Commence Heat Training: Iron Horse 5K

I hate last minute changes in plans except when they involve adding races!  We'd been planning a trip to my in-law's for Memorial Day weekend for several weeks, but I didn't plan on running the Iron Horse 5K until a few days before the event.  My sister-in-law was running it and her oldest daughter was running the Kids K, Albani wanted to run the 1K as well, and I figured there was no reason for me to go to the race and not run it, since I'd of course be running that morning anyway.

I had a 12 mile relaxed long run on my schedule, so I asked my coach about running the 5K as a tempo effort in the middle of it.  I have a goal race next weekend (June 3), so I didn't want to push too hard; I find I have a hard time gearing up to race all-out two weekends in a row, even if one or both races are short.  I used think I could do this just fine, so I am not sure what's changed, but I sure learned a lesson from stacking the Wash U 10,000 m and the Rock the Parkway half (both races I wanted to PR in, although the weather said "no ma'am" to that in the latter anyhow) back to back earlier this season.  My coach said the tempo plan was fine, but that I might not feel fresh for it coming off of Tuesday's tempo.

I was more enthusiastic before I started running

On race morning, I was so glad I wasn't planning an all-out race or PR attempt, because it was sticky!  It was 75* with 92% humidity, and these conditions are always much harder for me in May than in August.  I'd run in long sleeves twice during the past week (44* and 46*), and aside from a couple of easy 3-4 mile second runs at 70-80* recently, I haven't run in anything over 60ish.  In short, I am not heat adapted yet!  I'm typically a decent heat runner, but I need a couple of weeks to get used to it, and my first runs in it are always a battle (I'm not sure high humidity ever gets easy either!).  It's also ideal to ease into running in the heat with easy efforts, as opposed to running hard or long workouts in it right away.  So I did the logical thing and started with a long run that included a hard effort, hah.

Ugh.

On my warm-up, I knew the race could be a struggle!  During my uptempo warm-up mile, 6:31 felt much harder than it should have; I was thinking "How on earth did I run a marathon averaging faster than this pace?!" and "Am I even going to run this 5K under 20?!".  Originally my tempo plan had been to start at 6:00ish, and then step down to 5:57 and 5:55 for miles 2-3, but as I ran my warm-up I started doing the math on what exactly I needed to run to do an 18:59 (6:06 average is the answer).  I also ran the course and realized it would be difficult to negative split on because of the decline in mile 1 and incline in mile 3.  I timed my warm-up to go pretty much straight into the race so I wouldn't split up my long run mileage, so I drank some nuun and lined up, already drenched in sweat.

Here we go!

Very serious at the start

As usual, many runners started out too fast, and I spent the first half mile or so moving up as everyone sorted out.  After that I found myself behind 5 men, 2 of whom were in tri suits so who were clearly doing the duathlon that was also taking place (5K run/20 mile bike/5K run).  I paced with one for a bit but felt him slowing so moved along.  I passed the other duathlon guy shortly after the 1 mile.  I then leap-frogged with another guy for the remainder of the race; he would go on to out-kick me -- he was 15 years old so there was never any hope for my kick bettering his!  After mile 1 I knew I'd be lucky to keep it at 6:00 pace and would probably not be dipping under.  During mile 3 I found myself wondering, "Exactly how slow can I run this last mile and still be in the 18s?" -- and my estimate was 6:15, which was pretty accurate; usually my math is not that good during races.  I wasn't in the mindset to kill myself during the final mile so I didn't.  I finished in 18:52 (6:03 average), first overall female with three men ahead of me.  Official results are here.  Luckily for my sweat-drenched self, part of my award was an electrolyte replacement drink mix!

Clock shot

Awards

Awards minus the re:play

Since this was a workout race, I was fine with it -- although admittedly I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't even quite match the tempo pace I held for almost twice the distance on Tuesday's 6 mile tempo run.  But I guess that was the difference between 58* and 75*!  I also ran a positive split (5:56, 6:04, 6:09, final bit at 5:44), but I blame the course mostly for that because we dropped 52 ft over a gradual decline going out, and then came back up the incline coming back; it was gradual so deceptive, but I was glad to see it in my Garmin elevation data because I sure felt it in mile 3!  This calculator says in the conditions I had, I should plan to slow from 6:00 tempo pace to 6:10 tempo pace, so that's encouraging and perhaps my effort was more like 5:53 pace (it sure felt more like 5:53 pace!).  It was also another good reminder that my coach puts my schedule together much better than I do; my plan wasn't set up for me to race on this day, and I didn't feel race-ready, but when he has me scheduled for a race I typically feel ready to go.  This doesn't mean I won't add any more last minute races like this (because they are fun!), just that I will add them knowing I won't be at my best for them.

After I finished I drank some more nuun and headed out for what ended up being 5.2 more miles.  I then watched Albani run the Kids K (1 kilometer).  She had a fun time and didn't complain about the weather at all, so I tried to take a lesson from her!  Her race wasn't timed, the finishing clock was on the duathlon, I didn't think to start a watch for her race, and Jon forgot to stop the timer he started, so we are bad parents and have no idea what time she ran.  Luckily all that mattered to her was the finishers medal!  Photos of her race are below -- I also ran out on the course with her to get some shots.

