Another long weekend ahead! I have about 2 more hours of work before I head out to meet friends for a short bike ride, then go on a dinner date with my husband. No work tomorrow thanks to the New Year's holiday = a three day weekend!
This has been a good first week of training. I haven't skipped any workouts yet, and hopefully I can continue that trend throughout the weekend. I am going to try to avoid the temptation of sleeping in tomorrow and head out to Cedar Park for a 40ish mile bike ride, then hit the Rec Center for a swim. Even though tomorrow night is New Year's Eve, I doubt I will make it to midnight - haven't for the past few years, it's really not that important to me anymore. We're going to see the Fighter at a late matinee, then watch my Gamecocks kick some Florida State butt. I *may* get spontaneous and stay up past 10 pm, but I doubt it.
New Year's morning we are running in the Resolution Run 5k in Round Rock, as we've done the past several years. It's become a tradition that I've really come to enjoy, and this year I am out for revenge on that 10 year old who beat me last year and won the race (okay, just to clarify that this is not your normal 10 yr old. She's this super speedy phenom who already has sponsors. I guess she's 11 now). Saturday afternoon, we're heading over to our friends house for chili and football, then Sunday I'll wrap up my training week with a 13-14 mile run (also making Dan take me to see Black Swan).
Happy New Years!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
You Know You're Ironman Training Again...
...When your desk at work looks like this. I turned the Cheetos bag face down since I am supposed to be eating healthy!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
What a Year!
As 2011 quickly approaches, I wanted to take a moment to recap on my most memorable 2010 happenings. Whether I laughed or cried, or both, 2010 proved to be one of the best years to date.
1) Dan - for putting up with me, especially during Ironman training.
2) Jo and Mike (the 'rents) – who put up with my 1 minute phone calls in between work/workouts – and who are constantly worried about me when I’m out on my bike rides and runs, no matter how long or short they are.
3) The rest of 'Team Erin' - friends and family - who supported me during my Ironman.
4) My run group & tri-training friends – who slowed down when I was slow, who sped up when I was fast, and whose company made those long bike rides made them seem so much shorter.
5) My Daily Mile & blogging friends – some whom I have met and some that I have not, but correspond with via comments or emails. Thank you for reading and commenting/supporting my IM journey.
6) Finally, Coach Shawn– who never stopped believing in me and whose positive energy flowed almost every day despite when I was not in the mood for my workouts. I cannot thank him enough for my accomplishments this year.
If 2010 was that great of a year, I can’t wait to see what 2011 has in store! Stay Tuned :)
- I ran four marathons, starting out the year in Houston with a PR of 3:15 and finishing at the year with another PR of 3:10 in Las Vegas.
- I trained for and completed an Ironman! Finished Ironman C'ouer D'Alene in 12:35:49.
- Signed up for my second Ironman.
- Finally broke 20 minutes in the 5k with a PR of 19:41!
- Won several (small) road races.
- Placed in my age group and top 20 women in some big races including San Antonio & Vegas Marathons, Dallas Turkey Trot and the Decker Half-Marathon.
- Competed in 2 half-Ironmans.
- Was named the Employee of the Year for the City of Georgetown (Community Services Division)
- Completely revamped the Cupid's Chase 5K in my first year in charge, more than doubling participation from the previous year.
- Threw an awesome birthday party for my basset baby, Flash.
- Finally figured out how to use the gears on my bike correctly.
- Completed my first Century (100 mile) bike ride in April.
- Got used to waking up at 4:45 am every day, sometimes even earlier (3:00 am back in May to get in my long run before an early work event).
- Convinced Dan to sign up for his first marathon, and his second Olympic Distance Triathlon.
- Made some great new friends and training partners.
- Trained with the Southwestern Univ. Men's Cross Country team in the Fall who pushed/inspired me to become a better runner.
1) Dan - for putting up with me, especially during Ironman training.
2) Jo and Mike (the 'rents) – who put up with my 1 minute phone calls in between work/workouts – and who are constantly worried about me when I’m out on my bike rides and runs, no matter how long or short they are.
3) The rest of 'Team Erin' - friends and family - who supported me during my Ironman.
4) My run group & tri-training friends – who slowed down when I was slow, who sped up when I was fast, and whose company made those long bike rides made them seem so much shorter.
5) My Daily Mile & blogging friends – some whom I have met and some that I have not, but correspond with via comments or emails. Thank you for reading and commenting/supporting my IM journey.
6) Finally, Coach Shawn– who never stopped believing in me and whose positive energy flowed almost every day despite when I was not in the mood for my workouts. I cannot thank him enough for my accomplishments this year.
If 2010 was that great of a year, I can’t wait to see what 2011 has in store! Stay Tuned :)
Monday, December 27, 2010
Here we go again!
First things first: what a great Christmas and long weekend! I was able to relax, catch up on my rest and spend time with family and friends. It was great. And, while I managed to get in some good runs and not slack off completely, I also ate A LOT. A LOT of junk in particular. While the holiday break may be bad for my waistline, it's incredible for my spirit and I'll look back fondly on the holiday food and fun with loved ones.
