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: 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: 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: 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.