Overall it was a nice event and very well organized.  I've never run it before, and may not have the chance again for awhile, because I typically attend the Applied Behavior Analysis International convention over Memorial Day weekend -- so I'm glad I gave it a go!  I raced a 5K as a tempo within a long run in June 2016 in similar warm and humid conditions (also a pretty similar course), and I did that one in 19:35ish so it's nice to know that my times under similar circumstances have dropped (except I did go to bootcamp the day before this time, I guess in an effort to make sure my legs were totally shot, bahaha!).  I spent 2015 striving to break 19:00 in the 5K and always coming up short -- almost always with 19:0X (and not actually hitting the 18's during a 5K race until a low-key one in October 2016)  -- so that made me thankful for this one too.  I just can't think about how my big dream 5K goal is to run 57 seconds faster (that's a ton in a 5K!)!

 

"I got you 8 miles for your birthday" & a solid tempo

I can't express how much I love our women's training group!  Although we now have men who run with us (less consistently than the women, I will note), I'm still calling us the competitive women's group.  We literally and figuratively run the farm roads (that's what country roads are called in Missouri, e.g., Farm Road 165).

May 25 was Danielle's birthday, so we celebrated by giving her 8 miles, donuts that no one ate, a celebration sign, and some photo ops!  It's truly a party at 5:30 a.m., right?!

Pre-run

Beautiful scenery & it's so light at 6:00 a.m. now!

Post-run in the parking lot where so much magic happens

Photo of a photo op plus pup Macy

On May 23, I ran a 6 mile tempo run.  My goal pace range was 5:57-6:10, and I'm supposed to start at the slower end of the range and get faster as the run progresses...thankfully, because I think know I would crash and burn if I started at 5:57!  I ended up hitting it in 36:03.8 (precisely, hah) via 6:08, 6:09, 6:02, 5:57, 5:55, 5:51 (6:00.6 average, precisely, again, hah).  Last week I ran my 4 mile tempo at 6:01 average, so I felt great about running 2 miles farther at the same pace -- even though the 6 miler was on a nice road course vs. the 4 miler on a dirt loop with some crappy footing, but I'm not bursting my bubble!  Although if you know me at all you also know I was kicking myself for not running 4 seconds faster for a 35:59!  Since I'd started closer to 6:10 I had no idea I'd be so close to breaking 36, but now I have a clear goal for next time.

This was a great confidence boosting run going into the Dam to Dam half marathon on June 3.  My previous best 6 mile tempo (which was the last time I ran a 6 mile tempo) was at 6:09 pace on 12/20/16 -- although I ran an 8 mile tempo at 6:06 pace on 1/3/17, so the final 6 miles of that one would have been faster than 6:09 average (technicalities).  I also looked back at my 6 mile tempo in summer 2016 to find that I ran it at 6:24 average and was really happy with that at the time, so I'm stoked that I improved my pace by 24 seconds/mile in 10 months.  Granted, I'm sure the July 2016 one was in warmer temperatures, but it was about 58* and humid for this one so also not perfect.

Anyhow, the Dam to Dam race comes at an awkward time in my training cycle, so my coach told me to go for a PR there because he knows I want to and it's not unreasonable, but also to not be disappointed if I don't get one because of the timing.  I think a lot of it will come down to the weather too; I don't think I'm dumb enough to try for it if it's 70* and humid, or if we have a headwind on the point-to-point course.  But if the weather is good I'm going all in, and if I crash I crash knowing I tried!  In the final 2 miles of this tempo I pretended like I was running the final 2 miles of Dam to Dam and that I needed to run them at 6:00 pace or under to break 1:21...which is why I probably pushed the last mile too hard, but eh.  My legs were still fine enough for a 7:20 pace cool down and a 7:30 pace shake out run 5 hours later, so I didn't trash them with the push.

My Garmin told me I ran a 5K best of 18:19 during this tempo (the final 5K, clearly), which made me believe that I actually can race an 18:18 5K on a hilly course.  It also re-affirmed that I need a lot of warming up to run decent 5Ks.  I'll get you some day, 17:59 5K (possibly unrealistic).  I'll get you some day, 5:59 pace tempo (more realistic)!

Splits

Best 5K per this Garmin

Bandit warmed up my clothes before the run

Bootcamp

I realized that I mention bootcamp quite a bit, but I've never elaborated much on it.  Running is much more fun to write about!  But the strength and plyometric moves in bootcamp have helped my running quite a bit and help keep me injury-free, so I wanted to write down some details about it.

Each class is different, but every class is some combination of the following moves in various sequences.  I like the unpredictability, and it also keeps the workouts effective for me.  Some days we use heavier weights and do fewer reps, some days it's lighter weights and more reps, and a lot of moves are body weight only (e.g., jumping squats/lunges, push-ups, etc.).

For years I had the goal of strength training on my own, and I went through bouts of consistency with it, but I was never consistent long-term until I started attending a class.  I do much better in this group setting having someone tell me what to do than I do going at it on my own.  It's now part of my Monday and Friday routine (or Monday only, if I have a weekend race), which also makes it easier to continue.  Mondays are my day off running currently (although soon my coach is upping me to running 7 days a week), and on Fridays I have my shortest run of the week.  Some people like to combine strength training with their hard running days so that recovery days are truly about recovery, but this combination has worked well for me and is much easier logistically -- plus, I have three other days each week that are easy runs, as I typically do only two hard runs a week.

I'm listing the names my instructor uses for exercises, most of which I believe are commonly known.  If you want me to elaborate or show examples of anything I can!

