and even passing other runners (which this late in the race used to be very rare for me).

Mile 5 is where everything started to change and I ended up walking some up the two final hills. That last hill before the finish is awful and I did my best to conquer but only was able to make it about ½ way. But once I hit the 6 mile marker, I got back to running again and picked up the pace for a final kick for the downhill finish and cross the line in 1:09:56, a solid 5 minutes faster than I expected to.

Weather: 36° with 4 mph N winds. Rain/Sleet/Snow mix at the start. A very light drizzle during the race.

 

Race Report: InYou Indoor Triathlon

Training:

Being an indoor triathlon of only 45 minutes, I figured 6 weeks of training would suffice. I only chose to do 1 swim, 1 spin class and 3 runs per week since I am also training for a half marathon. I chose to do this triathlon in hopes it would force me to add cross-training to my weekly schedule and keep me more consistent week-to-week. It definitely  helped as there were days I wanted to skip the swim or spin class but didn't because I knew I had already signed up for this event.

 

Pre-race:

Didn't really do anything special. I was in the 10 am heat so I went to bed and woke up at my regular time and did my normal Saturday morning routine.

 

Swim:

My goal was 20 laps (500 yards) which I knew was doable if I stayed focused on my technique. I made it to 19 laps, just 25 yards from my goal. About 8 minutes in, I was getting really tired and my technique faltered as I started looking up instead of down and getting sloppy with my arms and know it is what cost me those precious 25 yards.

 

Bike:

[caption id="attachment_1739" align="alignright" width="144"] In You Indoor Tri - Bike[/caption]

Bike went exceptionally well. I'm not sure who calibrated the spin bikes but the speed/distance was way off from that of a road bike or even stationary bike. I normally average 12-14 mph on my road bike and 14-16 on a stationary bike but with these "add-on" computers, I averaged around 35 mph! The good thing is, everyone's was calibrated the same way, so we were all speedsters on the bikes today! But I felt good on the bike from the beginning to the end which was my only goal anyway. Those spin classes definitely helped!

 

Run:

[caption id="attachment_1742" align="alignleft" width="144"] In You Indoor Tri - Run[/caption]

My goal was to run 1.5 miles but I only could manage 1.4 miles. I was doing great at 6.2 mph until about 6 mins in and then my calf starting cramping up. I slowed down to 3.8 mph to try to stretch it out. That helped and I picked up the pace again, this time at 6.3 mph to try to make up for that walk break. But about 2.5 minutes later, it started cramping up again and I had to slow down yet again. This happened once more with just 2 minutes left to go, I was so frustrated but was able to get at least another minute of running before the 15 minutes were up.

 

Overall:

This was a fun event and very challenging even if it was only 45 minutes! It felt very competitive though, mainly because you are side-by-side 4 to 5 other triathletes no matter how slow or fast you are. There is no passing like you get in outdoor triathlons so no way of knowing how well you're doing and you always feel like you're still in it to win it which just feeds on that competitive nature to keep pushing to go faster and faster. The one thing I didn't like was the age groups for awards. They are too broad with the top 3 in 12 and under, 13-19, 20-40 and 40+. I would of preferred top 2 in 10 year age groups instead which would of given more people a fighting chance.

 

Official Results:

Swim 10 mins: 19 lengths (475 yards)
Bike 20 mins: 11.8 miles (35.4 mph)
Run 15 mins: 1.4 miles (10:43 pace)

Overall: 44th
Age Group: 8th (20-40F)

Race Report: iRecycle 5K

[caption id="attachment_1314" align="alignright" width="300"] Photo courtesy of PACE Magazine[/caption]

Race prep begin the moment I started Thursday's run. I wanted a run that wasn't easy (easy runs before a race have never worked) but wasn't going to leave me too fatigued for the race either so I decided to do three 5 minute intervals at 9:30 pace with 2 minute recovery walk. That's only 15 minutes of moderately hard running plus 17 minutes of easy running/walking for my warm up, recoveries and cool down. It worked perfectly as I was tired afterwards but feeling like I could do more, much more. I then spent a good 30 minutes afterwards, stretching and using the foam roller. Friday, I made a goal to stay clear from all soft drinks, fried foods and junk food and to make sure I drank plenty of water. Pre-race dinner was pizza, yes, pizza. I went to bed at 10 pm, pretty much my regular time and woke up at 6:15 am. Got up and did some light stretching, drank a Boost High Protein and was out the door by 7 am.

