14.5.13
Tuesday: Another long run, another fall.
It's a long story how this week's long run got scheduled for a Tuesday morning, but that's how things went down. I had an "at least 10" on the books, which turned out to be an 11.5 miler around Lakes Harriet and Calhoun. The other option was the super hill at Ft Snelling but after last weekend I kind of wanted a break from the hills.
I had yet another fall, this time in mile 4 while running on the trail/gravel/grass alongside the paved trail. my foot just caught something. I got a bloody knee that looked worse than it was most of the way. It only started getting stiff in the last mile or two of the run. Figured out later that I re-upset my shoulder too. Awesome. I'm considering getting my peripheral vision checked because I feel like this is just one too many falls for a season, even counting that a couple were on ice.
I have a long term marathon pace goal for Twin Cities. I'm not ready to write about it just yet. The goal for this run was to keep the miles under a certain pace. Obviously the first couple of miles were warm up miles and above whatever pace I could've dreamed up for myself. I have to say, I'm pretty happy with the miles around Lake Calhoun. There used to be a time I couldn't even run that fast for a 5K.
Somewhere in mile 9 I knew I was going to get caught at a long light anyways, so I pulled out my camera and snapped some pictures. Lake Calhoun looked amazing this morning, both lakes did. The sunrise glinting off the downtown skyscrapers was also quite impressive but harder to capture with a camera.
I ran in my fancy schmancy Nike shorts that I got in Florida, and the raceback tank Mom got me at the marathon expo. I had super thin socks inside my Asics (which seems to be the way to go), and wore a fuel belt but only took a couple bottles of water. I love everything I wore but perhaps the racer back tank the most. I like to imagine I look like a bad ass in it, although that's probably not how it appears to everyone else.
It's a good thing I got my run in when I did, because I'm sure we set a record with the current temperature. Wow!
I had yet another fall, this time in mile 4 while running on the trail/gravel/grass alongside the paved trail. my foot just caught something. I got a bloody knee that looked worse than it was most of the way. It only started getting stiff in the last mile or two of the run. Figured out later that I re-upset my shoulder too. Awesome. I'm considering getting my peripheral vision checked because I feel like this is just one too many falls for a season, even counting that a couple were on ice.
I have a long term marathon pace goal for Twin Cities. I'm not ready to write about it just yet. The goal for this run was to keep the miles under a certain pace. Obviously the first couple of miles were warm up miles and above whatever pace I could've dreamed up for myself. I have to say, I'm pretty happy with the miles around Lake Calhoun. There used to be a time I couldn't even run that fast for a 5K.
Somewhere in mile 9 I knew I was going to get caught at a long light anyways, so I pulled out my camera and snapped some pictures. Lake Calhoun looked amazing this morning, both lakes did. The sunrise glinting off the downtown skyscrapers was also quite impressive but harder to capture with a camera.
I ran in my fancy schmancy Nike shorts that I got in Florida, and the raceback tank Mom got me at the marathon expo. I had super thin socks inside my Asics (which seems to be the way to go), and wore a fuel belt but only took a couple bottles of water. I love everything I wore but perhaps the racer back tank the most. I like to imagine I look like a bad ass in it, although that's probably not how it appears to everyone else.
It's a good thing I got my run in when I did, because I'm sure we set a record with the current temperature. Wow!
13.5.13
The Time Is Now
One running related note: I ran my mile today, saving big miles for tomorrow and the end of the week. My mile pace was faster than a 9:30. What!?!
In more important news, this happened in my state today:
As predicted, Michele Bachman had the most entertaining reaction to all of it. I keep inviting my parents up to come up here, but I'll have to wait until I see if God sends volcanic eruptions or a flesh eating virus our way. Just so I know what I'm bringing them into.
In more important news, this happened in my state today:
10.5.13
Long Cincinnati Trip - the Highlights
Wednesday - showing up in Cincinnati where it was 80* whilst a snow storm was brewing at home. Suck it Minnesota. Also Jazzercise with Mom.
Thursday - Hanging out with Dad, Grandma, and my cousins who are moving to California at the end of the month. The drive down the Appalachian Highway and US-52 is beautiful.
Friday - Green Dog Cafe, Packet Pickup, Ault Park, Skyline and Playhouse in the Park, even if the play didn't sit quite right with me.