• Squat variations
• Standard weighted
• Single leg
• Sumo
• Jumping
• Lunge variations
• Forward
• Lateral
• Backward
• Curtsy
• Around the world
• Jumping
• Walking
• Plank variations
• Standard on elbows or straight arm
• Side
• Side with rotation
• With spider man legs and other leg movements
• With one leg or arm lifted
• Bird dog movements
• Various core
• Walk-outs
• Standing core moves
• Russian twists
• Bicycle
• Leg lifts
• Crunches and crunch variations
• Dead lifts
• Single-leg
• Double-leg
• With arm lift moves at the top of each move
• Wall sits
• Bridges
• Single leg
• Double leg
• Walking legs
• Rows
• Kneeling
• Bent
• High
• Tricep extensions, usually combined with a lower body or core move
• Bicep curls, usually combined with a lower body move
• Push-ups
• Standard
• Tricep
• With one arm wide
• With one leg lifted
• Mountain climbers
• Burpees and squat thrusts
• Butt-kicks
• High knees
• Fast feet
• Skaters
• Tuck jumps
• Jumping jacks
• Figure 8s
• Balance moves
• Work on a BOSU ball
• Work on an exercise ball

There are a few strength moves that we don't really do in bootcamp that I incorporate on my own before class, due to their running specificity and my injury history:

• Step-ups
• Calf raises
• Box jumps

And that's my workout outside of running!  I have some concerns with sticking to it as I increase my mileage over this summer, but my goal is to stay consistent.

Being in the Moment & Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

When I was struggling with not feeling like anything I ran was good enough, my coach encouraged me to focus on my day-to-day training and recovery instead of getting caught up in always thinking about my goal of a 2:45 marathon.  Trust the process and the results will come, right? 

My first thought about that was, "That's ridiculous; that goal is the reason for all of the day-to-day training!"  The more I thought about it, the more I thought about how horrible I can be at being in the moment because I am always thinking long-term -- with running and with everything else in life.  I always find myself thinking a few steps ahead, at times so much so that I miss out on the joy in the present.  I am most certainly a planner!

But at the same time, I love the every day process with running.  I enjoy training every day, or I wouldn't do it -- I'm not a professional after all!  This is a fun, stress relieving hobby.  It's "me" time and my main social time.  It's so many things to me.  Even if I knew today that I'd never run a 2:45 marathon, or even if I knew I'd never run another marathon at all, I'd keep running day-to-day.  I love racing, but I also love my daily running time.

I don't think I'll get to a point where I'm not focusing on CIM often in my training -- if you can't stop thinking about it, don't stop working for it, right?!  But I do think a good take-away for me has been to remember how much I enjoy the every day!  Every run is truly a blessing.

********

As far as getting comfortable being uncomfortable, my tempo pace range is now officially 5:57-6:10.  My range has gradually moved down in the time I've been working with my coach, and this is the first time there has been a 5 at the beginning -- which is both exciting and intimidating.  In general, I am supposed to start tempo runs towards the top of the range and work down.  I had a 4 mile tempo on May 16 to start things off, and I ran it in 24:06 via 6:06, 6:04, 6:01, 5:55 (6:01 average).  I ran it on a half mile dirt loop instead of my usual road tempo course because Missy wanted to run her tempo that morning too.  She had to be at work early, and the dirt loop is much closer to her office than our road tempo route.  I've run tempos on this loop before and loved it, because it's pretty flat and I can get into a rhythm well, but due to all of the recent rain and flooding we've had, parts of the track were very washed out and had horrible footing.  While I was happy with my run and negative split, I also thought I could've hit 5:5X had I been on a road course...I'll get you next time, 5:59 average paced tempo!

Tempos are another good lesson about being in the moment, or being in the mile I'm in.  I very rarely feel great (sometimes not even okay) during the first 1-2 miles of a tempo.  I've had so many longer ones during which I struggled to hit my pace at the beginning, and then finished under pace in the end, that it doesn't throw me mentally anymore (it sure used to).  The first 2 miles of this one were meh, but then I hit my stride on the second half.  I try to focus on the mile I'm running and hitting my pace for it instead of how much total distance I have left.  Tempo pace is definitely comfortably uncomfortable -- it's hard but sustainably hard (unlike speed work repeat paces that do not feel sustainable!).  I hope I am on my way to feeling more and more comfortable at 5:57-6:10.  Last year at this time, my tempo pace range was 6:15-6:25, and in 2015 it was 6:25-6:40, so I am thankful for that progress and plan to keep working!

I complained about the deep gravel and painfully rocky portions of the loop all day after the tempo, and then when I snuck in a quick second run between work and a board meeting that same evening, I ended up running the same dirt loop again in lieu of dealing with 5:30 p.m. traffic near the Y!  Irony. 

Recovering in the moment

Hills & Valleys: Every runner feels this way sometimes

All runners know that running is symbolic of life for many reasons, and both have many ups and downs.  Most moments, in running and in life, are ordinary and normal -- nothing extraordinary, but nothing to complain about.  Because I enjoy running so much, even average normal base runs are typically really enjoyable for me, and I'm thankful that they are part of my normal ordinary life!

Most runners also know that it's physiologically impossible to be at peak all of the time.  You can train and race year-round, but if you really want to net your top performances, you need to choose goal races ("A" races) to target, and train for them using periodization techniques.  You can usually net some other really solid races ("B" races) during your build-ups, but you can't race your best year-round, and the more you race the more you'll need to designate "C" races -- and this concept is hard for me to accept!  I've come to terms with running some races as workouts/"C" races, especially if I want to run several close together, but at the same time I like to think I could jump in a race during any month of the year and be in PR form, even though no one can.

The beginning of 2017 went really well for me, with a half PR in January, a significant marathon PR in February, and a 10K PR on the last day of March.  I was able to hit the half during my marathon build-up without really tapering, then the marathon was my peak, and I got the 10K in off of my marathon fitness (I also had a 12K that went better than it should have 2 weeks after my marathon).  I am very thankful for all of this, but at the same time I'm a little greedy and would like to keep riding that fitness and building to bigger and better.  This spark is probably a good and a bad thing rolled into one.