I arrived at the race site around 7:30 am which was a good thing because the nearby parking spots were filling up fast! I pretty much sit in my car until 7:50 am just to keep warm. I spent the next 15 minutes doing a short warm up jog and more light stretching as a means to keep my body warm instead of standing around and shivering like everyone else. At 8:10 am, I lined up somewhere in the middle of the pack knowing the fast down hill start would cause many to go out way too fast and there was no point getting caught up in that. At 8:14 am we were off which sort of caught me by surprise since we started a minute early.

And to give you a comparison of how accurately and well executed my race plan went, here it is. I came up with this plan the evening prior and visualized every section.

SECTION	MY RACE PLAN	WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
Downhill Start (0.0 - 0.6)	Everyone is probably going to start out too fast with the down hill start so stick to an 8:30 - 9:00 pace and not any faster! You're legs will thank you by the time you hit the trail.	I stayed relaxed, let my body warm up and resisted the temptation to run faster than an 8:30 pace.
Cottonwood Trail (0.6 - 1.4)	I've ran this trail a dozen times so use it to my advantage! Stay under a 10 min pace and don't walk until I reach the water stop.	Once I entered the trail, everyone seemed to slow down to above a 10 min pace so I knew I had to do some passing which isn't easy on a narrow trail but after about 1-2 mins and passing 2-3 runners, I found myself right in my desired 9:30 - 9:55 pace and kept it there.
Trail Exit & Water Stop (1.4)	Target time: 13 mins. Get water and walk 60" even if I don't need to. Prepare my mind for the hills. Say positive mantras.	Actual time: 12:57. Right on target! Perfect so far. I actually didn't feel the need to walk but I was like, "stick to the plan, stick to the plan" and forced myself to walk 60" through the water stop.
Hills (1.5 - 2.2)	These two hills will be pure torture. If it becomes too much, switch to 45 strides, 30" walking. Target time at the top: 22 minutes.	About 30" into the first hill, it already started to suck so I immediately switched to 45 strides, 30" walking. There was a short downhill between the two hills that I used to recover and make up some time. The second hill was much longer and harder but I stuck to the game plan of 45 strides, 30" walking to get up it. At the top, I checked my watch...23:16. Okay so I'm only 1:16 off but I'm still in this!
Downhill (2.2 - 2.6)	Recover for 60" then fly down the hill at whatever pace feels comfortably hard.	Ran down this hill averaging around a 9 min pace which felt pretty darn good knowing the hardest part of the course was over! Passed several runners who were walking after running non-stop up the hill which is always a confident booster that I played it smart.
Short up hill (2.6 - 2.8)	It's short and short hills are easy!	Okay, it was far from easy and I went back to using 45 strides, 30" walking where everyone else was walking at this point. Again, passing more runners...awesome!
Turn onto Dupree (2.8)	Target time: 30 mins	Actual time: 30:30...wow, did I just make up that much time on that downhill! Feeling great! I can do this, I can and will meet my goal of under 34 mins!
Final stretch (2.8 - 3.1)	It's down then up. On the down hill, take it easy, resist the temptation to go faster too early, save that energy for the up hill, you will need it!	Just as predicted. The down hill felt great, I wanted to go faster as another runner got right next to me and we were stride for stride but as we started up the final hill towards the finish, I was glad I held back as I barely had enough to stay under an 11 min pace and had nothing left for a kick at the end.
FINISH	Target time: 33:59 or faster! It's only a 'B' race, the goal is not to PR but run a smart race and not my fastest!	Actual time: 33:16. It can't get any more perfect than that! I finished strong and with confident which is exactly what I need going into the next 2 weeks of training and into my 'A' race, the Spinx 5K.

This may be a bit overkill and probably way too much planning for most but I have to say one thing, it works! Two 'C' races with absolutely no planning and I struggled through each race and ended up with slow and frustrating times and felt like I would never find my speed again. Then I planned out 2 weeks of smart training and this race plan and suddenly end up going from a 36:00 to 33:16 5K in just 2 weeks time. Now you tell me if I'm crazy or if this is overkill?

