Half Marathon

Yesterday was the half marathon, and I'm feeling surprisingly good today, especially considering I could hardly walk after the race. There weren't any serious wardrobe malfunctions, which is great news. The glide worked well, and having the one time use packets in my pocket worked perfectly.... except that my hands were so sweaty I had to open them with my mouth.
When the gun went off it was 89% humidity and 76 degrees. By the time I finished it was in the low 80's and right around 90% humidity. Certainly not ideal race conditions, but I am happy with my time of 2 hours 13 minutes. That's not my official time, that's the time I crossed the finish line. I didn't cross the start line until almost 4 minutes, so I think my actual running time will be closer to 2:09.  This isn't terrible, but my goal was to break 2 hours, so I was disappointed. I was especially disappointed because I passed mile 10 in 1:28, which left me on pace to finish right under 2 hours. I completely fell apart around mile 11, and it took me about 14 minutes to run the 11th mile.
It's best to start at the beginning though...
Mile 1 was kind of a crap shoot, the crowds are thick and I was actually WALKING for a few minutes because there was no space to run. I spent the first three miles trying to establish a comfortable pace, and to find a decent pack of people that seemed to be running at my pace. I found two guys who had a watch, and were aiming for 9:30 miles.
Miles 4-6 felt really good, it started to get REALLY hot, and the sun made an appearance at that point. Since the course was an out and back, I saw the race leader run back by me at mile 4.5. It's amazing to see the leaders, he didn't even look tired. It can be defeating to see the race leader on their 9th mile, essentially running twice as fast as me, but I actually find it motivating to see them. At the halfway point I left my new found friends, who happened to be members of the Boston PD, and picked up my pace a little. Despite the heat, I felt comfortable pushing it a little harder.
Mile 7-9 I was completely in the zone. My legs were totally numb, but I was managing to put one foot in front of the other and keeping a 9 min mile pace. I was SO in the zone, that I completely missed the mile 8 marker, and was super happy/surprised to pass the 9 mile one.  Mile 9 was LONG and hot, but I managed to keep pace and like I said earlier, passed the 10 mile marker in 1:28.
THEN, it all started to go south. I passed my friend Laura and some of her friends right around 10.5, and got an adrenaline push to keep going. I thought it would be enough to get me to the finish, but after the water station at mile 11, I felt like dying. My legs stopped being numb, and I actually realized how much pain I was in. My left foot and hip were THROBBING, so I stopped to stretch my hip flexor and kept on running. I thought if I just ran through the pain, it would stop. Right when I was about to give in and walk I saw the mile 12 marker and turned the corner to see the bridge to the finish line. I was NOT stopping with 1.1 to go. I suffered through another 0.25, until I was able to hear the finish line, and the crowds on the streets started to get louder and thicker. About 0.5 from the finish I saw Brian and Sarah, who were screaming like crazy. That gave me the push I needed to make it to the finish. Unfortunately, at that point, my pace was totally screwed, but I'm still happy that I was able to finish in a reasonable time, AND that I had enough left to dig deep and pick it up into the chute.
Overall, I'm satisfied with my performance, and I can't wait to do my sprint triathlon in July!! Racing is such a different experience than training, and it really pushes you to your limits.

Sarah took this, about 0.5 from the finish. I managed to smile, but I'm dying inside.

Post race, practicing good form, enjoying an orange.

Fundraising. Woot.

After an extremely generous donation from the Turner Family yesterday, I'm officially at 25% of my fundraising goal!! This is extremely exciting, because it's only May and I still have 5 months to raise the rest. Don't forget to spread the word to your family and friends!
Tonight I'm planning on running at least 2 miles, and then going to play ultimate frisbee with Brian. There is a pick-up league in Boston, and this will be our first time attending. I'm super excited, and will definitely let you know how it goes. Ultimate is a great workout in itself, consistent movement, and some sprinting as well. I'm not great at throwing the frisbee, but I can catch it most of the time and I can certainly run around for a while :)
4 days until the half marathon, I'm starting to freak out!

