Jack is Back 30k

One of my friends won a free entry for the Jack is Back 15k/30k race but wasn't able to run it. I didn't think I really had the itch to race again in 2023, but a free entry to a low-key event sounded perfect, so she gave me her free entry to register for the 30k. I've never raced a 30k, so knew finishing would yield an automatic PR - and a state record for age 43, since the state records for the 30k are weak because it's a rarely run distance. I've been keeping my long runs relatively short since Bass Pro, so running 18.6 miles was a bit of a stretch, but Bass Pro was just 6 weeks before this race so I figured my legs hadn't completely forgotten how to run for over 2 hours.

The race was on a rails-to-trails trail, and I have learned these type of trails can be anywhere from immaculately maintained like Tobacco Road to rough single track like the northern part of Frisco. This one was somewhere in between, but we'd gotten a lot of rain leading up to the race so it was muddy! I didn't realize this would be a factor until I was at the race, when it was too late to turn back or wear my trail shoes that I'd left at home.

The race was a pretty small event, and my goal was to win overall female without running too hard. I eased into it for the first 3 miles, then got into a groove and ran really even. I never looked at my watch during the race, and afterward before I looked at my Garmin I told Jon I thought I averaged around 7:15 pace; my watch then confirmed 7:18, so I have a good gauge on my effort! My splits are here.

I was with a few men for the first couple of miles, then pulled ahead of them. I was in first female and there were 5 men ahead of me, but I didn't know who was in which race distance. The 15k ran out and back once, and the 30k ran out and back twice. The first 4.65 miles out were pretty uneventful, then once we turned back I enjoyed the race more because I got to see everyone else. I was also gaining on the man ahead of me, so that gave me something to focus on for the first back. I passed him around mile 8.

I started the race in arm warmers and gloves, because the wind chill was 37* and since I didn't plan to run all-out I thought I'd be chilly. The first out was into the wind and I was comfortable, but when we turned around I got hot and took my arm warmers off. They got annoying flapping around while tucked under a sports bra strap, but it gave me a reason to look forward to the turn around where I planned to drop them. I tucked my first gel wrapper inside of them so I could get rid of it along with the arm warmers. As I neared the turn around I decided I'd toss my gloves off as well.

As I neared the halfway point, the men who had been in 3rd and 4th when both races were together came back starting their second out, so I learned that the two fastest men had been in the 15k and I was 3rd overall in the 30k. I also saw the large lead I had on the next woman, who turned out to be in the 15k anyway. The race had an option to compete in both the 15k and 30k distances, with your halfway split being your 15k race time, and so at that point I wished I'd have signed up for that with my free entry - my rationale for not doing that was because I didn't want to race a 15k and then death march another 15k if there was someone faster in the 15k. After the race I saw that the girl who won the 15k was 14 years old, so I am sure the win meant more to her than it would have to me, so in the end I was glad I just did the 30k!

I dropped my arm sleeves and gloves at halfway, then turned back out for my second tour of the course. The spectators around the finish line cheered and someone joked, "Show off" when I turned around instead of finishing. Heading back out on the course I got to see everyone coming back in. I was also able to see that I was gaining on the man in second, so I decided I'd try to slowly reel him in. We were going back into the wind and I wished I'd have kept my gloves on.

When I was about a mile into my second out, a teenage boy who was running in the opposite way desperately asked, "Am I almost there??" I told him he was close, "about a mile left", then realized that probably didn't feel too close to him. 9.3 miles is a long way when you're 14! 

All of the course marshals told me I was first female each time I passed, which was fun. Many of the runners going the opposite direction did too! It was fun seeing the enthusiastic aid station volunteers multiple times, and that helped break up the distance.

I ended up catching the second place man just before the final hair-pin turn, which was about 14 miles in. After passing him I was just ready to be done. I have only been running 12-14 mile long runs since Bass Pro, so 18.6 miles felt a little farther than it usually does - plus I can't even tell you the last time I ran that far alone. I had a great runners high going, but it was pretty lonely out there! Like Frisco, the trail also felt uphill (incline) both ways, and the wet ground wasn't doing me any favors.

When I finished, many people told me how impressed they were with my huge lead and how fast I ran for 18.6 miles. I have decided I really like low-key races that I can win without going all-out! Although I didn't race race, 18.6 miles moderate is still a hard day, and I do 100% of my training on roads, so I ended up feeling quite beat up from this race! Running on gravel and through mud uses some different muscles.

Before the race they'd announced that the overall awards hadn't come in and would be shipped when they did. They said it's a personalized brick so I am interested to see what it looks like! I didn't stay for the awards ceremony because it was outside after all 30k finishers were in and I was freezing standing around, but I believe I will also get awards for setting a new state record for age 43 and for being the top age-graded female time in the 30k. I told the race director I'd get my awards from him the next time I saw him so he didn't have to mail them - a brick cannot be cheap to mail, lol.

My state record is here.

Race results are here.

This picture is from Bass Pro last month, but I
found it on Jon's phone on the drive home from
Jack is Back & love it

Bass Pro

The short:

I got 5th overall female in my 5th Bass Pro Marathon! I'm also getting old so I was the female masters champion. I registered for this race back in February, before I knew that October was going to try to kill me. The race doesn't do transfers or deferrals and is 20 minutes from my house, so I decided to start it with a training buddy and drop out if I needed to. Though I sure felt my post-COVID lack of reserves in the final miles, I got it done in 3:07:45. It was my slowest Bass Pro, though not by much - I won the race with a 3:06:57 in 2015 - and while I think it went about as well as it could have all-considering, I was sad not to nab an overall podium spot this year. I imagine I'll be back next year, ideally without the post-COVID/post-car accident training plan.