Race Report: Plaque Busters 5K

[caption id="attachment_1254" align="alignright" width="224"] 3rd Place in Age Group[/caption]

This was my first running race since March and I really wasn't expecting much. It was more of a "fun run" to determine where I'm currently at in my running. This race was in John's Creek, GA so I knew there would be hills and yes there were plenty of hills. The short ones didn't really seem that big of a deal but it was the long ones that proved to be too much for me to handle. First 2 miles, I ran the best I ever had but that third mile with the 1/2 mile steep up hill that got the best of me.

Still, with this being a 1st annual race and not knowing if my slow time would stand, I decided to stick around for awards anyway because as I've learned these smaller, low key races, you just never know who will show up and who won't. I got lucky and the fast runners didn't show up and I ended up surprisingly placing 3rd in my age group. It may not of been my best race by a long shot but a top 3 age group finish is still a top 3 age group finish, right? Well, I at least think so!

Race Report: 2012 Middle Tyger Y Triathlon

Pre-Race

I slept surprisingly well once I fell asleep and probably got a full 6.5 hours of sleep. I left the house right at 5:45 am and arrived at the race site shortly after 6 am. Once I got out of my car, I quickly realized it was a bit chilly (in the upper 50s)  but I figured once the sun came up, it would warm up quickly so I never really gave it a second thought.

Swim (400 meters)

I have been swimming 30 minutes on my lunch break twice a week fairly regularly at the new Thomas Hannah YMCA. Their 25 yard pool is around 78-79 degrees which is about the same as Middle Tyger. That is a good thing because I usually have an issue with "cold shock" when jumping in chilly water. This time, it wasn't bad at all and the water actually felt pretty good. I ended up swimming the entire 400 meters non-stop in about 9:40. Add in a 20 sec run to transition timing map and my swim split ended up being 10 mins even.

Transition 1

As as soon as I exited the pool area, I realized it hadn't warmed up much at all. Probably only in the low 60s and being soaking wet, it was downright chilly. Of course my adrenaline was going so I didn't really have time to dwell on it for very long. Managed to get on my socks, cycling shoes, sunglasses, helmet, and number belt, grabbed my bike off the rack and off I went.

Bike (14 miles)



Now I started thinking about how cold it was. I was downright freezing cold the first 3 miles or so as the bike course starts downhill. Once I hit the first uphill, I started generating body heat which helped me warm up some. While I love cycling, I'm not a fast cyclist. I absolutely hate the bike leg in a triathlon because I feel so slow compared to everyone else. Even averaging around 14 mph, riders were passing me like I was sitting still. I definitely need to ride more than twice a week and really work on getting faster on the bike before Furman. The final 2 miles were brutal as it's mostly uphill and I really had a hard time getting up it even though I train on much longer and steeper hills.

 

Transition 2

Went extremely well. It  had to be super fast as all I had to do was rack my bike, swap my cycling shoes for my running shoes and remove my helmet and grab my hat.

 

 

 

 

 

Run (5K)

At first I felt pretty good but then about a quarter mile in, my legs were screaming and I feared my calves were going to cramp up so I started walking and taking longer strides to help stretch them but it only made it worse so I started running again. At times I felt great and other times I felt like my calves were going to seize up at anytime so I had to stop and walk a lot more times than I would of liked. At the 2 mile mark I was at 24 mins so I was averaging a 12 min pace. The 3rd mile was tough but I used the 45 strides / 30 sec walk break technique to get me through it. The run was a slow 37:31 mins but it was a huge improvement over last year and I have only been running twice a week for the past 6 weeks so I can't really complain that much . I wanted to finish the run in under 35 mins but that didn't happen with the uphill finish. That's one thing about Middle Tyger...it's hilly and you have an uphill finish on both the bike and run course.

 

 

Overall Time and Final Thoughts


My official time was 1:50:52 and a new PR. I beat last year's time by 5 minutes which coming into this race, I really doubted that I would do better than last year considering my training has been a little "off".

The past 6 weeks haven't been easy as I've been dealing with my dog's declining  health. Kelsey scared us when her auto-immune disorder came back and she needed a blood transfusion to survive and it wasn't 2 weeks later, Kato's heart got worse. Both are doing okay for now but we know it's only a matter of time.