April into May has been kind of mundane for me.  I'm not running badly by any means, and I am also very thankful I'm healthy, but I just haven't done anything I view as spectacular.  The Rock the Parkway half was fine, but it wasn't fantastic, and I've had plenty of workouts that I've hit but nothing I feel like I've really nailed.  Bronchitis stole my strength for awhile, and I think that's a big part of why I'm not feeling confident and strong right now.

I aim to be positive about running and life, but at the same time I want to be real and honest.  Basically, I'm not feeling very fit or fast right now.  I'm not running poorly, but I'm not having break-through performances, and I'm not feeling as peppy on my runs as I was a couple of months ago.  Combine that with my Never Satisfied Syndrome and with me being someone who is hard on herself, and it's not the best combination.

Some of this has to be a mental drag, because even though I'm not at peak I've had some solid workouts - a fartlek PR and a hill repeat best (both of which I mentioned here).  Some of my base runs have been sneaking in under 7:00 pace, which technically is a break-through.  I ran a maybe PR 5K on a tough course, but I just didn't feel like it was good enough. 

I'm getting caught up in it all not being good enough somehow.  Like, sure, that workout was fine and I hit my times, but I'd better be able to do that if I want to even think about training for a 2:45 marathon.  I should be able to run a much faster 5K than that if I want to run a 2:45 in December.  6:50 pace had better be easy.  Perhaps what's happened is that I've come to expect these things instead of celebrating them.  Instead of thinking, "Yay, I've never done that before" as I was a few months ago, I'm thinking, "I should be able to do that" or, worse yet, "I need to be better than that."

So I am working on giving myself some more credit and compassion; on being as kind to myself as I would be to someone else; on trusting the long-term process.  Not every day is going to be a break through.  Not every day is going to feel perfect.  But that's running, and that's life!  I'm human, but I'm a perfectionist, and those two things just don't jive.  I don't want my best to never be good enough; I want to celebrate each step!  I want to run joyfully, whether I'm running fast or slow!  I'll get my groove back, but in case you've felt this way please know you're not alone.

Running has its ups and downs, but it's important to remember that neither will last forever.

Illustration of my 2017

Addendum:  I wrote this post on May 9, but didn't publish it that day because I'd already posted about Breaking2 that day.  On May 10, I killed my mile repeat workout, averaging 5:40 (via 5:39, 5:42, 5:44, 5:37) for 4 x 1 mile road repeats.  For the first time in 6 weeks, I nailed a run AND felt really fantastic doing it!  I needed that; it was almost like it lifted a weight off my shoulders that I'd been carrying around for several weeks.  I had a guy pal to run with, and I'd forgotten how much having someone along helps on these type of workouts, plus it was just a wonderful day.  This was a huge mile repeat personal best for me, and I think many things contributed, but one was writing this post.  I was no longer afraid of what my body would or wouldn't have to give; I went out there ready to do my best, to celebrate, and to run joyously!  Never discount the mental aspect of running.

I really needed this.

Breaking2

Like most of the running world (and even much of the non-running world!), I was intrigued by Nike's Breaking2 project.  It's hard to fathom anyone running 4:34 pace for 26.2 miles straight -- most people, myself included, can't even run 1 mile anywhere near that pace!  Watching history being made with Kipchoge's near-miss of 2:00:25 was pretty inspiring.  Many complained that it wasn't a "real race," but it wasn't supposed to be.  It was a time trial under optimal conditions to see if the barrier could be broken (and to sell some Nike products).

My favorite take-away was:  Challenge your limits.  Breaking 4 minutes in the mile was something that for years no one had done and many thought impossible, but now over 2,000 people have done it!  Will the 2 hour barrier in the marathon be this way some day?  A 26 second miss -- 1 measly second per mile -- indicates that a sub-2:00 is coming under optimal conditions.  It seems that it's only a matter of time before the barrier is broken on a record legal course.

Although Nike had many scientists involved in this project, plus years of research and work poured into it, I have opinions on what they should have done differently based on...my opinion (hah!):

• Negative split.  It's the only way to run a marathon (in my opinion, but I know this opinion is correct!), and stats on our current world records support it.  Kipchoge was ahead of pace at the 10K and half.  His first 10K should have been his slowest, followed by a first half of maybe 60:19 and a second half of 59:40.  He barely fell off pace at the end, and I think with a slightly slower start he wouldn't have fallen off at all.  I once read that for every 5 seconds/mile you go out too fast in a marathon, you lose at least 10-15 seconds/mile at the end, and I believe this 100%. 
• Run a point-to-point course.  I always always lose rhythm turning, and they ran 17 laps.  Even though they said the turns were gradual, that's a lot of turning and also opportunities to miss tangents!  I noticed they were not hugging the inside line at all times due to the position in the arrowhead drafting formation.  When running point-to-point, you can just laser focus ahead and run, and you don't have to worry about hitting tangents.
• Make that a course with gentle net downhill.  It's not record-legal anyway, so why not run a gentle downhill?  In my opinion, courses like the Revel races are quad pounders/injuries waiting to happen, but a marathon course with a drop of maybe 600-800 feet seems, well, like common sense if you're trying to get every advantage you can.  It's one of the reasons why I'm going to CIM for my next marathon (it has almost 500 feet net drop; about the most allowable for an OTQ).
• Run it on a day with tailwind.  That point-to-point downhill course can only be improved with a tailwind!  Again, it's not record-legal anyway so why not?!
• Run it in 40* degree weather.  54* seemed too warm to me, and I can't believe Kipchoge ran in arm warmers or even a singlet (this has to be because Nike made him).  That would have been a sports bra marathon for me!
• Make the pace car perfect.  Surely with today's technology, a car could be programmed to hit splits exactly as intended, helping with the negative split issue.