Saturday - 10K, 5K, and dinner at Ruth's house. Also, Mom and Dad as the cheering squad.
Sunday - Half Marathon PR after the previous day of racing. Hanging out with more cousins and Aunts and Uncles.
Monday - My mom bought an iMac. That was our Mother's Day celebration. Afterwards I tried to get all the crap off the old computer. It was dying before my eyes.
Tuesday - I set up the iMac for Mom and got all of her data transferred, got the time machine set up, the internet working, and the rats nest of cords resolved. Then I came back to Minnesota which was suddenly warmer than Ohio.
Thursday - Hanging out with Dad, Grandma, and my cousins who are moving to California at the end of the month. The drive down the Appalachian Highway and US-52 is beautiful.
Friday - Green Dog Cafe, Packet Pickup, Ault Park, Skyline and Playhouse in the Park, even if the play didn't sit quite right with me.
Saturday - 10K, 5K, and dinner at Ruth's house. Also, Mom and Dad as the cheering squad.
Sunday - Half Marathon PR after the previous day of racing. Hanging out with more cousins and Aunts and Uncles.
Monday - My mom bought an iMac. That was our Mother's Day celebration. Afterwards I tried to get all the crap off the old computer. It was dying before my eyes.
Tuesday - I set up the iMac for Mom and got all of her data transferred, got the time machine set up, the internet working, and the rats nest of cords resolved. Then I came back to Minnesota which was suddenly warmer than Ohio.
9.5.13
Lake Nokomis Fun Run
True story - the week after my period, there's no limits on my energy. In honor of that, I ran 7 miles this morning, around Lake Nokomis. Before work. Just for fun. Sunrise over the lake was gorgeous.
I have a long term goal of knocking some serious time off my marathon finish. Short term that means working to keep runs this distance faster.
- Mile 1 - always painfully slow
- Mile 2- picking it up
- Mile 3 - the pace is actually faster because of waiting for a light to cross Cedar Ave
- Mile 4 - Boom.
- Mile 5 - hello glycogen depletion.
- Mile 6 - the running pace is actually a bit faster; there's a stop light in this mile too
- Mile the last - it was actually 6.8 miles and I used the end as a cool down.
8.5.13
Flying Pig - 3 Way Challenge
The Three Way Challenge is new this year from my friends at The Flying Pig Marathon. The 'challenge' is to run a 10K and 5K on Saturday and the Half Marathon on Sunday. (Four-Way Challenge is to run the Full Marathon on Sunday.)
Registration is online and fairly easy. The cost for the 3-way is the same as signing up for all three races separately. At first I wanted a discount for buying the whole enchilada, but I got over that pretty quickly.
Packet Pickup and Expo: This thing is for real and it's done right. It's my favorite expo that I've ever been to. All the volunteers walk around in shirts that say "Grunts" and have pictures of pig snouts. I was curious how many people signed up for the challenge. There were two boxes of packets for the Three way challenge and one box (that seemed very not full) of packets for the Four Way challenge. P&G always has a big presence at the expo and gives away tons of stuff to everyone, not just runners. Mom found some shirts for Jazzercise she liked and got me a couple running shirts too. I also got 3 shirts, one for each race I'm doing, the poster and the 'bag' this year which is a cooler. I was hoping for a replacement of the duffel, but the cooler looks nice. 3-way and 4-way runners can ONLY go to packet pickup on Friday. Once I saw the logistics, it made sense.
10K is the first race on the agenda, 8am Saturday. Mom and Dad came out as my cheer team. Funniest line before the race goes to my mother who was all "I've never seen so many people in line to go to the bathroom". I think they technically had enough port o potties but just barely. The starting line was jammed and it took almost the entire first mile for the racers to get sorted out by pace, and for the walkers to fall all the way to the back. I love that this race is friendly to walkers. There were 3 water stops on the course which is normally a lot. My hydration strategy was somewhat different since I was running so much over the weekend and I did take water or gatorade at each stop and was glad for it. My goal for the race was to run even, not hard, which I was able to do. I knew I had a lot left in the tank when I sped up the last mile and passed about 100 people. (I wish I was exaggerating.) Points for good organization go to the race, because they asked me to wait until after the 5K to get both medals, so I wouldn't have to run 3 miles with a medal around my neck. Smart.