4:45 am slapped me in the face this morning as it was back to work and the start of Ironman training (YES, IRONMAN) with an 8 mile recovery run and a core workout. I'll be back in the pool during lunch for the first time in about 3 weeks. I am taking bets on whether I actually swim or just sink. Last night I got on my bike for the first time in several months and it was painful. I only rode 18 miles, and it seemed like forever. 18 measly miles?! Needless to say, I have a lot of work to do, but I am looking forward to the challenge.
So...back to Ironman. After many conversations with others and myself, I decided to move forward with the race. There were many reasons for my decision, but ultimately it came down to whether or not I would regret the decision to withdraw come May 21st. And, in the end, I really felt like I would. I purposely took a break from tri-related training these past few weeks to see if I missed it, and I did. So, while the next 5 months will be pretty busy for me, I am looking forward to the training and the feeling of accomplishment that goes along with it. I also was able to make some changes to how I approach training and life to make it all more manageable, so I do not become a robotic crazed iron-focused Erin.
I'm happy to be back in the swing of things. Back to getting in my double workouts. Back to getting out of bed when the alarm goes off instead of negotiating a way to stay in bed and rearrange my training schedule. Back to knocking out the training schedule without forcing myself. Back to being excited to see results.
I am so grateful for my many friends - on-line and in real life - that listened to me, helped me, encouraged me, didn't tell me what to do, sympathized, empathized and gave helpful advice. Not one person said give it up, you're crazy for doing all that training and yet everyone said it's okay to give it up if it's what I really want!
Let the new journey begin!
4:45 am slapped me in the face this morning as it was back to work and the start of Ironman training (YES, IRONMAN) with an 8 mile recovery run and a core workout. I'll be back in the pool during lunch for the first time in about 3 weeks. I am taking bets on whether I actually swim or just sink. Last night I got on my bike for the first time in several months and it was painful. I only rode 18 miles, and it seemed like forever. 18 measly miles?! Needless to say, I have a lot of work to do, but I am looking forward to the challenge.
So...back to Ironman. After many conversations with others and myself, I decided to move forward with the race. There were many reasons for my decision, but ultimately it came down to whether or not I would regret the decision to withdraw come May 21st. And, in the end, I really felt like I would. I purposely took a break from tri-related training these past few weeks to see if I missed it, and I did. So, while the next 5 months will be pretty busy for me, I am looking forward to the training and the feeling of accomplishment that goes along with it. I also was able to make some changes to how I approach training and life to make it all more manageable, so I do not become a robotic crazed iron-focused Erin.
I'm happy to be back in the swing of things. Back to getting in my double workouts. Back to getting out of bed when the alarm goes off instead of negotiating a way to stay in bed and rearrange my training schedule. Back to knocking out the training schedule without forcing myself. Back to being excited to see results.
I am so grateful for my many friends - on-line and in real life - that listened to me, helped me, encouraged me, didn't tell me what to do, sympathized, empathized and gave helpful advice. Not one person said give it up, you're crazy for doing all that training and yet everyone said it's okay to give it up if it's what I really want!
Let the new journey begin!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Ready for the Holidays (or the paid time off of work anyways!)
I am so ready for the holidays to be here. Seriously.
It's the Monday before Christmas, which means that the only people in the office are people who were too irresponsible to save their vacation time till the end of the year. I.e. me.
I thought about borrowing half a vacation day from next year so that I may wander the mall aimlessly this afternoon instead of sitting in my quiet office surfing the internet. But then I remembered I need to save my vacation for either Ironman or a summer marathon, not to mention my brother's wedding in the Fall. Crap.
This weekend will be glorious. It's the first Christmas we haven't traveled (THANK GOD I will not be sitting in traffic on I-35) and I am planning on doing nothing...which hopefully includes renting Elf and eating mac and cheese. Yum. Then, hopefully, Dan will buy some Christmas presents for me...because right now, our tree has a lot of presents under it, not not a single one has my name on it besides the ones from my mom.
We'll be having my aunt and uncle and cousin over (down from Michigan visiting my other cousin who lives in Austin) for Christmas Eve dinner, followed by sleeping in in Christmas, a Christmas run, pancakes, presents, and going to see "Little Fockers" at the Drafthouse.
Holidays, please hurry. I need a break!
P.S. Still haven't decided about Ironman Texas, but I think I know what I am going to do. Waiting until the end of the year to make my final decision/announcement. I know you all (my 2 readers) are waiting on the edge of your seats... :)
It's the Monday before Christmas, which means that the only people in the office are people who were too irresponsible to save their vacation time till the end of the year. I.e. me.
I thought about borrowing half a vacation day from next year so that I may wander the mall aimlessly this afternoon instead of sitting in my quiet office surfing the internet. But then I remembered I need to save my vacation for either Ironman or a summer marathon, not to mention my brother's wedding in the Fall. Crap.
This weekend will be glorious. It's the first Christmas we haven't traveled (THANK GOD I will not be sitting in traffic on I-35) and I am planning on doing nothing...which hopefully includes renting Elf and eating mac and cheese. Yum. Then, hopefully, Dan will buy some Christmas presents for me...because right now, our tree has a lot of presents under it, not not a single one has my name on it besides the ones from my mom.