Results are here.

My Strava activity is here.

Miles from Mentor pre-race photo, missing a few

The long:

I love my hometown race. I don't like huge marathons, I love sleeping in my own bed and eating at home before the race, I love seeing the Springfield running community, and I love running an event with almost everyone I train with. My running buddies laughed at me (and said I'm the only one in the world who would say this) when I said I like Bass Pro far better than Chicago, but it's true! I'm not sure if anyone who doesn't live here would like this race, and if you like big marathons it is definitely not for you, but I get a bigger high out of this one than I get elsewhere.

Four weeks before this race I ran Chicago. That was in the plan. Also 3-4 weeks before this race I had COVID, and 2 weeks before this race I got into a pretty bad car accident. Those were not planned. As you can imagine, my body was a bit wrecked from those events and my mind was pretty wrecked from dealing with the other driver's insurance and searching for a new car, so I wasn't sure if I was up for running Bass Pro after all. But I'd entered back in February, so I decided I'd run with my training buddy Sally for as long as I could and then drop out; I'd be running that day anyway, after all. Two weeks before the race I thought I would for sure drop out, a week before I thought probably, but as the race got closer and I continued to regain strength I started thinking that maybe I could run the whole thing. Sally was ready to run 7:00-7:10, and I started reasoning that since I ran that pace in Chicago with the beginnings of COVID, I could probably manage it with some after-effects of COVID. There are calculators on how to adjust paces for temperature, humidity, and elevation, but not for post-COVID - but I now have some thoughts, hah.

In Chicago, I wasn't excited about the race; I was just tired. Before this race, I got very excited! It was so nice to feel like my pre-race self again! I loved going to the expo and the thrill of race morning with friends. Pre-race is always fun, relaxed, and stress-free here. I'm with friends I train with every day and I'm parked 100 m from the starting line.

Memorize these turns...

Expo (notice I look short in this group)

The front of the Bass Pro field is variable year-to-year. I've won the women's race with a 3:03 and 3:06, I've placed 2nd with a 2:54, and I've taken 3rd with a 2:59. On this year's starting line I spotted a fast-looking Kenyan woman wearing a full marathon bib, showing it was likely I wouldn't be competing for the win even if I was 100%. Sally also knew a woman from Columbia who would likely run 3:0x, and then you never know who else will show up! Plus, Sally was very fit so I knew there was a good chance she'd outlast me. I aimed to focus on going out conservatively and helping Sally as much as I could. My friend Michelle was running the half and also wanted to do about the pace we were doing, so we planned to run with her as well.

Starting line selfie

From the start, we settled into pace and I kept thinking about how much better I felt than in Chicago! In Chicago, I knew that something was off from mile 1, but this mile 1 felt effortless and exciting, as the first mile of a marathon should. Sally felt fantastic as well. The weather was warmer than we'd have liked, at over 50* at the start and mid-60s by the finish, but we took confidence that we'd trained in much worse all summer.

The first 10 miles flew by, and Sally, Michelle, and I ran stride for stride. The course has a lot of turns and I told them what was coming so we could stick to the tangents as closely as possible. We saw many friends and loved ones along the course, and it's always fun to be cheered for by name frequently! We stayed steady and passed people who'd gone out too quick, including the 1:45 half pacer (!!!). We stayed pretty much right at 7:00 pace, with some variations for elevation. This course has about 900 ft of elevation gain, so it's not going to be metronome clockwork - though I bet my GAP was for most of the race. When the half and full courses split at about mile 10.5, I cheered Michelle off with enthusiasm while Sally and I pressed on in the other direction. My husband told us we were in 5th female position at that point, which surprised me. I knew there were 2 in front of us in the full but hadn't known there were 4, and we were on about 3:04 pace, which I thought would be worth a podium spot.

Mile 9ish (notice I look tall in this group!)

Miles 12-17 of the course are the hilliest, but Sally and I both felt great and I reasoned that it would be a good break for the legs to work a little differently. I told her not to worry if our pace slowed a bit through that section. In hindsight, I think we should have slowed a little, but we didn't. This was partially my fault because I saw what I thought was a sports bra not far ahead of us and started working to reel her in. Once we were closer, I could tell it was actually a man in a hydration vest and no shirt. We came through the half in 1:32-mid-ish (no marker), both feeling positive and ready to do it again. I was really excited for her to get a big PR!

Mile 15 has a long incline, I hadn't realized the man in the hydration vest wasn't a woman quite yet, and I think my 6:58 up it was too quick based on the elevation. Sally started to fall a step back and stopped talking, so I started encouraging her ("It will be way easier after we finish this incline, we are going to catch that woman," etc.). She pulled back up and mile 16 was a little quick in 6:45, but also had decline. I was looking back a little bit and making sure she could latch on. I didn't want to separate and I wanted us both to move up in the women's field. By then I had realized hydration vest guy was a man, but soon after spotted an actual woman ahead of him. I got a side stitch from about 15-17, but it didn't slow me down, was just uncomfortable and made me take about 3 miles to get down my mile 15 gel.