Since watching the event with my husband, I've taken to telling him that I'm embarking on the Breaking2:45 Project.  We'll see how many times I can use that phrase between now and December (spoiler:  people may tire of it)!  I am also dying to have a pace car drive my exact intended pace with a light beam that I can just follow, but since that seems unlikely I hope I can tuck in at the back of the pace pack at CIM, and perhaps they'll run in an arrow formation.

In case you missed it, you can watch the full Breaking2 event here.

Challenge your limits!

Bradleyville 5K: When certifications expire & 5Ks become less terrifying

I ran my first 5K of 2017 on May 6!  5Ks scare me more than marathons.  A marathon is comfortable at the beginning, but a 5K is hard from the first step!  I ran the Bradleyville Scholarship Run last year, so I also knew that the first half mile was all uphill, making this race even more intimidating than a normal 5K.  It's not a course you go to run fast on; it's a race you go to for prize money.  My daughter was really excited about running the kids mile, which she also ran last year; this puzzled me because her race was essentially a half mile uphill, a 180* turn, then a half mile downhill, but I tried to take a lesson from her and not fear the hill.

Pre-race!

I've been gradually getting back to feeling normal following a bout of bronchitis, and a track workout on May 2 showed me that I was getting there but not quite.  My main goal for the race was to net 2nd overall female (knowing a female I had no chance of beating was also racing), without worrying about my time.  This situation waivered a bit when I was laying in bed the night before the race and told Jon, "Maybe I can run an 18:20 at Bradleyville" (based on the 19:16 I'd run there in 2016 coming off an injury); Jon dismissed this and advised that I should just go for 2nd and 18:59.  The course is one to run by effort, because it's hilly the whole way (about 140 feet of gain); also in 2016 my Garmin had some issues in the remote location so I decided not to use it to pace.  Going by feel in a 5K is a scary and liberating feeling all at once, and I've learned that I tend to do better that way anyhow.

Elevation estimate

After the gun went off, I was quickly in second overall female position.  Initially there were many men around me, but as we pulled up on the 1 mile mark, I'd passed most of them and could see the runners ahead of me were (in order): a fast-looking guy, my coach, my coach's wife Kimi, a guy in a white singlet, and a guy who'd asked me at the start if I was going to "win again this year" (I redirected him to Kimi being last year's winner, and stated that she would win again this year but I was going to give it my all for 2nd!).  I caught and passed the starting line conversation guy shortly after the mile (course mile split of 5:54ish), then set my sights on white singlet guy, who wasn't that far ahead but seemed to be running strong.

Although this course is challenging elevation-wise, one thing I really like about it is that it's straight out and back.  That means no turning aside from a hair-pin turn at the halfway point, and I always run much better without turns; I seem to lose rhythm every time I turn and prefer to laser focus ahead.  After the turn-around, I continued to press towards white singlet guy the best I could, telling myself that he was going to run an 18:20 so I needed to stay on him or pass him.  I knew I had a solid 2nd from gauging the other females after the turn-around, so my main motivation was to get to the line as fast as I could.  We passed the course 2 mile in about 11:45.

We started passing 1 mile walkers in the last half mile of the race, and they were quite thick in places.  Running right behind white singlet guy was very helpful at that point, because he basically cleared a path for me and I didn't feel like I had to weave more than a couple of minor movements.  The plus side of that first half mile uphill is that you get to finish with a half mile downhill!  I kept telling myself just to stay on white singlet guy.  In the end, he finished 3rd overall male in 18:18.0, while I was 2nd overall female in 18:18.6.  The finishing clock was of no help with knowing this information (see photo below; the inflatable finish banner also didn't hold up, but you can see the beautiful Ozarks backdrop)!

10:32??

After doubling over from 5K pain for a moment, I found Albani and Jon to find out that she ran a 10:57 mile, off her last year's time of 10:03 but a solid effort (she's on the minimalist plan of weekly mileage of 2-3 miles a week for only a month).  I think the difference was that last year Jon ran with her to pace her, while this year she wanted to run alone and probably started out too fast with all of the other kids.  The mile started at the same time as my race so I didn't get to see her run, but Jon got some great pictures of her and the beautiful Ozarks backdrop!  She enjoyed her run (and her post-race soda!), and I love seeing her have fun running.  She was disappointed that she didn't win a trophy, but she also did not want mine. 

Perfect form!

Coming down the mountain

Pain cave face

Finishing shot

Technically, 18:18 is a 5K PR for me, bettering my previous PR of 18:25.  After the race, a few people were mentioning that they thought the course was a bit short.  Both this year and last, my Garmin hasn't seemed to pick up satellites very well out in the boondocks, so I didn't use it for pace (I used it as a stopwatch and took course splits).  I had data on it, but didn't think it was accurate.  Also, consistent with my Certified in '17 campaign, I thought the course was certified, and in fact I knew it had been because I'd looked it up on the USAT&F website before.  I had no cell phone service at the race or for most of the drive back, but as soon as we got back to civilization I pulled up the USAT&F website to double check the certification.  I came up with the certification map below, and the information that the certification was "expired."  This is the course we ran, so as long as the start/finish and turn-around were placed in the correct spots (the turn-around was spray painted on the road, so you'd think it was carried over from year to year), we ran an accurate course; but I was all kinds of second guessing myself and also disliked not having accurate Garmin data to base my conclusion off of.