We'll be having my aunt and uncle and cousin over (down from Michigan visiting my other cousin who lives in Austin) for Christmas Eve dinner, followed by sleeping in in Christmas, a Christmas run, pancakes, presents, and going to see "Little Fockers" at the Drafthouse.
Holidays, please hurry. I need a break!
P.S. Still haven't decided about Ironman Texas, but I think I know what I am going to do. Waiting until the end of the year to make my final decision/announcement. I know you all (my 2 readers) are waiting on the edge of your seats... :)
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Undecided
*SIGH*. I'm still debating on whether or not to compete in Ironman Texas this year. I go back and forth, back and forth. I am giving myself until the end of the year to decide, and at that point I either need to get my butt in gear and train for triathlon, or switch gears and focus on running.
I really wish they would let you defer until 2012, but not the case. They will only give you a refund of $150 of the $630 registration fee....ouch.
I've been looking at summer marathon options, as I will need something to fill the void of Ironman Texas, something to focus on if I don't do Ironman. Right now it's between Rock and Roll San Diego marathon, or the historic Grandma's marathon in Duluth, Minnesota - both in June. Right now I am leaning towards Grandma's, simply because I've already run San Diego (horribly). If I forgo Ironman, I will also train for the JFK 50-miler in November, which doesn't start too far away from where I grew up.
Whatever I decide, I need to be confident in that decision and not look back...verdict to come!!
I really wish they would let you defer until 2012, but not the case. They will only give you a refund of $150 of the $630 registration fee....ouch.
I've been looking at summer marathon options, as I will need something to fill the void of Ironman Texas, something to focus on if I don't do Ironman. Right now it's between Rock and Roll San Diego marathon, or the historic Grandma's marathon in Duluth, Minnesota - both in June. Right now I am leaning towards Grandma's, simply because I've already run San Diego (horribly). If I forgo Ironman, I will also train for the JFK 50-miler in November, which doesn't start too far away from where I grew up.
Whatever I decide, I need to be confident in that decision and not look back...verdict to come!!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Check Me Out
I was honored to be asked by Cleveland runner Greg Strosaker if he could interview me about my running and feature the interview on his blog. How cool is that! The interview will go live today (Wed., 12/15) at 7:30 pm EST. Click HERE later today to check out my interview!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Decisions
I'm thinking about withdrawling from Ironman Texas. It's something I've been thinking about a lot lately and going back and forth with. I'm still not 100% sure what my decision will be, but right now I am leaning towards withdrawling.
There are several factors that have caused me to re-think this race. While there are personal reasons having to do with simply having too much on my plate and needing to focus, and those reasons may be more than enough by themselves, for the purposes of this blog the one reason I want to talk about is my running.
I've been running very well (for me) lately. I have raced A LOT the past few months and keep doing better and better - and this is all without following a training plan for running, not really watching my nutrition and not resting. It really got me thinking about what I could do if I hired a coach, followed a plan with specific peaks/valleys worked into training and really keyed in on my nutrition. I've never had any formal training with running, and I would really like to see what I am capable of. And, really, the bottom line is that I simply love to run. I enjoy triathlon, but sometimes it's more of a chore than a hobby to me. Ironman training requires me to cut back on my running, which I don't really want to do.
Training for an Ironman requires 15-20+ hours per week of training (or if not actual training time, then training-related time), maybe more, if you factor in drive time. It’s an incredible sacrifice not only for the individual, but that individual’s friends and family. Then there is the money involved in getting to the event and back. For me, to spend upwards of 400 hours on training and a few thousand dollars on travel and lodging, only to end up not being excited about the event makes me re-think my participation.
I haven't really started to train for this Ironman. I've been running and doing a little swimming, but my biking has been non-existent. I keep telling myself "this will be the week I start Ironman training", then the week comes and goes and I've done nothing but run. I’m having a super hard time getting a fire lit under my ass. I HATE people who complain about Ironman training. No one MAKES you do it. My theory has been if you’re going to complain about it and hate it don’t do it! Which has gotten me thinking...
I don’t really have anything to prove. I don’t feel like doing a 2nd Ironman or improving my time by 8 or 19 or 47 minutes will make me a better person. I feel like the work to reward pay off has diminished having done it once.
I have some hard choices to make. Pay attention to what I’m feeling and walk away from IM Texas before I’ve invested a ton of time into the training to pursue other things that make me happier at the moment. The risk is that I will regret my decision and wish that I was out there when May 21st comes around....
There are several factors that have caused me to re-think this race. While there are personal reasons having to do with simply having too much on my plate and needing to focus, and those reasons may be more than enough by themselves, for the purposes of this blog the one reason I want to talk about is my running.
I've been running very well (for me) lately. I have raced A LOT the past few months and keep doing better and better - and this is all without following a training plan for running, not really watching my nutrition and not resting. It really got me thinking about what I could do if I hired a coach, followed a plan with specific peaks/valleys worked into training and really keyed in on my nutrition. I've never had any formal training with running, and I would really like to see what I am capable of. And, really, the bottom line is that I simply love to run. I enjoy triathlon, but sometimes it's more of a chore than a hobby to me. Ironman training requires me to cut back on my running, which I don't really want to do.