During mile 17 Sally told me I could go ahead. I slipped into coaching mode and told her to just sit on me, to let me pull and do the work. That worked for awhile, but then between some combination of me working towards the woman in front of us and her feeling a little more fatigued, we separated. At that point, I was in mile 18 and feeling confident about chasing down the woman in front of me. Before the race, I had a lot of reservations about my body not being in a good place, but for a good 23 miles of the actual race I didn't think about that one bit.

I continued to focus on gradually pulling in the woman ahead of me, and I was gaining. At mile 20 I saw my family and I felt really confident I was going to move up before I saw them again. Jon told me that 3rd place was about 2 minutes up and she was really hurting, so then I thought perhaps I could even move up into a podium position after all. I was pumped with how great I felt for that point in the race!

I felt really strong until I didn't, which happened somewhere during mile 21. Initially I figured it was just a rough patch, but by 22.5 I could tell I was fading. I could tell by the body language of the woman in front of me that she was also fading, so it was probably going to be a matter of who struggled less. She had a good 15-20 seconds on me, but I was the hunter, which I kept telling myself gave me the advantage. 

Passing 23 I really tried to pump myself up. I'd done a fast finish 13 miler on the course the week before, and told myself to speed up like I did then. I wasn't gaining any more but she wasn't extending her lead either. As we neared 24 though, I felt myself fading more and more. For the first time during the race, I thought about being post-COVID and how my usual strong finish might not be in the cards, but I also kept trying with absolutely everything I had.

I saw the photographer at mile 23
 & *thought* I was smiling!

The final 2 miles of this race go like this, repeatedly: incline, turn, incline, turn, incline, turn. Some years I've still been able to close fast, other years I've lost time. I hadn't been looking at my splits since about halfway (early on I did because I didn't want to mess up Sally's race), but those final 2 miles ended up being my slowest at 7:42 and 7:39. The woman in front of me was pulling away, partially because she was chasing down the third place woman (Jon said it was a pretty dramatic finish between the two; 4th moved into 3rd with about 15 meters to go!). Anything can happen in the final mile of a marathon, so I kept pushing with all I had. I didn't have what I'd hoped to, but I tried my hardest. The first 21 miles of this race were far easier than Chicago, but the final 5 miles and especially the last 2 were much harder (I'd kept a little in the tank at Chicago, hoping to use it at Bass Pro...the irony). My legs felt like they were going to give out and the finish could not come soon enough.

Coming down the final stretch and hearing numerous familiar voices cheering for me is always a joy! I was really glad to make it in after just a week before the race being pretty sure I'd be too weak to run the whole marathon, and after how hard those final 2 miles were! I was pretty sure I'd won masters, but it wasn't until I went inside to change and had Jon pull up the results on his phone that I knew for sure. I was sad not to make it onto the overall podium, but I was thankful for the masters win and feel that I did the best I could with what I had. 

My time was 3:07:45 - in Chicago I ran 3:07:38. Bass Pro was warmer and has significantly more elevation, so this performance was my best marathon of my season of COVID-screwed up marathons. I executed Chicago better, with my half splits being just seconds apart, but the gauge of how to pace is different with post-COVID weakness and I don't have it figured out. I ran an 18 miler two weeks before this where I felt great for 14 miles then faded for 4, making me think there was no way I was going to be able to run 26.2 when I was bonking at 14. I gained strength between that run and the race, but not enough to stay strong through 26. The rising temperature probably also played a role. 

When you slow at the end of a marathon, the vast majority of the time it is because you ran too fast for your fitness at some point before then, but I kind of wonder if I'd have slowed no matter what due to COVID depletion - probably to a lesser extent had I gone out more conservatively, though. I am usually a strong finisher (unless going for an aggressive goal, see OTQ failures), and I also generally "know" the correct effort level; in Chicago I wasn't feeling like myself but I gauged what I could give really well and ran quite evenly. In workouts when I don't hit paces I am pretty much always off pace from the start. If I could run the race again, I would have either stuck to 7:10 for the first 10 miles or reduced the effort on the hilly section to see if that made a difference and because it would have made me a better pacer for Sally - but, alas, if we got do-overs in races I'd probably keep doing each one forever striving for perfection!

Post-race I enjoyed the awards ceremony, lots of socializing, and brunch with my teammates. I rode the marathon high all day! I hope I have some more faster marathons in me, but I've also realized that it doesn't matter too much if I run personal bests or worsts (I won't say it doesn't matter at all, though!). I love the process, the running community, the miles, the atmosphere - I love it all. I am thankful God gave me this sport, which has shaped me as a person for nearly my entire life.

Awards shot before Karen had to leave

Awards shot post-brunch

I was really proud of my training buddies! Sally came away with an 8 minute PR with a 3:12. Karen ran her debut marathon in 3:13. Casey was 2nd OAF in the half in 1:23 with a new state record for age 39 (I didn't have this one so it was more exciting; last year she broke my age 38 record), Rebecca was 3rd OAF in the half with 1:24, Jessica ran a beautiful negative split in her 1:33 half that exceeded what she'd been doing in training, Elise ran a 1:36 off of very little post-partum training with David’s help, Colin ran his longest post-injury run, Spencer ran a 1:25 half still feeling COVID-crappy (he had it right after me but did not get it from me!), and several paced others to their goals [note: the 1:45 pacer that went out at 7:00 pace was not from my group, lol!]. Abby and Sarah biked everywhere on the course to cheer, and Trae and Andy drove everywhere to encourage us. My heart was so full.