10K recommended for everyone who wants to go that far, walking or running. They do keep the course open for walkers and it's supported with 3 water stops. Yes, three. It's great for racers and experienced runners because it's a challenging course. It's great for newbies because it's so well supported. It's great for everyone in between because it's just that good.
5K. I was able to find my parents in between races and hang out for a few minutes. I tried to stay loose but that was basically impossible, as proven by the 14:00 mile I "ran" as the first mile of the 5K. This race was super friendly to kids and families as well as walkers. I wished this race had corrals even more than the 10K. The corrals should be "adults and high school cross country teams who want to run/race", then "families with kids, elementary school track and cross country teams", then walkers. I almost took out a couple kids on this race, not on purpose or out of frustration, but because they'd sprint by me and then stop in front of me. Also as predicted, this was my slowest race. I again passed about 100 people in the last mile. The volunteers at the finish were awesome, helped me get both my medals and congratulated me. There was also tons of food. Although for some reason my parents can never (and I mean never) navigate from any part of the course to the finish. They need better directions for spectators.
5K recommended for anyone. It's a 5K. There's first timers, racers, schools, walkers, families, everyone. Racers and fasties need to know to get to the front of the pack in front of the school kids. Everyone else, be patient because the course is crowded.
Rest the rest of the day The goal for the rest of Saturday was to rest and eat. I came home, took a hot shower, and got into my compression gear straight away. I stretched for 10-15 minutes then had lunch and napped. Followed by some snacks and another nap, and more snacks. I couldn't eat very much, but I kept trying to get the calories back. We had dinner at a friends house and I came home and went to bed early.
Half-marathon day I got up at the crack of dawn. I like to park near the starting line which is always a bit of an adventure. I usually get down there really early and then have breakfast in the car. Since it always rains on Flying Pig day, I like to be able to stay in the car as long as possible anyways. I had two sets of alarms. One to get me out of bed and a second in case I fell asleep again in the car before the start. Smart.
Starting line - they did a weird thing this year with the port o pots. They had the great wall somewhere that I never found, but they had about ten in each corral (Pig Pen) as well. That looked like such a good idea until it wasn't. By the time the gun blew, each pot had a line about 10 deep in every corral I walked past. I was in corral F (goes up to H), so you know I walked by a lot of people standing in line. It's a chip timed race, so not crucial to start with the gun but it still sucks not to start with your pace group. There was a bit of rain but an impressive sunrise and a great rainbow.
The course - hasn't changed in the years I've run the race. My favorite parts are the Mile 6 water stop yeah, Avondale Running Club, the top of the hill (where I gave Ruth a big hug this year) and the super long down hill at the end of the race. I surprised myself by being with the 2:30:00 pacers up that beast of a hill and all the way along the ridge. When we got to the down, they told me just to go on and so I did. I even stopped for a beer in the final mile. 2:30:00 was my "A" goal, and basically my half marathon PR so I was blown away when I crossed the finish line early and knew I'd busted a new PR at the end of a long weekend of running. I hung around the finish line 'till the pacers crossed so I could thank them. Their names are Trisha and Alicia.
Finish line - there's always tons and tons of food in the finisher's chute, and tons of volunteers congratulating the runners. The thing I hate the most if how everyone stops while exiting the chute and reuniting with family. It bothers me because usually my legs seize up after the race and it hurts to stop moving. Does that make sense?
Half-marathon recommended for everyone. For experienced runners, it's quite a challenging course with a long climb and a long technical descent. For first time runners, it's one of the most supportive courses I've ever been on, with more water stops and volunteer support than you can believe. For walkers there is a 6 or 7 hour time limit for this course so you do have time to finish.
3-Way 'Premiums' - were possibly the only real fail for race organizers. (They're usually super organized.) I didn't really understand that I'd have to go to a separate place outside the finisher chute to collect the 3-way gear, or what the gear was. I only figured it out when looking at an event map and saw the tent marked "3-way challenge finishers'. Most people never figured it out and the Pig is mailing their gear to them instead. It's not a super big deal and I'm sure they'll do something different next year. (Read: Put the tent in the finisher chute please.)