Training for an Ironman requires 15-20+ hours per week of training (or if not actual training time, then training-related time), maybe more, if you factor in drive time. It’s an incredible sacrifice not only for the individual, but that individual’s friends and family. Then there is the money involved in getting to the event and back. For me, to spend upwards of 400 hours on training and a few thousand dollars on travel and lodging, only to end up not being excited about the event makes me re-think my participation.
I haven't really started to train for this Ironman. I've been running and doing a little swimming, but my biking has been non-existent. I keep telling myself "this will be the week I start Ironman training", then the week comes and goes and I've done nothing but run. I’m having a super hard time getting a fire lit under my ass. I HATE people who complain about Ironman training. No one MAKES you do it. My theory has been if you’re going to complain about it and hate it don’t do it! Which has gotten me thinking...
I don’t really have anything to prove. I don’t feel like doing a 2nd Ironman or improving my time by 8 or 19 or 47 minutes will make me a better person. I feel like the work to reward pay off has diminished having done it once.
I have some hard choices to make. Pay attention to what I’m feeling and walk away from IM Texas before I’ve invested a ton of time into the training to pursue other things that make me happier at the moment. The risk is that I will regret my decision and wish that I was out there when May 21st comes around....
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Las Vegas Marathon Race Report
Las Vegas Rock & Roll Marathon Race Report:
I’ll say it now: this race report will be long. So bring a GU, get a glass of water, find a comfortable chair and read on. And if you can’t read the entire thing, I’ll go ahead and spoil it by putting the results up front:
Las Vegas Marathon
Time: 3:10:25
Average: 7:16 min/mile
14th place woman, 3rd in my age group
Las Vegas. What an interesting place. This was my first trip to Vegas, surprisingly, so I didn’t really know what to expect. The best way I can describe it is as a 24 hour party. I felt like I was back in college on a week long Spring Break. Lots of temptation that didn’t really fit well with me going to bed at 9 pm and trying to rest for a marathon. Have you ever tried to go to bed at 9 pm in Las Vegas? It’s not exactly a quiet city…
I started out last week on a good note. Watching my nutrition, getting some rest and staying focused. My goal was to break 3:13, which was my PR from San Antonio a few weeks ago. Being the overly ambitious person I am, I decided to shoot for 3:12:59. Hey, a PR is a PR :). My biggest quandary was how to approach pacing in this race. I am a big fan (most of the time) of running with a pace group, as I feel it helps me to push myself a little harder. For San Antonio, I ran with the 3:15 pace group, who actually was running faster than a 3:15 pace (hence my 3:13 finish). I couldn’t decide if I should run with the 3:15 pace group for Vegas and trying to pick it up half way through to bank some time for a 3:12 finish, or try to run with the 3:10 pace group as long as I could and pray to God I didn’t BONK. Something about me: in the weeks before a marathon I get anxious, I doubt my abilities and I make stressing a full-time job. It’s not good. I tend to underestimate myself in general, which is a character flaw of mine. I was very unsure as to whether I could hang with a 3:10 pace group. I was afraid I would be biting off way more than I could chew. Anyway, in the end I decided my plan would be to run with the 3:10 pace group, and if it backfired on me, then oh well- there are always other marathons. I was feeling good about this decision, and then I arrived in Vegas…
I get to Vegas on Friday, and I am in vacation mode and ready to check this City out, not sit in the hotel and rest my legs. I lose all focus. Enter big mistake #1: I am an idiot and brought totally and completely improper shoes to be touring a City days before a marathon: high-heeled boots. Dan asked me why I didn’t just wear my running shoes to walk around in and I (shamefully) answered because they are bright blue (Brooks Launch) and do not match my jeans or my outfits so I must wear high heeled boots. Lame, I know. Then I proceed to blow my plan to eat healthy and consume a huge plate of nachos and later indulge at the All You Can Eat Buffet at MGM.
Saturday rolls around and I had signed up to jog the Vegas Santa Claus run. I do not have a car while I am here but Dan tells me it’s only a mile from the hotel so I decide to jog there ONLY it’s at least 2 miles out there and so by the time I get out there, do the race (which I cut short) and come back I’ve already logged way more miles than I wanted to pre-marathon. Then I eat Mexican food (again) for lunch. Then I proceed to walk all over the City again in those #$&% boots trying to find a place to watch the South Carolina/Auburn game which wasn’t worth the walk because it was abysmal. I arrive back to the hotel just after 5 pm Saturday hoping to catch a quick meal at the Italian restaurant in the hotel and go to bed, but didn’t even think that reservations would have been a good idea…the wait is 1.5 hours. I wait it out, eat some food, get back to the hotel room after 8 pm. At this point, I’m grumpy and I’m seriously 100% sure there is no way I am going to have a good race in the morning and resign myself to just being happy with finishing the dang thing.
Fast forward to Sunday morning. Up at 5 for some light stretching, a few prayers and off to the start.
With lower expectations for the Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, I will say that I was pleasantly surprised with the course, and the overall experience was a great one. Now, keep in mind that I am not the greatest fan of Rock 'n' Roll Marathons, and here's why: They're crowded, overpriced and occur in downtown areas with terrible parking.