And just like last year, the volunteer's and spectators were great. Lots of encouragement at every intersection and turn.

Swim Time (400 meters) - 10:00
Transition #1 - 1:18
Bike (14 miles) - 1:01:18
Transition #2 - 0:47
Run (5K) - 37:31
Total Time - 1:50:52

Compared to last year, the swim was a 31 sec improvement, T1 exactly the same, bike was 4 secs slower, T2 was 2 secs faster, and the run was nearly 5 mins faster.

Race Report: Greer Earth Day 10K

First, let me explain that I have been sick, okay not really sick but suffering from severe allergy symptoms for about a week now nor did I train for this race. My longest run in the past 3 months was only 4 miles and yet for some crazy reason, I still decided to do this race. Why? Because sometimes I need a tough race to remind me that even when I feel like crap and feel like there is no way I can accomplish something because (fill in the blank), I can still push through it and succeed! In fact, I will dub this race as my "No Excuses 10K"

I went into today's race not expecting a great time but really just to finish. I did have a race plan though. Take it easy for the first 10 minutes and let the field spread out some before I started with my run 2 minutes / walk 1 minute intervals and for 4 miles that actually worked out quite well.

During the first mile, I already knew I was in for a long battle of not being able to breath properly. By mile 3, I was already struggling with lightheadedness and really needing water badly as the mucus in my throat kept getting thicker and thicker. I kept pressing on knowing that there had to be a water station coming up soon. Finally about 1/2 mile later I came to the water station but to my surprise there was no water left! Ugh! I tried to push on, but from that point on, it pretty much became a sufferfest and there were a few times where I felt like I was either going to pass out or be sick. The miles just seemed to get longer and longer and every step it just got harder and harder to breath.

The last 2 miles felt like an eternity and I cursed up every hill. I wanted this race to be over with and now! I seriously considered giving up at one point but at that very moment, a half marathoner passes me and gives me some much needed words of encouragement, then another and another. I finally made the second to last turn and saw there was one last hill to conquer. I tried to jog up it but I was gasping for air and was forced to walk. I made the final turn, saw the finish line just ahead and jogged through it, finishing in a very slow time of 1:18:20.

After my race,  my legs felt really good and not a single blister which was a surprise since I haven't done any long runs leading up to this race. Of course I will always wonder how well I would of ran this race if it wasn't for my allergies and I guess I'll have to wait until next year to find out.

Mile Splits = 10:11, 10:59, 12;29, 12:58, 13;55, 13:16

 

Race Report: Palmetto Hearts 5K

With severe allergy symptoms (sneezing, running nose, itchy throat), I almost decided not to do this race but it was for a great cause. It benefited Palmetto Hearts who serves and supports South Carolinian’s touched by Congenital Heart Defects and Diseases. Believing individuals’ and families’ needs vary as greatly as the CHDs affecting them, we offer several types of support—emotional, informational, social, and financial. Through such efforts, we hope to share the trials and celebrate the joys of loving someone with a CHD.

So I went with no real goal or race plan in place, just finish. I arrived at the race site about 45 mins before the start of the race and there was already a single line for pre-registrations. The line took forever! I don't know why they didn't split the line by last name but it took nearly 20 mins for me finally get my number and packet pickup. I don't think they expected the high turnout, over 250 runners and walkers for an inaugural race is pretty darn great and I love that so I didn't really mind that the start was delayed because of that.

The race started around 9:15 and the first mile which is all downhill was pretty easy. I kept it at a nice relaxed pace knowing about the hill in the second mile but I still ended up having to walk partially up that hill. Did good going down it through and to the start of the last mile. At that point I was having a hard time breathing and really struggling to maintain my pace so I reverted back to what my coach told me and did 45 strides with 30 rest. Of course going up hill that even prooved to be tough. At one point I felt like I was going to throw up but luckily I didn't. I finally made it to the finish line but much slower than I would liked. Oh well, like I said, I didn't really have a goal knowing that my allergies would be slowing me down.