Awards by the fire when it's in the 70s

You can read about my past Bass Pro Marathons: 2021, 2016, 2015, and I don't have a recap for 2010 but I won overall female in 3:03 and befriended Julie that year. I also ran the half in 2017 and 2014, and the 5k in 2022. Fun fact: I have run 4 different courses in my 5 times running this marathon, with this race being my first time to run a course a second time (only 2021 and 2023 were the same route).

Chicago Details

I had big plans to write multiple detailed Chicago Marathon posts, but when I returned home with COVID it didn't happen. Instead, here are some bulleted points about things I want to remember!

• COVID
• I mentioned in my race recap that my lungs burned during the race and I blamed pollution, but I now wonder if I had already picked up COVID. I blamed the big city and huge race for feeling super fatigued and flat, but I may have been in the beginning stages of getting sick. That doesn't change my mind about huge marathons though! ;-)
• The Travel
• Casey, Abby, Nathan (Abby's boyfriend), and I drove to St Louis on Thursday evening, stayed the night with former running group member Sean who now lives there, and took a 4:30 a.m. Amtrak train to Chicago on Friday. It was my first time doing that and many laughs were had en route. 
• Casey and I took the 7:30 a.m. train back on Monday morning, while Abby and Nathan flew back in order to work on Monday. The Monday drive from St Louis back to Springfield was not easy to stay awake for!
• I taught online class for MSU on Thursday evening and Monday at noon while traveling, which wasn't ideal, but the only class I've ever cancelled was the one that took place while I was actually running the Boston Marathon. You're welcome, students!
• Pre-Race
• We were miraculously able to check into our hotel early, around 10:00 a.m. on Friday when we arrived. I had a room at the Palmer House Hotel through a Nike program I'm in, and it was close to the start and finish.
• Casey and I did a shake out run along the lakefront upon arriving.
• Nike had several fun opportunities set up in the hotel, so throughout the weekend I also did a Saturday shake out run, 3 meals, nail-painting, sport bra-fitting, Normatec boots, foam rolling, product trials, lots of socializing, and probably some other things I'm forgetting in their hospitality suites.
• Vacation Stuff
• We saw many things on our shake out runs and while walking around: Michigan Avenue, Buckingham Fountain, the Art Museum, the Aquarium, Millennium Park, Crown Fountain, countless shops and restaurants, and of course the Lakefront.
• We ate at Demera Ethiopian Cuisine at Time Out Market (a food hall), Victory Tap, Naf Naf, and The Hampton Social, and went out to Timothy O'Toole's Pub.
• We did an architectural boat tour on the river.
• We also saw a lot of the train system and my skills at using it improved, slightly.
• The Expo
• It was huge as expected, and also took commitment to get to and from.
• Packet pick up ran very smoothly, I'll give them that!
• We met Joan Benoit Samuelson and got her autograph. Casey spotted her before she set up to start signing so we only had to wait a few minutes! There were lots of lines of 30+ minutes to take photos by race props and we didn't do any of those.
• We got some free samples (drink mixes, bars) but neither Casey nor I bought anything and I was relieved when she wanted to leave before going through everything (Abby and Amy were at different hotels so we were splitting up post-expo anyway).
• I don't particularly enjoy any race expos but this one left me extra exhausted.
• ADP
• I was in the American Development Program, which meant a tent near the start where we could leave our bags, a park area to warm up in, separate porta potties, and a start just behind the professionals.
• We had to go in the same gate as Corral A, and getting through security took forever. I walked over with a Nike group and had trusted others knew that we were leaving with ample time, but I didn't have as much time as I'd have liked pre-race. It was also difficult to find my way back to the area post-race! Amy did the VIP area and also had difficulty finding it post-race.
• The Start
• My regret about the race is not paying more attention to the pro athletes in front of us at the start. I stayed at the back of the ADP corral, and we were not in the corral very long before the start, but I wish I'd have looked harder!
• I did hear them announcing pro accomplishments when we were entering our corral, specifically Des Linden's 50k world record.
• ADP athletes were eligible for prize money so we got only gun time, no chip time. I wasn't worried about this for myself, but Casey was aiming for a PR and I was going to be upset if she missed an official one by a few seconds - not to mention people trying to OTQ. It probably took less than 5 seconds to get across the line, but every second counts when you're trying for your best!
• The Race
• I noted most of the highlights in my race recap.
• I tried to pay attention to my surroundings but still didn't take in too much during the race. I think because there were so many people, I kept my eyes ahead.
• The mile markers were surprisingly difficult to spot. I don't think I ever missed so many mile markers in a marathon - ironically, since this was the first marathon I've taken manual splits in since about 2006 (i.e., pre-Garmin).
• My nutrition (4 gels) went smoothly and water stations were numerous, huge, and easy to see. The aid stations were crowded early on so if this race is hot it would be worth carrying a bottle early, but I didn't need any water for the first 6 or so miles anyway.
• I kept a little (maybe 1-3 minutes) in the tank but 26.2 miles is still a very long run.
• I didn't have as much fun as I usually do in a marathon, but I think that was related to being fatigued. I always remembered to be thankful!
• Each time I crossed a timing mat I thought about people tracking me getting updates.
• I also thought about my friends a lot, hoping they were hitting their goal times. I kept hoping that Abby would pass me, meaning she was going to go sub-3. When I had 3 miles left I was hoping Casey was near finishing (they ran 2:53 and 3:11, and poor Amy got sick before the race so had a hard day but finished it!).
• Post-Race
• Before the race, I'd gone back and forth a lot on just running Chicago "for fun" and "saving it" for my next marathon 4 weeks after. I ended up deciding that if the weather was good and I felt good, I'd try for a sub-3 since I wasn't guaranteed either in my next marathon. Based on how I actually felt knew sub-3 wasn't going to happen and held back a bit (but not much).
• We were super active post-race, with brunch, walking back to the marathon area to watch and take photos, switching hotels, going to dinner, and going out until midnight. I wish I'd have kept tracking of my total walking for the day because surely I covered at least 36 miles on foot!
• As per usual, I slept very little the night of the marathon.
• What's next?
• As mentioned, I was planning to run a local marathon 4 weeks after Chicago. I'd still like to, but will see how my COVID recovery goes. Last time I had it I didn't run well quality-wise for about 4 weeks post-illness, but I was able to pick my mileage back up quickly. 
• Fun fact
• This was marathon #46 for me if you count the marathon marks I crossed in my 4 ultras, #42 if you don't. It was #20/46 time-wise, or #18/42 if you're not counting my ultras (yeah, I split faster in 2 of my 50ks). When people asked about my performance I often said, "It was far from my best but also far from my worst", and I guess officially it was closer to my best (21 minutes) than my worst (58 minutes).
• Photo drop:

Legend!

We likely had the most snacks on this train

Architectural Boat Tour

Abby's crew was on the course in 3 spots

But they were out of beer

Nike shake out (I'm in orange in the middle)

Casey & me!

I didn't buy the photos but I smiled for them

Carb-loading, Mediterranean-style

Post-marathon buffet

Chicago Marathon

Huge marathons are not for me, and I'm in the minority with disliking major marathons (I know, I'm the weird one!). Just like with Boston 2022, it took a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get me to the starting line of Chicago. I don't want my preferences to make it sound like I am not grateful, though - I am beyond thankful for the experience! I knew going in that I didn't like the city of Chicago, that I wouldn't like the crowds or hassle of a 50,000 person race, and that I likely wouldn't run my best - so none of these things came as a surprise to me. I suspected it would be a fantastic racecation with friends and that amazing things would happen at the front of the race, and those hypotheses were also correct!

Post-race with Casey & the sky line

The challenges and logistics of big city travel, the massive expo, and getting to the race start were very overwhelming. I felt like I nailed my taper when I felt peppy on my final runs in Missouri and had an effortless final workout, but my Friday shake out in Chicago felt terrible, almost like I'd already run a marathon. Saturday was a little better, but I didn't feel enthusiastic or excited to race like I usually do; I just felt tired. I loved being with three of my local running buddies who were also running the race (Casey, Abby, and Amy), and connecting with numerous running buddies from around the country, so I enjoyed everything we did despite feeling super drained.

Even though I was in the American Development Program (sub-elite), getting to the starting line was a huge ordeal including a long wait for security. I did ADP twice in Houston and expected this to be simple like that was, but it was not. We didn't have much time after arriving in the ADP pre-start area so I hastily changed my shoes, jogged for about 5 minutes, and pocketed my gels. 

I planned to start out conservatively and run by effort, but I also thought that on a good day I could slip in under 3 hours. I knew GPS wouldn't work in the city, so I turned my watch's auto-lap off and figured I'd take manual splits if I felt so inclined. I've seen a lot of people's Garmins read 27+ miles from this marathon and I didn't want my watch beeping at all incorrect times messing with me.

I lined up at the back of the ADP corral, and our corral walked up just behind the pros. I couldn't really see anyone but it was exciting to be in the same race with so many big names. I was mentally prepared for corral A runners to fly by me, but it was still uncomfortable when it happened because there were so many and a lot of elbows. I manually lapped my first mile at 7:25. It didn't feel nearly as easy as I'd have liked 7:25 to feel but I reminded myself I'd barely had a warm up and told myself I'd be fine once I settled in. A slow first mile in a marathon is always a good thing! 

I'm in the back here!

Mile 2 came in 7:12 and felt just about right effort-wise. I'd hoped that 6:50s would be what I settled into, but I wanted to get the appropriate effort and at that time it sure wasn't 6:50. I felt a burning sensation in my lungs, which continued throughout the race and has never happened to me before. I thought it could be from pollution, and I wheezed for several hours after the race, but then was fine on Monday (though I did get sick on Tuesday then tested positive for COVID after returning home). I also had to pee really badly early in the race, and ended up going behind a tree just off the course when there was about a 100 m a gap in spectators between 8k and 10k. In most marathons I see tons of porta-potties on the course but I didn't see any until later in this race. I know they were there, just a little too tucked away I guess.

I felt like I was being passed the entire first half; after Corral A evened out, the Corral B runners were going by me. By 10k I'd realized that my max on the day was probably 7:00-7:05, and decided to keep it at about 90% to hopefully maximize performance at another marathon in 4 weeks. If I'd have thought I could break 3 hours running at 100% I'd have gone for it, but I'm confident I could not have on this day. 

This photo surprised me because it's early (I only
had my sunglasses on top of my head & both
 gloves on for 4-5 miles), but not crowded

I took manual splits when I saw mile makers, but much of the time I ended up with 2 miles on one split, especially during the first half. The markers weren't as easy to spot as in other marathons I've done such as Boston, CIM, Indy, Houston, and Grandmas. Two mile splits worked fine though, and I seemed to be running 7:05-7:15 consistently. I mostly wanted reassurance I was staying even, and per the race tracker I was (my slowest pace was when I stopped to pee). In recent workouts when I've run poorly, I've been off pace from the start, and this race was like that. I guess I am good at not going beyond what I can do on a specific day, which is definitely beneficial in a marathon. If I'd have forced 6:45-6:50 to start I'd have ended up blowing up in this one!