While Vegas was no different in terms of being overpriced (in my mind) and in downtown Vegas, the race organizers did a wonderful job of picking a course that followed wide roads, which made the crowd appear to be lot less than the 26,000 that ran. In fact, there was hardly any jostling once out of the corrals, and I believe almost every person had room to pass others and find individual paces.
I line up in Corral 2 with the 3:10 pace group (might as well try!) and wait for the race to start. I am 99% sure the National Anthem singer was drunk. The gun goes off, and off we go. While I was the lone woman who ran with the 3:15 pace group in San Antonio, that was not the case in Vegas. I’m astounded to see a core group of women spring past me right off the bat. I’m not made of lightning, but these ladies seem EXTREMELY fast and extremely confident as they start their race. Instead of panicking about their pace, I concentrate on feeling out my pace and tell myself not to go out too strong and stay with the pace group. There are a lot of miles between me and the finish line.
The marathon and half marathon run the first 12ish miles together. It’s an out-and-back up and down the strip, and it’s flat and fabulous. I feel pretty good and am hanging with the 3:10 pace group without too much of a problem. I am not breathing heavy, but I could not carry on a full-blown conversation either. The marathon splits off from the half after mile 12 and I see there are some hills coming up, but nothing too bad (nothing steep, just a few longer inclines). We hit the half-way mark, and while I’m feeling good, I’m still concerned as to whether I will be able to keep this pace up the entire time. There are still 3 other women hanging with the 3:10 pace group. I tell myself these women are my competition and if they are going to hang in there, then so am I!
Then around miles 14-15, I feel a little dizzy. I’m not usually one to get light-headed and I wonder what the deal is – did I not eat enough breakfast? Is it there an elevation difference? Is the incline to blame? Am I bonking? I’m not sure. I drink some more water. Besides the dizziness I feel fantastic and my mile times are steady. By mile 16, I am feeling good again and the miles trickle by.
Miles 16-20 go by, and I am still hanging in with the 3:10 group. Two of the women in the group have pulled ahead, but I do not chase them. I remain steady. It’s hard to recall what I was thinking in these middle miles. The views, when I remembered to look at them, were fantastic. You could see the mountains in the distance. The road was wide and even. I remind myself that I’m more than 1/2 way done.
At Mile 21, there is an aid station. I have rarely experienced the joy I felt when I spied the aid station at mile 21. I was out of gu at that point, and was in need. I took a GU, and I feel good. As good as one can feel at mile 21. With five miles to go I am confident. Strong. Ready to charge.
Mile 23 is always where the marathon starts to play dirty, dirty tricks on me. I’m starting to bottom out. I feel foggy, no longer dizzy, but not very sharp either. I zone out. At this point we were on an out and back section of the course, and I see all these runners going back and just want to be on the other side of the road going back with them. The miles are no loner ticking by, they are dragging by. I am still with the 3:10 pace group, although it’s not much a group anymore. It’s me, another girl, another guy and the pace leader. The pace leader is a few steps ahead. I can’t think clearly. My legs are furious with me. My whole body is ready to stop. I try not to trip. I stay on my toes. The balls of my feet feel achey and tired – I press on and try to think that only 3 miles separate me from the finish line.
The same feelings continue as I try to make it through Mile 24. Mile 24, you were the longest, hardest mile I’ve ever done and my body does not like you. You suck Mile 24. You really do.
Then something happens at Mile 25. Maybe it was some sort of out of body experience, but I get my mojo back. I catch back up with pace leader. At this point it’s just me, him and another guy from Wisconsin. We catch and pass the women who had pulled away earlier. My mind is telling my body to keep putting one foot in front of the other and my body follows reluctantly. There is no style or form. My muscles are past that – all we want is to do is finish strong.
As I round the corner at Mile 25.5, I hear someone cheering from me – it’s a friend of my friend Shawn from Austin. He’s a fellow triathlete who I’ve met several times, but had no idea he was going to be there. It was awesome to see a familiar face and it helped keep me going.
Mile 26!! I feel like I might start barfing all over the last 200 meters, but I don’t even care. I gut it out. I sprint as much as I can to the finish. My stomach clenches and my systems go into overdrive. I screw up my eyes. I grimace and push even harder. It’s not much, but whatever. Nothing matters to me except following the people in front of me to the finish line. I want that finish line. I need that finish line. And within a second I am across that line and I am finished.
I cross the finish line with the pace group leader and he shakes me hand and tells me “You are one strong runner.” It makes my day. It feels dreamlike. I stop my watch and glance down to see a 3:10 staring at me. I register that it’s a new Personal Record but I can’t seem to process it.
I double over and feel exhausted and elated. My legs quiver. I spit and make ugly noises while someone hands me a space blanket. I wrap it around me and wander off. There isn’t really any place to wander. The finish line is in a parking lot and it’s not like there are thousands of other runners to deal with. I stumble in one direction for a few steps and then turn to stumble in another direction. I am totally checked out mentally. I look at my watch again. I smile goofily. I congratulate the other runners who have finished before me. I orbit around the finishline and try to keep moving.