Mile 1 - 9:34
Mile 2 - 10:52
Mile 3 - 12:53

Official time = 34:48 (11:04 average pace)

Overall: 95th out of 258

Age Group: 8th out of 30

Race Report: Reedy River 5K

I ran this race with my brother, his 2nd 5K but first "real" race. We decided to start near the middle because I thought it would be a good place to start but boy I was so wrong. Even though it's in big bold letters in the email that is sent out that walkers should start in the back, they still started way up front. There were so many walkers and slower runners it took me nearly 1/2 mile to finally get into my race pace, but by then I was already way off my goal pace and had a lot of making up to do.

Shortly after we hit the first hill and was steeper and longer than any of the hills I train on, but surprising I flew up it  without breaking pace, passing others that already gave into walking. Mentally it was a huge confidence boost considering I'm normally the one getting past on hills. Once I got to the top of the hill, I saw my brother up ahead who got out to a faster start. I resisted the urge to run faster to catch up to him and instead stuck to my comfortably hard pace. I ended up catching and passing him on the second hill. By then, I realized this course is much tougher than I anticipated it would be but I was determined to give it everything I had no matter what. Every hill I would make it up about half way and then give into walking, my brother would catch up to me but there was no way I was going to let him pass me so I would start running again.

There was a nice downhill section and I took full advantage of it. I didn't slow down to recover as I normally do and instead sped up to keep the same comfortably hard pace. There were two more hills to get up and over but that last one, I thought my lungs were going to explode but there was no way I was giving up now. I glanced at my watch which read 29:29 with about a quarter mile to go. I knew I wasn't going to make it under 30 minutes but it didn't keep me from continuing the effort I had held all race long. Once I made the final turn and could see the finish line, I tried to go into a sprint but there was just nothing left in my legs. It felt like the longest stretch of road ever, what felt like 10 minutes was really only 90 seconds. I crossed the finish line 31:57, my brother right behind me 9 seconds later. I'm pretty happy with my time given I never previewed the course and had no idea how bad the hills would be and a significant improvement over January's 5K which was a much easier course.

Overall Results: 734 / 1,592

Women: 312 / 900

Age Group (30-34): 44 / 112

Race Report: Race for the Grasshopper 5K

This was my third year running in the Race for the Grasshopper 5K and my worst. Over the past few months, I've slowly lost my motivation for running. And now with a full-time job and limited daylight hours, it's just been way too easy to say "I'll run later" but later never happens.

I went into this race with very little training and honestly wasn't expecting much. The weather was great for January, low 50s. Much better than the last 2 years. I can remember standing at the start line waiting for the gun to go off and feeling nothing. No adrenaline, no nervousness, nothing. It was just one big group run where I didn't know a single person. To me, it felt like another solo run, another 5K without my husband supporting me or friends cheering me on. Why am I even here, running this race? I just didn't want to be there and sure as heck didn't feel like running.

The gun went off and I started running at an easy pace to get warmed up but it wasn't even a half mile in until I got a really bad side stitch. I tried to slow down but it just wouldn't go away. I pushed through the last mile which felt like it was twice as long as the first two miles just wanting to finish and get this race over and done with. I crossed the finish line in 33:37, pretty slow for that course.

Once I finished, I learn one important thing, I absolutely hate continuous running and prefer longer distances using run/walk method. Ironically my 9 miler last week felt easier than today's 5K and am probably not going to do that many 5Ks this year and instead focus solely on triathlons.

Run Report: Run with the Stoix

[caption id="attachment_967" align="alignleft" width="170" caption="© 2011 TRIATHLONARMY"][/caption]

I went into this run with my longest run being a 7.5 miler three weeks prior and then a 5K and 6 mile run leading up to this 9 mile run and this was my longest run since March. I wasn't really expecting for much but to just finish. I knew I was going to be slow and decided I was going to use run 2 mins, walk 1 min intervals.

The course was a 3 mile loop that we could do 1, 2 or 3 times and obviously I decided to go for the full 9 miles.I arrived somewhat late (hey, I hate mornings so yea, it was hard getting going) and arrived with just 10 mins to spare. I barely had enough time to sign in and pick up my beanie. The weather was foggy and in the low 40s. We quickly lined up and were off 5 secs later. The first 2 miles felt really easy and I even had to force myself to slow down at times.