The Rapture

After two awesome runs this weekend, I'm feeling a little more confident about what I will ultimately wear next Sunday for the half marathon. I ran yesterday morning in my favorite running shorts, and used the glide to prevent chaffing. Yesterday was super hot and I was really sweaty (YUM!) and the glide worked for about 4 miles. If the glide works for 4 miles, that means I'll need to re apply it at least twice during the race. Luckily, it comes in little one time use packets that easily fit in the pocket in my running shorts. Today was a bit cooler, so I ran in my 3/4 length leggings, and wasn't overly warm. I was wearing a tank, and experienced some chaffing in my armpit (WTF??) around mile 7, so it looks like I will be wearing a T shirt for the race (or using glide on my armpits, gross).

I had an amazing weekend, despite the looming threat of The Rapture. Brian and I ran 4.5 yesterday morning, and then went to Earthfest. We got to see Ok Go perform a free concert at the Hatch Shell (an outdoor venue in downtown Boston, along the Charles). It was amazing, there were tons of sailboats on the Charles AND lots of vendors giving out free food!! I got two reusable shopping bags, one full of free samples of granola, cereal, Clif bars, fruit bars etc.  It was sponsored by Whole Foods, which is kind of a bummer, but I was able to enjoy some live music and load up on enough portable breakfasts for the next two weeks!! We rang in the "end of the world" at Dillon's, on their outdoor patio with deep fried pickles and Sam Summers.
This AM, Brian and I ran a loop to the gym (4 miles) and then he lifted and played bball while I ran a second loop of 3.5 (so I kind of ran a figure 8). We met at Athan's, our fav brunch spot and I devoured french toast, half an omelet, and 2 pieces of baklava.
Coming up this week: one more long run (hopefully Tuesday), a Hill workout on Wednesday and two shorter runs (3 miles) and some rest on Saturday before the big race. O yeah, and I start my new job tomorrow! Laundry, cleaning and a bottle of red wine for the rest of the day.

For Well Endowed Athletic Women Everywhere

SO, it's Friday, AGAIN (already??). I had a productive exercise week despite the weather in Boston (rain, rain and more rain). I ran 4.25 on Tuesday (in the rain), and felt really good. I forgot my stopwatch, so I have no idea how long it took me, but I think around 40 minutes. On Wednesday I went to spinning, and even though I hadn't been in a few weeks, I felt really good. All of this is extremely POSITIVE, considering I have a half marathon next weekend. I'm supposed to be tapering, but I'm going to do one last long run this weekend, mostly to test out my running gear, and to see what's most comfortable.
FULL DISCLOSURE: I'm about to get into some of the down and dirty aspects of running long distances, if lady problems upset/disgust you, just stop reading now.
SO, a half marathon at the end of May in the NE is tricky to prep for clothing wise. I'm talking about pants vs. shorts here, which is huge, especially as a lady. I'm sure you've all heard of chaffing, and guys and girls get it in different places for different reasons.
As a well-endowed woman, I basically deal with chaffing anywhere you can possible imagine getting it. The worst kind happens on your inner thighs, and can be prevented by wearing long-ish shorts (which are hideous) or using an anti-chafing product like glide. Glide is essentially lube, that helps the skin "glide" off itself, to prevent any sort of sticking which leads to irritation. This is certainly no laughing matter, as I've actually bled due to chaffing on several occasions. I don't really like Glide because it's just gross, and long shorts are not flattering on anyone, except men who should ALWAYS wear them. SO what's a girl to do? I'm hoping I can wear leggings -- NOT the "fashionable" ones, the kind made for running. They come in different weights, so make sure you're getting some that are seasonally appropriate. BUT it could be like 90 degrees next weekend, so I might have to wear shorts. In which case, they make awesome running shorts with built in undies (I always wear reg underwear too), which prevent riding, which prevents chaffing. Mine are Nike, but other brands are just fine.
The other MAJOR issue is the chestal region. Those of you who know me can certainly imagine what I'm dealing with up top. Men deal with nipple chaffing (which sounds awful), but I also deal with chaffing around my rib cage, between my ladies and just general soreness from two hours of bouncing up and down. Step #1 involves finding a quality sports bra that properly supports the twins. I'm not talking about the $20 champion bras you buy at target. I like the Athleta Juno and the Under Armor Women's Endure. BOTH of these come in regular bra sizes, not S, M, L which is super helpful. Step #2 buy as many of the bra as you can afford, especially if you find one that you don't have to double up. Don't worry if the ladies in the dressing room are looking at you weird. Do jumping jacks, down dog, cartwheels, whatever you have to do to determine if this bra will work for you. Step #3 try it out on a long run. It's amazing how comfortable something might feel for 3 miles, but after 8 you're body is screaming in pain.
The LAST issue, which is gender neutral, is investing in some quality socks. You have to find what works for you, but I prefer thin socks. Nike came out with some socks that are as thick as tights, and I like them the best.
I'll let you know how all of this works out for the weekend, and if it doesn't I'll be out investing in some sweet new threads.
Happy Friday, Happy Running!