Slowly my brain starts to function again. My smile gets bigger. I look at the watch. Yes. 3:10 is still there. I realize I’ve PR’d. I drink some water, eat some food and within 15 minutes I’m feeling pretty good. I sit down to watch Brett Michael’s rock the house for the post-race concert and sing at the top of my lungs (he was awesome!!!).
After the race, I walk back to the hotel with a big smile on my face. I ran with a group of incredibly talented runners and did not let it shake me. I overcame pre-race anxiety. I ran my best. I worked hard. I had fun.
Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes. They mean the world to me. You guys keep me going when I doubt myself. Thank you.
Viva Las Vegas!
I’ll say it now: this race report will be long. So bring a GU, get a glass of water, find a comfortable chair and read on. And if you can’t read the entire thing, I’ll go ahead and spoil it by putting the results up front:
Las Vegas Marathon
Time: 3:10:25
Average: 7:16 min/mile
14th place woman, 3rd in my age group
Las Vegas. What an interesting place. This was my first trip to Vegas, surprisingly, so I didn’t really know what to expect. The best way I can describe it is as a 24 hour party. I felt like I was back in college on a week long Spring Break. Lots of temptation that didn’t really fit well with me going to bed at 9 pm and trying to rest for a marathon. Have you ever tried to go to bed at 9 pm in Las Vegas? It’s not exactly a quiet city…
I started out last week on a good note. Watching my nutrition, getting some rest and staying focused. My goal was to break 3:13, which was my PR from San Antonio a few weeks ago. Being the overly ambitious person I am, I decided to shoot for 3:12:59. Hey, a PR is a PR :). My biggest quandary was how to approach pacing in this race. I am a big fan (most of the time) of running with a pace group, as I feel it helps me to push myself a little harder. For San Antonio, I ran with the 3:15 pace group, who actually was running faster than a 3:15 pace (hence my 3:13 finish). I couldn’t decide if I should run with the 3:15 pace group for Vegas and trying to pick it up half way through to bank some time for a 3:12 finish, or try to run with the 3:10 pace group as long as I could and pray to God I didn’t BONK. Something about me: in the weeks before a marathon I get anxious, I doubt my abilities and I make stressing a full-time job. It’s not good. I tend to underestimate myself in general, which is a character flaw of mine. I was very unsure as to whether I could hang with a 3:10 pace group. I was afraid I would be biting off way more than I could chew. Anyway, in the end I decided my plan would be to run with the 3:10 pace group, and if it backfired on me, then oh well- there are always other marathons. I was feeling good about this decision, and then I arrived in Vegas…
I get to Vegas on Friday, and I am in vacation mode and ready to check this City out, not sit in the hotel and rest my legs. I lose all focus. Enter big mistake #1: I am an idiot and brought totally and completely improper shoes to be touring a City days before a marathon: high-heeled boots. Dan asked me why I didn’t just wear my running shoes to walk around in and I (shamefully) answered because they are bright blue (Brooks Launch) and do not match my jeans or my outfits so I must wear high heeled boots. Lame, I know. Then I proceed to blow my plan to eat healthy and consume a huge plate of nachos and later indulge at the All You Can Eat Buffet at MGM.
Saturday rolls around and I had signed up to jog the Vegas Santa Claus run. I do not have a car while I am here but Dan tells me it’s only a mile from the hotel so I decide to jog there ONLY it’s at least 2 miles out there and so by the time I get out there, do the race (which I cut short) and come back I’ve already logged way more miles than I wanted to pre-marathon. Then I eat Mexican food (again) for lunch. Then I proceed to walk all over the City again in those #$&% boots trying to find a place to watch the South Carolina/Auburn game which wasn’t worth the walk because it was abysmal. I arrive back to the hotel just after 5 pm Saturday hoping to catch a quick meal at the Italian restaurant in the hotel and go to bed, but didn’t even think that reservations would have been a good idea…the wait is 1.5 hours. I wait it out, eat some food, get back to the hotel room after 8 pm. At this point, I’m grumpy and I’m seriously 100% sure there is no way I am going to have a good race in the morning and resign myself to just being happy with finishing the dang thing.
Fast forward to Sunday morning. Up at 5 for some light stretching, a few prayers and off to the start.
With lower expectations for the Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, I will say that I was pleasantly surprised with the course, and the overall experience was a great one. Now, keep in mind that I am not the greatest fan of Rock 'n' Roll Marathons, and here's why: They're crowded, overpriced and occur in downtown areas with terrible parking.
While Vegas was no different in terms of being overpriced (in my mind) and in downtown Vegas, the race organizers did a wonderful job of picking a course that followed wide roads, which made the crowd appear to be lot less than the 26,000 that ran. In fact, there was hardly any jostling once out of the corrals, and I believe almost every person had room to pass others and find individual paces.
I line up in Corral 2 with the 3:10 pace group (might as well try!) and wait for the race to start. I am 99% sure the National Anthem singer was drunk. The gun goes off, and off we go. While I was the lone woman who ran with the 3:15 pace group in San Antonio, that was not the case in Vegas. I’m astounded to see a core group of women spring past me right off the bat. I’m not made of lightning, but these ladies seem EXTREMELY fast and extremely confident as they start their race. Instead of panicking about their pace, I concentrate on feeling out my pace and tell myself not to go out too strong and stay with the pace group. There are a lot of miles between me and the finish line.