Safety - I was really curious about safety in light of Boston. We got a couple emails before the race, and then some information at the expo as well. Participants were told not to try and stash any running gear by benches, bushes, under cars, etc because items would be cleared in security sweeps. Bag checks all had to be in clear plastic bags. We were also given extra clear plastic bags for any spectators, so they wouldn't have to carry back packs or large purses (see what I mean about organization, so thoughtful). Runners were told there would be increased police presence on the course. I definitely noticed more presence at the starting line, Saturday with the SWAT team and Sunday with Navy personnel (yes, Navy), but honestly didn't notice too much more along the course. At the finish line, they had much more space between the actual finish and where volunteers were handing out medals and water, but that was the only real difference from last year. Honestly, I appreciated the change.
SWAG - In addition to the awesome course, and awesome volunteers, and awesome organization, the SWAG is also the best. This race is popular for the 50 states club and other marathoners because of the awesome medals. I also got shirts for all three races, plus a bonus shirt for the 3-way. Every year there's a race poster. Every year there's a 'bag' of some kind. I have a duffel, backpack, and this year was a soft sided cooler. I heard there's also a messenger bag but that was the year I missed. Did I mention P&G gives out free stuff at the expo. Last year we came home with toilet paper for a month.
3-way recommended for - nutso runners, anyone who likes to get out of bed super early multiple days in a row, ultra marathoners needing a training challenge. I know my people.
Would I do it again? I signed up for this in the midst of a wild winter. Jackie put it best when she said "mind-f*ck". I knew running would help me feel like a good person, and I knew I'd run more if I had something in mind during training. There are circumstances I'd do it again or do the 4-way (maybe that just once) but I don't think I'd drag my parents around for as much cheering because that wore all of us out.
Registration is online and fairly easy. The cost for the 3-way is the same as signing up for all three races separately. At first I wanted a discount for buying the whole enchilada, but I got over that pretty quickly.
Packet Pickup and Expo: This thing is for real and it's done right. It's my favorite expo that I've ever been to. All the volunteers walk around in shirts that say "Grunts" and have pictures of pig snouts. I was curious how many people signed up for the challenge. There were two boxes of packets for the Three way challenge and one box (that seemed very not full) of packets for the Four Way challenge. P&G always has a big presence at the expo and gives away tons of stuff to everyone, not just runners. Mom found some shirts for Jazzercise she liked and got me a couple running shirts too. I also got 3 shirts, one for each race I'm doing, the poster and the 'bag' this year which is a cooler. I was hoping for a replacement of the duffel, but the cooler looks nice. 3-way and 4-way runners can ONLY go to packet pickup on Friday. Once I saw the logistics, it made sense.
10K is the first race on the agenda, 8am Saturday. Mom and Dad came out as my cheer team. Funniest line before the race goes to my mother who was all "I've never seen so many people in line to go to the bathroom". I think they technically had enough port o potties but just barely. The starting line was jammed and it took almost the entire first mile for the racers to get sorted out by pace, and for the walkers to fall all the way to the back. I love that this race is friendly to walkers. There were 3 water stops on the course which is normally a lot. My hydration strategy was somewhat different since I was running so much over the weekend and I did take water or gatorade at each stop and was glad for it. My goal for the race was to run even, not hard, which I was able to do. I knew I had a lot left in the tank when I sped up the last mile and passed about 100 people. (I wish I was exaggerating.) Points for good organization go to the race, because they asked me to wait until after the 5K to get both medals, so I wouldn't have to run 3 miles with a medal around my neck. Smart.
10K recommended for everyone who wants to go that far, walking or running. They do keep the course open for walkers and it's supported with 3 water stops. Yes, three. It's great for racers and experienced runners because it's a challenging course. It's great for newbies because it's so well supported. It's great for everyone in between because it's just that good.
5K. I was able to find my parents in between races and hang out for a few minutes. I tried to stay loose but that was basically impossible, as proven by the 14:00 mile I "ran" as the first mile of the 5K. This race was super friendly to kids and families as well as walkers. I wished this race had corrals even more than the 10K. The corrals should be "adults and high school cross country teams who want to run/race", then "families with kids, elementary school track and cross country teams", then walkers. I almost took out a couple kids on this race, not on purpose or out of frustration, but because they'd sprint by me and then stop in front of me. Also as predicted, this was my slowest race. I again passed about 100 people in the last mile. The volunteers at the finish were awesome, helped me get both my medals and congratulated me. There was also tons of food. Although for some reason my parents can never (and I mean never) navigate from any part of the course to the finish. They need better directions for spectators.