Certification expired.

I basically came to the conclusion that I am going to strive to run a faster 5K this summer so that it doesn't even matter!  I don't really "claim" my 5K PR anyway since it's my weakest PR; although there is no doubt the 5K is my weakest distance, I'd be lying if I said I didn't really want to better my times in it!

Overall, I'm satisfied with this race and my effort.  I ran 58 seconds faster than I ran last year.  The first half mile uphill didn't seem quite as bad this time around, probably because I'm in better shape now.  I don't think I'll ever run the best 5K I can, because I don't think I'll ever train specifically for the 5K, but instead just try to ride on my half and full marathon fitness to gut them out.  Perhaps the best part of the day was that the race really wasn't as scary as I'd hyped it up in my head to be.  5Ks are tough, but so am I.  Plus, marathon pace should feel slow after running sub-6:00 pace, right?!!

Awards

Afterward we went to "Sucker Days" (a real thing) in Nixa!  Albani did all of the kids activities wearing her race number, which I loved.

Cuteness

Saga of the sunglasses

I got these sunglasses from a race as a give-away many (10+?) years ago -- long enough ago that I don't even remember what race.  I started racing in them because they were cheapo shades that I could throw off at any point if they annoyed me, without blinking an eye about it.  However, they then become invaluable to me!

They may be cheapo shades, but they are the most comfortable sunglasses I've ever found.  They stay in place and don't bounce or slide.  The ear pieces don't rub.  They aren't too dark or too light.  They're perfect!  I don't care that they look like cheapo shades.  I've worn them through many marathons!

When I was running Yassos before the Mesa-Phoenix marathon, I set these sunglasses by my nuun bottle by the side of the track.  I started the workout just as the sun was coming up and didn't need sunglasses initially, but I knew I would likely need them at some point.  I scooped them up on a recovery jog without stopping, and noticed they were pretty dirty upon putting them on.  So while still running, I wiped them off on my shirt and in the process the frame broke in one spot and the lens popped out and fell onto the track.  I was devastated, and dropped them back by the side of the track, sans one lens, before starting my next repeat.  Then on the next recovery I scooped up the lens that popped out from the track.  In a stroke of genius, I slipped it inside of my gloves that I was shedding and dropped the package by the side of the track, determined that I was going to repair the sunglasses.

And I did!  It just took a little superglue and a little effort.  They lasted through Rock the Parkway, where they got a bit fracture again, and are now barely hanging on.  I'm considering giving up attempting to fix them again, and I bought another pair of running sunglasses that seem to be working okay.  My poor, poor cheapo shades.

Do you have any running gear you don't want to let go of like this?

Racing successfully after traveling isn't impossible!

My friend Liz suggested here that I write a post about how I handle traveling to races, and it took me a bit to figure out exactly what to write.  Prior to two successful racing trips to Phoenix in 2017 for a half marathon and a full marathon, I had three occasions where I felt like traveling to the race contributed to disappointing results.  I learned from my mistakes in those and feel like I have a good formula now!

Lessons learned from the Dallas Marathon 2015:

• Arrive 2 days prior to the event.  This isn't practical for all races, but for goal races and particularly for marathons, I highly recommend it.   For this one, we made the 7-hour (turned 8.5 hours due to a traffic jam) drive to Dallas on Saturday, with time to check into our hotel, pick up our packets, and eat dinner before it was bedtime before race morning on Sunday.  I think this is even more important if you're flying, as illustrated by my issues with a late flight and missing rental car prior to the Phoenix marathon.
• Do your final shake out run at your race location.  After sitting in a car or on a plane for hours, loosening up is key.  This is also much easier to do if you arrive 2 days before the event!

Lessons Learned from the Easter Sun Run 2016 and the River Run 10K 2016:

• Don't ignore cumulative fatigue.  Although these races were only a 4.5-5 hour drive away from me (near where my parents live), I went into both of them tired and without any taper, and traveling was probably the nail in the coffin.  If you're going to travel for a race, even if it's not a goal race, it's probably best not to train through it.  I can get away with one "tired" strike against me; I can pull off a decent performance with one of the following "issues", but not with multiple:  traveling to the event, training through the event, sleep deprivation, travel and/or a hard work week (or both) leading up to the event.
• Keep with your normal routine pre-travel.  Obviously, traveling to the race is going to change your typical routine, but if you go into that change already frazzled, it's going to make things worse.  This is related to the not ignoring cumulative fatigue strategy.  I believe part of the reason I suffered so much in the River Run 10K was because I'd been out of my usual routine for several days prior to the race, on a work trip to Chicago.  My overall schedule was all out of whack on the trip (including eating and sleeping), and before I could bounce back I was traveling to the race.  That was too much!