The marathon and half marathon run the first 12ish miles together. It’s an out-and-back up and down the strip, and it’s flat and fabulous. I feel pretty good and am hanging with the 3:10 pace group without too much of a problem. I am not breathing heavy, but I could not carry on a full-blown conversation either. The marathon splits off from the half after mile 12 and I see there are some hills coming up, but nothing too bad (nothing steep, just a few longer inclines). We hit the half-way mark, and while I’m feeling good, I’m still concerned as to whether I will be able to keep this pace up the entire time. There are still 3 other women hanging with the 3:10 pace group. I tell myself these women are my competition and if they are going to hang in there, then so am I!
Then around miles 14-15, I feel a little dizzy. I’m not usually one to get light-headed and I wonder what the deal is – did I not eat enough breakfast? Is it there an elevation difference? Is the incline to blame? Am I bonking? I’m not sure. I drink some more water. Besides the dizziness I feel fantastic and my mile times are steady. By mile 16, I am feeling good again and the miles trickle by.
Miles 16-20 go by, and I am still hanging in with the 3:10 group. Two of the women in the group have pulled ahead, but I do not chase them. I remain steady. It’s hard to recall what I was thinking in these middle miles. The views, when I remembered to look at them, were fantastic. You could see the mountains in the distance. The road was wide and even. I remind myself that I’m more than 1/2 way done.
At Mile 21, there is an aid station. I have rarely experienced the joy I felt when I spied the aid station at mile 21. I was out of gu at that point, and was in need. I took a GU, and I feel good. As good as one can feel at mile 21. With five miles to go I am confident. Strong. Ready to charge.
Mile 23 is always where the marathon starts to play dirty, dirty tricks on me. I’m starting to bottom out. I feel foggy, no longer dizzy, but not very sharp either. I zone out. At this point we were on an out and back section of the course, and I see all these runners going back and just want to be on the other side of the road going back with them. The miles are no loner ticking by, they are dragging by. I am still with the 3:10 pace group, although it’s not much a group anymore. It’s me, another girl, another guy and the pace leader. The pace leader is a few steps ahead. I can’t think clearly. My legs are furious with me. My whole body is ready to stop. I try not to trip. I stay on my toes. The balls of my feet feel achey and tired – I press on and try to think that only 3 miles separate me from the finish line.
The same feelings continue as I try to make it through Mile 24. Mile 24, you were the longest, hardest mile I’ve ever done and my body does not like you. You suck Mile 24. You really do.
Then something happens at Mile 25. Maybe it was some sort of out of body experience, but I get my mojo back. I catch back up with pace leader. At this point it’s just me, him and another guy from Wisconsin. We catch and pass the women who had pulled away earlier. My mind is telling my body to keep putting one foot in front of the other and my body follows reluctantly. There is no style or form. My muscles are past that – all we want is to do is finish strong.
As I round the corner at Mile 25.5, I hear someone cheering from me – it’s a friend of my friend Shawn from Austin. He’s a fellow triathlete who I’ve met several times, but had no idea he was going to be there. It was awesome to see a familiar face and it helped keep me going.
Mile 26!! I feel like I might start barfing all over the last 200 meters, but I don’t even care. I gut it out. I sprint as much as I can to the finish. My stomach clenches and my systems go into overdrive. I screw up my eyes. I grimace and push even harder. It’s not much, but whatever. Nothing matters to me except following the people in front of me to the finish line. I want that finish line. I need that finish line. And within a second I am across that line and I am finished.
I cross the finish line with the pace group leader and he shakes me hand and tells me “You are one strong runner.” It makes my day. It feels dreamlike. I stop my watch and glance down to see a 3:10 staring at me. I register that it’s a new Personal Record but I can’t seem to process it.
I double over and feel exhausted and elated. My legs quiver. I spit and make ugly noises while someone hands me a space blanket. I wrap it around me and wander off. There isn’t really any place to wander. The finish line is in a parking lot and it’s not like there are thousands of other runners to deal with. I stumble in one direction for a few steps and then turn to stumble in another direction. I am totally checked out mentally. I look at my watch again. I smile goofily. I congratulate the other runners who have finished before me. I orbit around the finishline and try to keep moving.
Slowly my brain starts to function again. My smile gets bigger. I look at the watch. Yes. 3:10 is still there. I realize I’ve PR’d. I drink some water, eat some food and within 15 minutes I’m feeling pretty good. I sit down to watch Brett Michael’s rock the house for the post-race concert and sing at the top of my lungs (he was awesome!!!).
After the race, I walk back to the hotel with a big smile on my face. I ran with a group of incredibly talented runners and did not let it shake me. I overcame pre-race anxiety. I ran my best. I worked hard. I had fun.
Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes. They mean the world to me. You guys keep me going when I doubt myself. Thank you.
Viva Las Vegas!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
VEGAS
I did it. I ran a 3:10:25. 14th woman overall and 3rd in my age group. People, if I can do it, YOU CAN TOO. Believe me. Race report to follow.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Vegas & the Return of IRONMAN Training....