I felt good for a brief period right around the half (which I went through in 1:33:41), and my fastest mile of the race was 14 at 6:54 per my manual split. I thought, "Maybe I just needed half the race to warm up!", but then I felt flat again and most of my splits after that were back around 7:10. From the half to mile 20, I felt mostly steady with people around me, and then from mile 20 to the end I was passing a lot of people. I didn't speed up, but a lot of people slow down, and that's probably happening to a greater extent in the 3:05-3:10 range than the 2:45-2:55 range.

I don't remember much of what was along the course, unfortunately. It just felt like a road with a million other people running! I tried to stay as close to the blue line (tangent) as I could. I remember downtown and Chinatown, and my favorite part of the race was the person with the bullhorn between miles 18-19 announcing that Kelvin Kiptum had broken the world record. For the rest of the race, when I felt tired I told myself "Sara, if Kiptum can run 2:00:35, you can finish this thing at 7:00 pace". I didn't have as much fun during this race as I usually do during a marathon, but it was never hard to keep going.

I felt pretty strong through the end and passed a lot of people going up the little hill before the finish. I made sure to smile at my actual finish, even though it felt anticlimactic. My official time was 3:07:38 (being in ADP we only got gun time, not chip), which is far from my best but even farther from my worst. A few days before the race, Facebook memories had reminded me that in 2009 I was over the moon about my then-PR of 3:08:33, so I tried to keep that in perspective. I think if I'd have gone to the well I could have run 3:03-3:05, but I didn't think there was a reason to. I ran hard but I wasn't sore or beat up from this one (carbon plated shoes help there too).

After finishing I asked many race officials and volunteers in the chute how to get to the ADP tent, but no one knew. One person directed me to the VIP area, but then I got sent back out. Eventually I saw a man who also had an ADP number on and we made our way to ADP together, both of us lost at different times.

I am in awe of people who run really fast at huge marathons - many people do. Casey, who ran 2:53, said she gets energy from big cities and crowds. Abby and Amy also loved the event and want to go back next year. I don't see myself doing any more big ones, but never say never... It was awfully special to be in the race where so many records were broken: men's world record, men's and women's course records (second fastest ever women's marathon), and US women's masters record. Hopefully this race report doesn't sound too negative; I really struggled with being truthful yet not a downer and don't know that I was successful.

Exhaustion

More details are here.

My Strava activity is here. Like I mentioned, GPS is crazy in the city so my splits aren't correct, but my overall distance and pace are closer than I expected they'd be.

Riverside 5000

The Short:

My goals for this race were to be in the top 5 overall (female) and to win masters, and I accomplished that with 2nd overall female and 1st masters! I also hoped I'd be able to run faster than I did at the Firecracker 5000, but with the heat index over 90* and how terrible I felt on race morning, I didn't worry about that too much, which was good since I did not accomplish it. I paced very evenly (both of my laps of the 1.55 mile course were 10:10!), moved up in the field throughout the race, and got the most out of myself that I could on the day. Much like last year, I had mixed feelings about this race because I was thrilled with my place but appalled with my time. Perhaps next year I'll remember that there is very little chance of running fast in August races in Oklahoma, at least for me! I am thinking also for others, because I have never won so much for a 20 minute 5k...

Winnings

The Long:

This race was a "probably" on my schedule for a couple of months, but just like last year I registered 2 days before the race. Also like last year, I didn't feel the best during the week leading up to the event, including running a sub-par workout. And also like last year, my friend Liz was kind enough to host me at her house and I knew I'd have a fun trip. My running buddy Paul decided to run the race too so we rode down together. We drove down Friday afternoon and had a great dinner at the Mother Road Market food hall.

I didn't look at the weather in advance and didn't plan to look at it on race morning because I knew there was zero chance of it being good, but I woke up to a plethora of group messages from my running buddies about cancelling or delaying their Springfield group run due to thunderstorms. Soon after I started hearing thunder, so I pulled up my weather app to see what was happening with the storms, and learned that it was 83* with a dew point of 76*, making it a heat index of 89* already at 5:30 a.m. The race started at 7:30 a.m. so I figured it would only get worse. Stepping outside was definitely like stepping into a sauna!

There were storms around and patchy rain, but it looked like the race was going to start as planned. Liz drove me to the race and Paul walked there from his nearby hotel. We grabbed our race packets and took off on a warm up. I'd woke up feeling tired and weak, even having thoughts like, "I really wouldn't mind if they cancel this race", but hoped that once I got going I'd feel better. I did not! The warm up was sluggish and my uptempo running towards the end of it felt terrible. I decided I would "just" try to win masters. The woman who was second masters last year was there, and Liz pointed her out as my likely competition.

The race was significantly smaller than last year, likely in part due to the stormy weather. As we started I eased out just behind the other masters woman. Two other women went out faster together. A half mile into the race I was in 4th overall but felt pretty good about passing for 3rd. I kind of figured that was where I'd end up staying, since the top two had such a big early lead and generally adults don't die too hard in 5ks.

Just before the first 180* turn I passed the masters woman, moving me into 3rd overall female and 1st masters. The course does the same out and back course twice, so the first turn around was 1/4 through the race. I felt pretty awful but also thought I'd gone out conservatively, so felt like I could maintain even though I'd probably be grimacing through it. At no point did this race feel smooth! I just felt very flat and sluggish.