 Other Helpful Hints:

• Compression socks.  Wear them while in the car and/or plane, and any other time really.
• Loosen up during travel!  If you're on a flight, get up and go to the bathroom and stay up for awhile if you can (I've found I can "accidentally" get blocked by the drink cart in the aisle and "have to" wait it out standing up).  The people sitting by you will just have to deal with it!  If you're driving, stop every 2 hours at minimum and walk around.  You don't want tight hip flexors!
• Travel size foam roller.  I've generally toted my regular foam roller to races that we drove to, but when we were in Phoenix for the marathon I bought a short one that fit in my suitcase (actually Jon's suitcase; I didn't have as much extra room!) that I can fly with.  It was $25 very well spent!
• Pack food.  Unless you're really good at this, you're going to eat out some while traveling, but I try to have plenty of familiar snacks with me at all times (always bring extra, because the best way to assure that the rest of your family wants healthy snacks they usually don't favor is to pack only enough for yourself).  This ensures I'm eating enough and that it's healthy fare!  I've packed sweet potatoes to microwave for part of my pre-race meal too; make sure you take these and any other produce out of your suitcase when you go through security if you're flying, or they will get flagged by TSA!
• White noise.  If you're like me and have trouble sleeping with any noise, and especially unfamiliar noises, this is a lifesaver.  I downloaded an app on my phone and sleep with "air conditioner" white noise playing right by my pillow, in addition to using ear plugs.  Just make sure you plug your phone into the charger if you do this, as it drains the battery and you don't want to miss your pre-race alarm on your phone!
• Stay on your schedule/routine as much as possible during travel.  This is not the time to change things up, although it's really hard not to!  Try to go to bed at your normal time, but at the same time don't stress about it if you don't make it (due to travel snafus, I was up until 1:00 a.m. Phoenix time, which is 2:00 a.m. Missouri time, two days prior to the Phoenix Marathon...that was extreme considering I usually go to bed around 9:00 p.m.!).  Try to eat at your normal times and to eat familiar foods that you know agree with you (I save the Indian buffet until after the race!).  Do your shake out run at your normal running time, and just do as much as you can that you're used to.  Our bodies definitely get used to what they do day after day.  Use common sense and don't do a ton of sight-seeing before the race; I find I can get away with quite a bit because I'm used to being on my feet all day at work, but try to keep it comparable to what you do every day.
• Don't stress about what you can't control.  This is very hard for me, but there are so many variables about race day and traveling that are simply completely out of our hands, such as the weather, flight schedules, traffic jams, etc.  Remember that you've been training, sleeping, and eating well for months during your training block, and that a day or two of unexpected events isn't going to break your race.  Control what you can and accept the rest.  The weather will certainly influence your performance; however, no amount of worry about it is going to change anything, so roll with it the best you can and remember that everyone else has to deal with the same conditions

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, have a blast!  I think it's a fact that you perform better with a smile on your face, whatever your location may be.

One additional related tidbit that I learned this week:  Don't run too many out-of-town races in a row.  I got hit with bronchitis this week after running 4 out-of-town races in 3 weekends, and they were only drives of 3.25 hours, 3 hours, and 4.75 hours.  It wasn't only the racing that did me in, as we did a lot of other family activities on all of those trips, I didn't get enough sleep, and I also worked busy weeks between them, but all of that together proved to be too much for me.  I'm annoyed at myself for pushing it, but I'll learn from it and be more conservative next time!

Note on the photo below:  I pride myself in never buying "extras" at races or from races, but they got me with this one!

Successful race after traveling

Easter Sun Run races: It seemed like a good idea at the time!

The short:

I thought it would be *fun* to race a 10K that started at 8:30 a.m. followed by a 2 mile that started at 10:00 a.m. -- and it was, after some second thoughts between the events!  My hope for the races was that I'd be able to run them at less than all-out efforts, in the midst of 6 weeks of heavy racing, and still win.  The reality turned out to be that I couldn't have come close to winning them even running all-out, but I netted easy 2nd overall female finishes in each race and was able to use them as a workout and take home some cash.  I averaged 6:16 pace for the "10K" and 6:02 pace for the "2 mile."  Since the wind was 30 mph, the temperature was 66-70*, I had a cold, and both courses were off (I unknowingly violated my Certified in '17 pledge, already), I was so thankful that these were not goal races.  I was also so thankful that I chose the Wash U Distance Carnival 10,000 m over the KT Woodman 10,000 m on April 14, because I had ideal weather for my goal 10K on the track, and the weather in Wichita for KT Woodman was not good!  God delights in the details of our lives -- even running -- and I thank Him for all of this, and for the true reason to celebrate Easter.

We celebrate because He lives!

The long:

I originally planned to run the 10,000 m in the KT Woodman track meet at Wichita State on April 14 while visiting my parents for Easter, but to make a long story short, my husband talked me into doing the Easter Sun Run 10K and 2 mile races on April 15 instead, since they offered prize money.  As race-day loomed and I came down with a sore throat and saw the warm and windy forecast, I was very happy that he'd convinced me to make this change to my spring schedule -- April 14 would not have been a good PR-attempt day! 

There is a reason that professionals don't race every weekend; you can't perform at your best in every race when racing that frequently, especially in longer events.  When I stacked my April schedule, I also told my coach which races I was okay with doing as workouts, and this was a workout one.  I planned to run the 10K at about half marathon pace ("long tempo pace"), and then the 2 mile at around 6:00 pace ("short tempo pace"), depending on how I felt and what my competition was like.  Based on past year's times, there was a chance I could win both races with this pace plan.  But, like all plans based on your competition, it all depends on who shows up, and you never know how things will pan out until the race is happening!  I knew I would have to gauge my strategy when the race started, and also that I would not go out any faster than 6:05 in the 10K no matter what.

Best starting line photo ever; 1st female on my left hand side

Both Jon and Albani were quick to point out a lady who looked fast on the starting line of the 10K.  Albani said, "Just try to get second behind the Kenyan, Mama", which made me laugh at yet another thing she said that sounded like Jon (she says exact phrases of his all.the.time.).  But after the gun it quickly became clear that Albani's plan would be my goal; the fast-looking female shot out at a pace I knew I couldn't match even if I went for a 10K PR.  I settled in around my half pace as planned, and after things sorted out, before the mile mark, that put me in second female overall.