[caption id="attachment_968" align="alignright" width="199" caption="© 2011 TRIATHLONARMY"][/caption]

Then 2.25 miles in, there was a monster hill on Washington Street. I tried my best to jog up it but 30 secs in, it proved to be too steep and too long for that to happen. Once I got up and over that hill, the rest was relatively easy. In fact, I felt really good for miles 4 and 5 but here came that Washington St hill again! Then all was good again for miles 7 and most of 8 but half way through 8 my hips were starting to hurt but I kept moving knowing it wasn't that much further and I was done! By the third time around, Washington St hill was painful.

That hill felt like a mountain and kept feeling like it was getting longer and steeper with every step. I could think about was just getting to the finish line and wanting this run to be done with as quickly as possible. So finally I crested the top of the hill and finished my 9 miler. It was slow but I got it done.

Mile splits =10:37, 11:16, 12:57, 11:39, 10:49, 12:54, 11:34, 11:52, 13:12.

Loop splits = 34:50, 35:22, 36:38

Race Report: Jingle Bell 5K

Honestly, I really wasn't expecting to do well. I ran the course (actually doubled it so I could get my long run in at the same time) the past two weekends but struggled both times with 12-13 min miles so I thought my chances of a sub 35 minute 5K were slim and decided to just forget about a time goal and just go out there and have fun in the mud (it rained the night before).

The weather was fairly mild for December, overcast and low 50s, perfect running weather! There wasn't that many runners so I could of lined up just about wherever I wanted but decided near the back was where I wanted to be since it forces me to start out slow.

The first two miles of the race, I felt fantastic. My legs felt great, my breathing under control and for the first time, I was perfectly dressed for the weather. Just after the 2 mile mark, my legs starting feeling heavier and heavier and my breathing was becoming more labored. I tried to keep running as long as possible, slowing down and focusing on my breathing but eventually I had to walk. I kept this run/walk thing pretty much until I hit the final quarter mile which happens to be on the road at a slight uphill. It's not steep but you definitely feel it. After running on soft dirt, sand and hay, the hard asphalt made my legs feel like they were bricks. But I was determine to make it up and over that hill because I knew the last tenth of a mile was all downhill. I gave it all I had that last quarter mile and to my surprise I finished just shy of 33 minutes, way better than I expected! W00t, w00t!

I'm still waiting for the official results and pictures to be posted and once they are I will update this post.

Race Report: Turkey Day 8K

Finished in 50:45 about 90 seconds faster than last year's time. And just like last year, I treated this run as training and decided to stick with tempo intervals.

5 min easy jog to get warmed up and with a 38° start, I absolutely needed it.

Then the intervals which were run 3 minutes at a 8:45 - 9:30 pace with a 2 minute recovery walk in between. The first 3 miles felt great but most of the first half of this course is downhill or flat so keeping a 9 minute pace wasn't that hard but once I hit those hills in Hampton Heights and on Spring Street, I had a very hard time keeping it below a 10 minute pace. Still the 3:2 intervals worked out quite well.

According to my Garmin Forerunner, my active time was 32 mins and covered 3.5 miles so an average pace of 9:28 which was my goal so I'm happy about today's run.

Race Report: You Go Girl Women's Only Triathlon

Pre-Race

I slept okay but only got about 5.5 hours of sleep which isn't really enough for me. I left the house shortly after 5am and arrived at the race site around 6 am (about a 50 minute drive for me). I unloaded my bike and proceeded to the transition area and picked up my packet, got my chip and headed over to body marking. Lori was there volunteering so it's always great to see familiar faces at events. I had a solid 30 mins to setup my transition area to my liking and there were a lot of first-timers there that looked confused on what to do so I helped them out since I know first hand what it feels to be clueless at your first triathlon. With about 15 mins until participant meeting, I headed to the pool for a short 200 yard swim to get a feel for the water. Perfect mid-80s...I knew I was going to swim fast and well so my nerves calmed down after that.

Swim (250 yards)

It was over before I even knew it. I couldn't believe how easy swimming 250 yards felt even with only two swim workouts since Middle Tyger Triathlon. Didn't even have to stop at the wall to rest once and ended up passing one swimmer and catching up to another so that felt great. Swim time: 6:16 (includes a 10-20 sec  run to transition). And to my surprise, fastest swim time in my age group!