Time is Flying, My Feet Are Not

OMG, I can't believe it's been two weeks since my last post!! I've been so busy, accepting new jobs!!! traveling, volunteering and adjusting to the Monday-Friday lifestyle. It's amazing how little cleaning and other things get done during the week when Brian and I both work. Last night, we didn't even eat dinner until 9:30. Running after work just pushes everything else back so late. I'm considering running before work, now that it's somewhat light out as early as 5:00 AM.  For those of you who know me well, you SHOULD be shocked by the fact that I'm considering waking up before work to run. Especially as my workouts get longer, it's really hard to get home from work at 6PM and want to go to the gym for two hours. Making time for running etc. is the hardest part, especially because the half marathon is in 2 weeks!!!
I have been trying to run at least 5 miles each time I go out, but sometimes because of the aforementioned time constraints, it's not always possible. I STILL haven't gotten in my 10 mile run, which I absolutely have to do this week. If I can't run 10 miles, then I may not be able to finish the 1/2. I ran with Brian on Sunday, and we did 4.5 miles in 41 minutes. Brian said that he thinks I'm getting faster, since when we run together he doesn't feel as slow as usual. Backhanded compliment?? I'll take it! We were able to maintain right around 9 min miles for the entire run, except for mile 2 when I messed up the stopwatch and we had to stop for a minute so Brian could fix it :)
I haven't been to spinning in a few weeks, mostly because I can't seem to get signed up in time. Ed (my instructor) said that because it's spring, people get crazy about working out for swimsuit season, and so it's hard to get into the classes (only 23 slots per class). ANOTHER reason to get up early, the 6:00AM spinning class is never full.
The weather all week is supposed to be crappy, rainy AND cold. Seriously, spring? Running in the rain stinks, but there are a few things that make it easier.
1. a lightweight waterproof jacket
2. good quality socks, to keep your feet from getting super wet
3. wearing shorts, or cropped pants. there is nothing worse than pants that get heavy because they're soaked on the bottom.
4. a hat with a brim to keep the rain out of your face/eyes AND to keep your head dry.
5. lightweight running gloves, if it's cold enough.
Sorry again for the delay, I know many of you are riveted by my blog. I promise I won't take this much of a hiatus again. Happy running.

Sunday Funday

I didn't get to run yesterday, because I spent my afternoon at a Tequila tasting, YUM! I DID run today though, six miles and it HURT. I'm not sure if it's because I was dehydrated from drinking too much tequila, or if it was the hills on mile 4, but it was definitely a hard run for me today. I mapped out a 6.2 miler (a 10K) on a route I hadn't run before. Unfortunately mile 4 was ALL up hill, so that slowed my pace a little bit. I ran the first two miles in 8:45, and came in at the three mile mark under 27:00. Mile 4 was a bust, and it took me almost 10 minutes, but I was able to pick up the pace for miles 5 and 6, and finished the whole run in under 56:00. I definitely didn't feel as good as I did on my 8 mile run last week, but that happens sometimes on runs. It can be related to what you ate, the weather, your mentality, the sleep you got. It could be a million different reasons, but the main thing is that I finished it in a reasonable amount of time, and I felt great for the rest of the day!!
All of this running has been going well, and other than some sore quads last week I've been fortunate enough to not have injuries plaguing me at this point. The problem is, I haven't been spinning as much since the weather is nicer... so hard to get motivated to workout inside!! I need to get my bike tuned up, and some air in the tires before I start riding it outside. Hopefully I can make that happen this week!!
Looking forward to more nice weather and a 10 miler later this week. Wednesday maybe?