I generally have an easy time finding and sitting at half pace, so I just settled in without needing my watch.  I was completely alone in the race after about 1.5 miles, aside from passing a young man around mile 3, who I encouraged to come with me (he did for 200 m or so).  Jon and my dad were out on the course in a spot the race looped by three times, and Jon told me that I had a solid second and could just relax each time I passed them.  I thought, "well, I might as well slow down to 6:30 pace, this wind sucks," and I would think I'd eased up but still be around 6:15 when my watch beeped.  The course mile markers were all over the place, with the 1 mile coming when my Garmin was at 0.9, the 2 mile coming at 2.2, etc. so I disregarded them.  Jon later told me that one race official came running over to another saying, "If you have them follow those cones around that way, it's going to be long."

When we came around mile 4, I noticed that we were turning a different way than the course had turned last year, but there were a lot of cones in the area so I asked the volunteer "Which way?" to ensure I was following the correct path.  We did an extra loop that we had not run last year; I knew exactly the "around that way" the race official was talking about when Jon told me the story above.

Around mile 5

I saw Jon and my dad for the last time around mile 5, and Jon told me, "You can go as slow as you want on the last mile", which was a slight exaggeration but nice to know.  I was in a rhythm and wanted a solid tempo effort, so continued on but didn't push all-out.  I knew that 6:15 pace was a high 38, so I was surprised when I saw the finishing clock in the high 39's as I was coming in.  I then realized that it was the extra loop!  I thought the course was certified, because in 2016 it was and it also read at 6.18 on my conservative Garmin last year (side note: I completely bombed this race last year).  Afterwards I looked at the website to see that it was not noted as certified this year, and then I looked at my Garmin maps from both years to confirm that we did run farther "around that way" this time.  So I already screwed up my Certified in '17 campaign, but we will just say I took Jon's exception for a prize money race!  My official time was 39:48, which was a bummer because it's not a strong time for my running club's Runner of the Year competition, but at the same time I'm just thankful it wasn't a goal race or a day I'd have run a PR.  A fast male won, then the fast female (a WSU alum now living in Iowa) with another male right on her tail (3 minutes ahead of me and why I couldn't see anyone), then me in 4th overall/2nd female overall.

After the race I ate some fruit, drank some nuun energy, and hustled over to watch Albani do the kids' Easter egg hunt.  Then I started running an easy cool-down/warm-up.  I got a horrible side stitch running it, and had to stop and walk when I was running 8:30 pace!  I told my family that I wasn't even going to run the 2 mile if I kept having the cramp.  It went away, then came back again.  I was able to finish my 2 mile jog between races but only with walk breaks!  In the end I decided to line up for the 2 mile since I was entered, and just use it as a cool-down if I still had the cramp, since I needed the mileage anyhow.

Creepy bunny at the egg hunt

I saw the gal who'd won the 10K lined up for the 2 mile, so my goal was to either to get 2nd or to have a nice cool-down if I cramped again.  There were a lot of kids in the race who started out super fast, so most of the first mile was spent passing them.  Luckily, my side ache did not come back and I was able to pursue 2nd.  There were young girls ahead of me for the first mile, but I moved into 2nd shortly after the mile mark and felt fine enough.  I wasn't too surprised when my Garmin beeped 2 miles quite a bit out from the finish line, but again was disappointed my official time of 12:39 wouldn't be helpful for the Runner of the Year competition (Garmin splits at 6:02 average).  I was again 2nd female, with 4 men in front of me.

What I learned/was reminded of from these races:

• This race is a really fun family event, with the Easter egg hunt, face-painting, playground equipment, and a BBQ for runners and spectators afterward.  My family really enjoyed it and Albani got a bounty of Easter candy!
• I will never use this 10K as a goal race (nor would I use this 2 mile as a goal race, but I don't think I'd ever have any 2 mile as a goal race).
• Wichita is always windy.
• The first races of the season at 66-70* are a challenge, but I'm ready to get heat-adapted.
• Aside from the physical factors involved in racing often, it's also hard to gear up for races week after week.  I was so thankful I wasn't planning to race these all-out, because I just don't think I could have done it mentally or physically.
• 4 out-of-town races in 3 weeks was a bit too much and most likely why I got sick.
• I need to figure out how I compromise my form in the wind and end up with side cramps, because that seems to be when they happen.
• I love the race environment no matter what!  I greatly enjoyed the morning even though I wasn't hyped up about it!

Double the racing, double the envelopes

I'm glad I did the events, I'm thankful I won some cash, and I'm glad I did them the way I did.  I got yet another side ache on my cool-down that made me stop and walk (what?!).  I blame this on being a bit sick and also the wind, as the only times I've gotten side cramps have been running in windy conditions or when I'm "off" from being sick or depleted.  After the race I got more sick, with a full-blown sore throat, congestion, etc., but with the help of rest and nasal wash I seem to be in the mend.

On one hand, I was happy that 6:16 average pace felt brisk but relaxed for a 10K even in the conditions I had, but then I started thinking -- that's actually my goal marathon pace for December (6:17 is 2:44:5X).  Yikes!!!  I have work to do!

I ran a recovery run with my friend Kim who lives in Wichita on Sunday, and she said that the timing company who did the race has been making all of the races that they do long -- which makes no sense to me, but she said she's run a handful done by them that were long.  Noted!  And back to Certified in '17 and better double-checking on that status!

We went on to have a very blessed Easter with family!  A belated happy Easter to those reading this!

"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His Wounds we are healed." -- Isaiah 53:5

Adorable face painting at the race

The impossible task of getting a good family photo

The annual Major Easter egg hunt