Transition 1

Legs felt really good coming out of the swim and was able to make a good run to transition. Got on my cycling shoes, helmet and sunglasses and proceed out of transition. Transition 1 time: 1:18

Bike (9.5 miles)

I felt really good when I got on my bike, legs felt fresh unlike they did at Middle Tyger Triathlon. I was able to surge ahead two riders which that felt great but one caught me a few miles later. I had a hard time controlling my heart rate and breathing for the first 5 miles but after I got relaxed, it got easier, just too bad only 4 miles were left at that point. Ended up passing 3 other riders while 1 other rider passed me. For the first time, it actually felt like I was racing. In most triathlons, I get passed but don't do any passing. Bike time: 40.04 (14.3 mph).

Transition 2

Much, much better than last time! Got my shoes off, helmet off, put on my running shoes and grabbed my hat and number belt to put on while I was running. 49 secs.

Run (2.5 miles)

Running still hurts after riding, no matter how long the run is! The first 1/2 mile was brutal, mostly because it was on grass then went uphill before doing 2 loops then returning back. I had an issue with my watch starting (apparently I forgot to reset it from last time) so when I hit start, I didn't realize it was wrong until about 2-3 mins later. So pretty much the entire run I had  no clue how fast I was running. I felt like I was crawling at some points but I guess I ended up running much faster than I thought. Averaged an 11 min pace which for me, I'm super happy with considering all my runs after cycling have been 12+ min pace. Time: 27:32

Overall Time and Final Thoughts


1:15:56 (89 out of 134) – Finally feels great to finish in the middle of the pack. Sure, there was a lot of beginners but still it feels good. With very limited training in the last 5 weeks due to extreme hot temperatures with triple digit heat indices, I am thankful I did as well as I did. I swam, biked and ran faster than I did in the Middle Tyger Triathlon and although it was a shorter course, I still didn't expect that.

This is a great course and a fun race! It's very beginner friendly so if you're a women in Upstate, SC and want to try a triathlon, this is the one to do! I really hope to be able to do this one again next year.

Race Report: Candlelight 5K

Considering I haven't ran since June 9th and helped my husband for 5+ hours earlier today shoveling and spreading white rock and brick edging to our backyard, I couldn't of asked for a better race. I was so tired when we got done with our landscaping project, that I almost decided against doing this race. But I love night races, mainly because I love evening running and there just isn't many night races to choose from around here. Plus unlike last year, the weather was actually pleasant. Mid to low 70s felt pretty darn cool after weeks in the 90s.

But, I beat last year's time of 37:00 with a time of 32:07 (unofficial) this year so yea, big improvement over last year but it's always better when you know what to expect! But if my unofficial time is correct, this will be my third fastest 5K. Of course I always tend to do better in impromptu races that I really didn't train for. If I keep focusing on my goal to have fun and just enjoy myself out there, then I usually do much better then when I'm being competitive and chasing a PR. Oh and I just about made it up that entire hill without walking. That hill is so freakin' long that you never think it's going to end! Of course once you hit the turnaround and come down it, well that's the fun part!

Oh and how can I forget to mention the issue with the porta-potties...they never got delivered! So, it was quite the nightmare with only 2 bathroooms....the line was a good 45+ mins long!

Mile Splits: 10:12, 10:50, 9:50, 1:16 (7:45)

Race Report: Middle Tyger Y Triathlon

Pre-Race

I slept surprisingly well and got a solid 7 hours so I woke up feeling really good. I left the house right at 5:50 am and arrived at the race site around 6:15 am. I unloaded my bike and proceeded to the transition area where I realized there was no assigned racks and it was first come first serve so I found a good spot that I felt would be easy to get in an out of and set up my transition area. We were called to the pool area about 10 til 7 am for some last minute race instructions. We then lined up for the swim and like most of everyone else, I was a little surprised by the out-of-pool start.