Vegas and Brett Michael's in T-minus 2 days. I am excited! After much discussion and suggestions regarding my my plan of attack for Sunday's marathon, I have decided to start out with the 3:10 pace group and just hang on as long as I can. Even if it backfires, it's not like I don't have other marathons to try again, so I might as well give it a whirl.
I woke up this morning and December smacked me in the face. How did it get here so fast? The arrival of December doesn't make me nervous because I have yet to do any Christmas shopping (but I haven't); it makes me nervous because Ironman Texas is approaching and I need to start training again. Meaning, I need to start logging some serious miles on my bike and start upping my swim workouts. Also meaning bye bye to my free evenings and weekends sleeping in and having the entire day to do what I want.
I am both nervous and excited to be entering a new season. I am excited because I love having a goal, but nervous because I know the hours and tired afternoons from early morning workouts that are just around the corner.
I've been thinking a lot about my approach to my second Ironman. For my first Ironman, the fear of the unknown was a fantastic motivator and in training for my first iron distance race that fear got me through every grueling workout. With it though, I sacrificed a lot of other things along the way. Things that help to balance me and keep me more or less sane and happy (time with Dan & my friends, plenty of sleep, to name a few).
I poured a lot of my time and resources into Ironman last season. I had (have) a very able coach to give me workouts which I did, then ‘augmented.’ I started pushing mileage. There were times in my training when suddenly 100 mile weeks weren’t good enough. Two-a-days weren’t good enough. My road bike wasn’t good enough. It's very easy to get caught up in all of that.
The last two months of IM C'ouer D'Alene training, I was easily burning 5000 calories a day and working out 20 hours per week (on top of working 40 hours a week). I literally couldn't sit still; I couldn't think of anything except my next workout; Ironman training consumed me.
So, I decided that this season I will take more liberties while training. Stick to Coach Shawn's schedule he gives me (no augmentations), but also not fret or feel guilty if I have to miss a workout. Do not obsess over this race; after all, it's only a race.
So that brings me to my goals for 2011:
Goals for 2011
1) Achieve balance of family first, work second, fitness third. This means that there is no way that I will ever give up family over fitness or jeopardize my work success for fitness. However, I will never give up fitness just because of work. I simply prioritize, plan, and execute. Just like I would at work.
2) Finish Ironman Texas with a smile on my face. I will not set a time goal for this race other than finishing, as I know heat/humidity will be a big factor. I do not want to stress myself out to hit a certain time.
3) Take a 2 week vacation from workouts at the end of the season.
4) Work to help people be active in ANY WAY possible.
I will slowly start adding in some bike and longer swim workouts over the next few weeks and meet with Coach Shawn over the holidays to set our plan of attack for Ironman Texas!
I woke up this morning and December smacked me in the face. How did it get here so fast? The arrival of December doesn't make me nervous because I have yet to do any Christmas shopping (but I haven't); it makes me nervous because Ironman Texas is approaching and I need to start training again. Meaning, I need to start logging some serious miles on my bike and start upping my swim workouts. Also meaning bye bye to my free evenings and weekends sleeping in and having the entire day to do what I want.
I am both nervous and excited to be entering a new season. I am excited because I love having a goal, but nervous because I know the hours and tired afternoons from early morning workouts that are just around the corner.
I've been thinking a lot about my approach to my second Ironman. For my first Ironman, the fear of the unknown was a fantastic motivator and in training for my first iron distance race that fear got me through every grueling workout. With it though, I sacrificed a lot of other things along the way. Things that help to balance me and keep me more or less sane and happy (time with Dan & my friends, plenty of sleep, to name a few).
I poured a lot of my time and resources into Ironman last season. I had (have) a very able coach to give me workouts which I did, then ‘augmented.’ I started pushing mileage. There were times in my training when suddenly 100 mile weeks weren’t good enough. Two-a-days weren’t good enough. My road bike wasn’t good enough. It's very easy to get caught up in all of that.
The last two months of IM C'ouer D'Alene training, I was easily burning 5000 calories a day and working out 20 hours per week (on top of working 40 hours a week). I literally couldn't sit still; I couldn't think of anything except my next workout; Ironman training consumed me.
So, I decided that this season I will take more liberties while training. Stick to Coach Shawn's schedule he gives me (no augmentations), but also not fret or feel guilty if I have to miss a workout. Do not obsess over this race; after all, it's only a race.
So that brings me to my goals for 2011:
Goals for 2011
1) Achieve balance of family first, work second, fitness third. This means that there is no way that I will ever give up family over fitness or jeopardize my work success for fitness. However, I will never give up fitness just because of work. I simply prioritize, plan, and execute. Just like I would at work.
2) Finish Ironman Texas with a smile on my face. I will not set a time goal for this race other than finishing, as I know heat/humidity will be a big factor. I do not want to stress myself out to hit a certain time.
3) Take a 2 week vacation from workouts at the end of the season.
4) Work to help people be active in ANY WAY possible.
I will slowly start adding in some bike and longer swim workouts over the next few weeks and meet with Coach Shawn over the holidays to set our plan of attack for Ironman Texas!
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