As we neared the second turn around (halfway), I noticed that the second female had fallen off the leader and I saw a man passing her. I decided I was going to do all I could to reel her in too. The heat can definitely be a reason for talented runners to run major positive splits, and I thought that might be what was happening there. As I passed the halfway point someone was calling out times and I came through in 10:10. At that point I also thought, "Ugh, I'm probably going to be over 20:00" but focused on the goal of moving up a place.

On the second tour of the course, I gradually gained on the second place woman, catching her not far before the final hair pin turn. I wanted to pass with authority when I went, so I sat behind her until we got around the turn, then coming off the turn I put in a surge and passed. I didn't want to give her a chance to hang onto me, and I also didn't want to leave it to too close to the end because she was much younger than me and would likely have more speed (post-race I saw she was 23).

I never looked back but I couldn't feel her close so I didn't think she'd tried to hang. The third turn where I passed was 3/4 through the race, so I told myself "1200 m" after I passed, and then counted down in my head at random points that were very rough approximations "Okay, 800 m left. Now 600 m.", etc. I kept telling myself to push because she could come back at any time. I made it through the finish line with all of the grit I had, and the announcer called me out at the second female finisher. I was thankful for the placing and thankful it was over! I looked back to find out that I hadn't needed to push as much as I did.

Post-race, Liz joined Paul and I for a 5 mile cool down, which ended up having a significant stop in the middle for awards, which also involved a torrential downpour. I ended up getting 3 certificates: 2nd overall female, 1st masters female, and 1st in age group 40-44. I received cash prizes for my overall and masters placings, and a nice pair of socks and a pint glass for the age group win, so I effectively got to triple dip at this one!

I'm thankful I ran this even though I didn't have "it" to run any better than I did. The first female was 48 seconds ahead of me, so even if I'd had a better day for where I'm at right now, it wouldn't have changed my placing (and based on her history, seeing her run 19:32 made me feel better about my 20:20!). After getting cleaned up post-race we went to a great brunch restaurant and did some browsing at a fun little thrift store. 

The day after the race I ran 21.6 miles that didn't particularly feel great but did feel very do-able at an easy pace. Then I took two naps and woke up with a sore throat, so maybe that was part of my problem. Regardless, I'll be back next year, and note to self: this race should be done for place and fun, not for time.

My Strava activity is here, and [wonky] online results are here!

Summer Sizzler 15k

The Short:

I ran a low-key race on a Colorado trip, and it wasn't fast but I won first overall person! It was the perfect way to get in an effort while traveling and it's always fun to win a race. I am sticking with no goal races at altitude though!

Results are here

My Strava activity is here

The Long:

When I made arrangements to fly to Denver on July 15, I decided to see if there were any races there on Sunday, July 16 - and there was one, the Summer Sizzler! I have done a lot of racecations, where I build a vacation around a race, but this was my first time doing it the other way - planning a trip then inserting a race. I decided I'd run it if possible, but I didn't want to inconvenience anyone and a memorial and family time were top priority, so I didn't register until the morning of the race, after my parents assured me it worked in our schedule. I also did a long run workout on July 14, something which I don't think I've ever done two days before racing, but which made sense with not knowing for sure if I'd race and not wanting to leave my long run to July 16 in an unbeknownst location. I also woke up at 2 a.m. on July 15 and had a power-packed day, so I wasn't exactly rested for this one!

For those reasons, because I wanted to have plenty of energy to vacation post-race, and because I wasn't sure how the altitude would affect me (I've run at altitude on vacation plenty of times, but just easy efforts), I thought running the race at about marathon effort would be good. Because I expected a fairly small event, I was hoping I could win overall female with that effort - but I was also prepared to run faster if that's what it took to compete. I did a couple of miles and strides to warm up, then lined up on the starting line on a concrete running/bike path.

There were 5k, 10k, and 15k distances at the race, but the bib numbers for each race looked the same and the course was the same (5k did one tour of the out-and-back course, 10k two, and 15k three), so I wasn't sure who I was actually racing against. The starting announcer asked for shows of hands ("Who is in the 10k? Who is in the 15k?") and I tried to look around at the women towards the front of the line to see who was in my race. I noted that the men in front of me on the line were all in shorter races.

After the start, I eased out and settled into the moderately hard effort that is marathon effort. I generally race by effort (not pace), but for this one it was extra important with the variables at play (altitude mainly, but also fatigue). A woman was right with me, and I settled in just behind her, feeling like the effort was a smidge too quick for marathon pace but definitely do-able - and like I said I was willing to go faster in order to compete!

I ran right with the woman for the first 2 miles (which ended up being my fastest 2 miles), and then I could feel her slowing down. When I passed her I told her great job and asked which race she was in. She was breathing awfully hard, so I when she answered "5k" it made sense. I was disappointed I wasn't going to have her to run with for any longer - I'd been thinking the ideal situation would be that she was in the 10k so I could run with her for 2 laps but wouldn't have to push too much on my third. I moved into the female lead position for all 3 races, and made my way to the turn-around/finish.

Close to the turn-around/finish

My parents were cheering at the turn-around, and it was fun to come through before any of the 5k women. I saw a couple of men heading back out on the course ahead of me, so I knew they were in either the 10k or 15k. I ran by myself from mile 2 on, but with the 3 race distances going out and back, there were always people around. I pushed like a workout but was thankful I didn't have to push too hard! At the halfway point turn around, I noted the men in front of me and the closest women behind me. I had a pretty significant lead so I felt good about winning overall female in the 15k (though they were actually in the 10k, I'd later learn).