Swim (400 meters)

I have been swimming 1-2 times per week and getting in solid 1 hour workouts so I wasn't really concerned about the swim but maybe I should of been. The Swim Center pool is kept at very therapeutic 85° and my brother's neighborhood outdoor pool is probably around 86° or warmer so when I dove into the colder water (probably around 78-80° which is usually what they keep it at) of the Middle Tyger Y's pool, it was quite a shock. [Lesson #1...if at all possible jump in the pool before the race!] So for the first 50 meters, I nearly panicked as I tried catching my breath but was able to keep it together to at least do the breast stroke until I got my breathing under control. About 100 meters in, I finally got into a rhythm but the combination of nerves and cold water seemed to took a lot more energy out of me as I had to rest at each wall for about 5-10 secs, something I rarely needed to do in training when I did my 400 and 500 time trials. Still only 1 person passed me so either I didn't do as bad as I thought or everyone else was having trouble too. I glanced at my watch as I exited the pool and it was at 9:56 so a lot slower than the 8:40 I was hoping to achieve.

Transition 1

Went as good as it could of gone. Got my socks and shoes on, sunglasses, helmet, grabbed my bike and jogged (as best as I can in cycling shoes) to the mount line. Got on my bike and got clipped in without any issues and ended up beating 2 others out of T1 that were there before me but they caught up to me and passed me on the bike about 2-3 miles in.

Bike (14 miles)

Got on my bike and immediately realized this is going to be much much harder after swimming then I thought! [Lesson #2 Do more swim/bike bricks!] The first few miles were painful but after I got up the first hill, I was pretty much on cruise control. I did get passed by several guys and 1 women during the bike leg but all gave me words of encouragement as they passed as well as every volunteer and police officer so that felt pretty good. At the 1/2 way point I was right at 28 mins (bike portion only) so I knew if I kept this pace, I would finish the bike in under an hour. Up to 12 miles, I averaged a 14.2 mph pace but then got to that final hill which took everything I had to get up it and where my average pace dropped down to 13.8. I still finished in 1:01:00, just 1 min over my goal so I was pretty happy with the bike portion considering I did only one short swim/bike brick during training.

Transition 2

Got a good dismount and no mishaps unclipping...in fact I never really thought about it as it's now become a natural instinct. It was super awkward to jog to my rack with wobbly legs in cycling shoes but I did the best I could. Took off my helmet and swapped my cycling shoes for my running shoes, grabbed my visor and number belt to put on while I was running and off I went. However, as soon as I started running out of transition, my legs started to feel like lead and was already was in pain. Exited transition at 1:14:00 overall time which means both transitions combined couldn't of been more than 3 mins.

Run (5K)

Running is hard enough for me on fresh legs so on fatigued legs...well to be completely honest...it sucks and usually the moment where I ask myself "why am I doing this again?" I've been running 5-10 mins after every bike ride and have done several bricks with up to 1.5 mile runs afterwords but nothing any longer than that. I got off to a good start and was thankful the first 1/2 mile was downhill to allow things to loosen up a bit. I was able to run to the first water station (about 1/2 mile in) where I took my first walk break. I decided then that I was going to run the flats/downhills and walk up the hills. I guess I was averaging a faster pace than I realized because at mile 1, my time was at 1:24:00 and at mile 2, I was at 1:36:00. So the first 2 miles went better than expected and I was hoping for at least another 11-12 min mile but that's when I started to fall apart. [Lesson #3 - Do longer bike/run bricks...as long or longer than the race distance.] My entire lower body felt like it weighed 5 times more than normal and my legs just didn't want to do anymore running. It was all I could do just to walk at that point as my calves and hip flexors are screaming for me to stop but once I saw the mile 3 sign, I just gave it everything I had left to jog the remaining .1 mile to the finish line. Which means the last 1.1 miles was around 20 mins, yikes!

Overall Time and Final Thoughts


1:56:14 (57 out of 61) - Okay so I'm not a fast finisher and there was only about half the number of participants than in year's past. I improved 19 mins over the Greenville Triathlon which was the same distances and finished under my goal time of 2 hours so that's what I'm going to celebrate.

This was a great event and I loved that it was only 18 mins from my house! The spectators cheered for everyone and not just for those that they knew, and the volunteers and police along the course were great with their words of encouragement.

Swim Time (400 meters) - 10:31
Transition #1 - 1:18
Bike (14 miles) 1:01:13
Transition #2 - 0:53
Run (5K) - 42:20
Total Time - 1:56:14