5K recommended for anyone. It's a 5K. There's first timers, racers, schools, walkers, families, everyone. Racers and fasties need to know to get to the front of the pack in front of the school kids. Everyone else, be patient because the course is crowded.
Rest the rest of the day The goal for the rest of Saturday was to rest and eat. I came home, took a hot shower, and got into my compression gear straight away. I stretched for 10-15 minutes then had lunch and napped. Followed by some snacks and another nap, and more snacks. I couldn't eat very much, but I kept trying to get the calories back. We had dinner at a friends house and I came home and went to bed early.
Half-marathon day I got up at the crack of dawn. I like to park near the starting line which is always a bit of an adventure. I usually get down there really early and then have breakfast in the car. Since it always rains on Flying Pig day, I like to be able to stay in the car as long as possible anyways. I had two sets of alarms. One to get me out of bed and a second in case I fell asleep again in the car before the start. Smart.
Starting line - they did a weird thing this year with the port o pots. They had the great wall somewhere that I never found, but they had about ten in each corral (Pig Pen) as well. That looked like such a good idea until it wasn't. By the time the gun blew, each pot had a line about 10 deep in every corral I walked past. I was in corral F (goes up to H), so you know I walked by a lot of people standing in line. It's a chip timed race, so not crucial to start with the gun but it still sucks not to start with your pace group. There was a bit of rain but an impressive sunrise and a great rainbow.
 |
| My face is thrilled - because corral F is literally half mile from the start. |
Finish line - there's always tons and tons of food in the finisher's chute, and tons of volunteers congratulating the runners. The thing I hate the most if how everyone stops while exiting the chute and reuniting with family. It bothers me because usually my legs seize up after the race and it hurts to stop moving. Does that make sense?
Half-marathon recommended for everyone. For experienced runners, it's quite a challenging course with a long climb and a long technical descent. For first time runners, it's one of the most supportive courses I've ever been on, with more water stops and volunteer support than you can believe. For walkers there is a 6 or 7 hour time limit for this course so you do have time to finish.
3-Way 'Premiums' - were possibly the only real fail for race organizers. (They're usually super organized.) I didn't really understand that I'd have to go to a separate place outside the finisher chute to collect the 3-way gear, or what the gear was. I only figured it out when looking at an event map and saw the tent marked "3-way challenge finishers'. Most people never figured it out and the Pig is mailing their gear to them instead. It's not a super big deal and I'm sure they'll do something different next year. (Read: Put the tent in the finisher chute please.)
Safety - I was really curious about safety in light of Boston. We got a couple emails before the race, and then some information at the expo as well. Participants were told not to try and stash any running gear by benches, bushes, under cars, etc because items would be cleared in security sweeps. Bag checks all had to be in clear plastic bags. We were also given extra clear plastic bags for any spectators, so they wouldn't have to carry back packs or large purses (see what I mean about organization, so thoughtful). Runners were told there would be increased police presence on the course. I definitely noticed more presence at the starting line, Saturday with the SWAT team and Sunday with Navy personnel (yes, Navy), but honestly didn't notice too much more along the course. At the finish line, they had much more space between the actual finish and where volunteers were handing out medals and water, but that was the only real difference from last year. Honestly, I appreciated the change.
SWAG - In addition to the awesome course, and awesome volunteers, and awesome organization, the SWAG is also the best. This race is popular for the 50 states club and other marathoners because of the awesome medals. I also got shirts for all three races, plus a bonus shirt for the 3-way. Every year there's a race poster. Every year there's a 'bag' of some kind. I have a duffel, backpack, and this year was a soft sided cooler. I heard there's also a messenger bag but that was the year I missed. Did I mention P&G gives out free stuff at the expo. Last year we came home with toilet paper for a month.
3-way recommended for - nutso runners, anyone who likes to get out of bed super early multiple days in a row, ultra marathoners needing a training challenge. I know my people.
Would I do it again? I signed up for this in the midst of a wild winter. Jackie put it best when she said "mind-f*ck". I knew running would help me feel like a good person, and I knew I'd run more if I had something in mind during training. There are circumstances I'd do it again or do the 4-way (maybe that just once) but I don't think I'd drag my parents around for as much cheering because that wore all of us out.
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