Next I came through the 10k turn around, which I came through before any of the women in the 10k. I didn't think I saw any men going back out from there, but there were so many people going both ways at that point and I was lapping people, so I wasn't sure. On the last lap I started thinking it would be awfully cool if I was ahead of all of the men! At the last turn around (with 1.55ish miles to go), I was pretty sure I was leading the 15k overall. I glided in and when I finished the announcer confirmed my suspicion, saying that I was not only the first 15k female finisher, but I was the first overall finisher in the 15k!

The blue pin on the ribbon says #1 overall,
the gold pin says age group winner

It's always fun to win a race, no matter how small and non-competitive, so I really enjoyed this. I ran pretty steady and my average HR was 159 (marathon effort is about 160, so I did well with that). It was a good effort and a nice way to get in a 13+ mile day on vacation! 

I really don't know how much the altitude affected me, but hopefully at least 20 seconds/mile, because my average pace was 7:08 and I'd sure like to break 3:00 in Chicago! It was in the 70s and sunny, so also pretty warm, plus the dry air had me grabbing water at the hair pin turn at every aid station (surely it's easier than Missouri humidity though!). I had a phase where I'd only race if I thought I could post a good time, but now I really enjoy doing races like this where I know I won't. This and the workout I did a few days later while in the Denver area did solidify my stance that I never want to run a goal race at altitude though!

Branson Firecracker 5000

Sometimes it may be best for me to jump into a race when I don't feel super fit, because it means I don't have high expectations. The older I get the faster I feel like I lose fitness and the slower it comes back, and I am still feeling those 5 weeks of very little running in April and May. But I've also been doing Summer of Speed training with my running buddies so a 5k seemed reasonable enough. Based on my workouts I figured I could run around 6:15 pace.

#jumpingjuly

I drove 30 minutes south to the Branson Firecracker 5000 with two of my running buddies, Paul and Sally. Paul has been running well and recently raced a mile in 5:03, so I expected a 17:30 from him. Sally recently moved to Springfield and she and I have been very close on workouts (see: one of the 25-year-olds I hang with on the track!), so I expected we'd be able to work together in the race. Sally told me she was going to key off of me since I've been pacing us well in workouts. I told her I made no guarantees about hitting a specific pace since I race by effort, but I felt confident I would not go out too fast.

There were a lot of teenagers in the race, so there was a lot of going out too fast happening by others! The race started in the middle of the Branson Landing on cobblestones, which I quickly learned the Vaporfly does not play nice with. After about 0.25 we got off of the cobblestones and into a parking lot. At that point Sally and I were together with about 10 women in front of us. They all looked like teenagers to me, so I felt pretty good about being top masters.

I settled in and looked ahead while staying in the correct effort zone. Sally tucked in right on my shoulder. Nothing too eventful happened for the first half of the race, though we learned where the course actually went (we'd try to run it for our warm up but failed). About halfway in, we really started pulling other women in. It made me push to pass, and Sally came along with me. Between about 1.5 and 2.5, we passed every woman within our sights except for one, and we were right on her tail. There were also a lot of men and boys around, so it wasn't always easy to get by people, especially when we ran on a weird little curvy trail that went behind a strip mall.

After we got off the narrow trail and onto the north Landing parking lot, I passed the woman we'd been near. I wasn't sure what place I was in at that point, but there were no more women in sight so I knew we wouldn't move up between there and the finish. With about 0.25 to go we got back on cobblestones and Sally passed me. I pushed with what I had but couldn't get her back, so she ended up finishing 2 seconds in front of me in second female, making me third. First woman was about a minute ahead of us. I knew I'd won masters but didn't know where I was at overall, and no one watching knew either - including our friend Paul who won male masters or Amy who run spectated and warmed up and cooled down with us.

1st male masters, youngster, 1st female masters

We had run a 4 mile warm up so set off on a 5 mile cool down to make it a 12+ mile day. We had a lot of stops during the cool down: shoe change, drinks, monitoring the awards time, getting awards, walking awards back to the car (that firework got heavy!), taking pictures, etc. The award for 1st masters was the same as 1st overall, which I appreciated. They gave me the masters award since it was better than 3rd overall, but in the results I'm listed as 3rd overall and taken out of masters. Although I still try to contend for overall wins (vs. masters wins), I was proud of myself to be in there with so many young 'uns in a 5k - of the top 9, everyone but me was age 17-25. Plus we all know that my 5k pace is also my 10k pace, which doesn't particularly bode well for the 5k, hah!

This race felt about like a 5k should (i.e., cardiac arrest), I ran about as expected (6:17 average), and I ran pretty even splits. I think I could have run a faster final mile without all of the turns, but of course everyone in the race had to deal with those. My pace was about what I expected and though I wish I'd have been able to pull more out in the final 0.25, I gave what I had. I also wish the course had been more accurate, but I went into the race doubting it would be correct (I was just hoping it would be short so I'd look sharper than I am, haha!).

My Strava activity is here - but Sally and I were right together until the final bit and I think her Garmin splits were more accurate at 6:21, 6:17, 6:21 (then she got me in the final 0.2 with 5:49 pace vs. my 5:56), because I don't think my mile 2 was actually much different than 1 and 3 like my watch read.

Results are here.

Representing rabbit!

We are all on the top of the podium here