Had a Bad Race?

When you have a bad race, take a good look at the past week leading up to that race.  Did you taper? Were you good to your body? Did you make sure to eat healthy and in ways that would optimize your energy levels?

I had a bad race.  It was a half marathon.  It was only my bad race because the event itself was excellent. The Turning Stone Half Marathon was the first year running. Organizers catered to the runner in ways that were over and above the call of duty.  The course was rolling but not in a way that didn't allow the runner to get a good rhythm going over the course of 13.1 miles.  Although the roads were not blocked off, the traffic was light and the roads very well marked for a race in progress.  Timing indicators were located at miles 1, 3, 6, and 10.  Water stops were well dispersed along the course and a porto-potty was set up around mile 11.

This was my week in exercise.  Can you tell what I did wrong?

• Monday:  cycled 34 minutes. ran 4 1/2 miles and worked with weights on legs and abs.
• Tuesday: ran 8.35 miles. Worked with weights for chest and arms
• Wednesday:  ran 6.14 miles.
• Thursday:  worked with weights for shoulders and back and walked the dog 3 1/2 miles.
• Friday:  Cycled 16 miles to the Turning Stone for package pickup. Spent 2 1/2 hours walking around waiting for the 5K run at 6 pm.  Ran the 5K at a slow, easy pace (27 minutes).  Cycled home, another 16 miles.
• Saturday:  Rest day, although I walked the dog 5 miles at a healthy pace. The rest of the day was spent on my feet baking. 
• Sunday: The Half Marathon

In review, I did not set my self up for a good race on Sunday. Cycling 32 miles, when my longest ride all summer had been 17 miles, was unwise.  The 5K to follow the cycling, no matter how easy, was also not a smart idea.  Being on my feet all day Saturday when I should have rested my legs was the ultimate in securing a bad race.

Race Day:
I did feel good but was not in the mood to push myself.  I decided not to look at the Garmin and to let my body dicatate the pace.  It did. My body dictated a recovery pace which equated to my slowest race pace in a very long time.  1 hour 50 minutes and 47 seconds.  That was 7 minutes off of goal time.

How to set yourself up for a good race:
If you want to have a good race and possibly set a personal record on that day, you must pay attention to all variables at least 5 days prior to the race. Don't ever under estimate a race.  Don't ever take a race course for granted.  Approach the race and the course as if it could be the toughest challenge of your running career.  You will want all the energy you can find to push yourself over the finish line as fast as possible.
1.  Establish your eating plan the week prior to the race. Don't under eat but don't stuff yourself.  Eat protein rich food the first few days of the week with a lot of fiber  and moderate carbohydrates.  Three days prior to the race, increase your carbohydrates with a balance of lean protein and quality fiber. The day before the race, increase the carbohydrates, decrease the protein to about 15- 20 grams per meal (x 3), limit fat intake and moderate fiber.  Remember: Carbohydrates can cause constipation so you do have to eat fiber and drink a lot of water. No alcohol.
2.  Taper your workout.  If you are currently running 40 to 50 miles per week, decrease your miles to half that distance or less. It depends on the person.  If you feel the need to get a long run in before your race, do it five days prior to the race.  Give yourself a day off before the race and make sure to limit the time on your feet. Try to read a good book, watch a favorite movie. 
3.  Decide if you are going to run a race where you will exert yourself or if you are going to sit back and enjoy the experience.  Stick to your plan and be happy with your decision.

Be prepared to live with your decision.  If you don't run all out, if you take it easy, don't beat yourself up after the race for not trying harder.  There will be more races.

For more, go to www.applecrumbles.com

Get Through it

It was a rainy morning.  The alarm went off and I got up, went through the ritual of brushing teeth, putting on workout clothes and tying back hair, then I went downstairs and laid on the sofa to listen to the rain. I fell asleep.  When the kitchen light went on, because Ted was getting ready to workout, I went back upstairs, got under the comforter and fell asleep once again while listening to the rain. 
I love listening to the rain but never allow myself time to stay in bed and enjoy it.  This morning I did. There were no regrets about missing a workout. It was wonderful getting a couple of extra hours sleep while enjoying the lullaby of raindrops.
 
Tuesday afternoon, as much as I hate running late in the day, I got in that 70 minute run, as scheduled.  The workout was 30 minutes easy running then 20 minutes at steady pace (7:20) and finally back to 20 minutes of easy running.    I didn't feel on top of the world after my run but mentally, I felt accomplished. 

A meaningful quote:

Winning has nothing to do with racing. Most days don’t have races anyway. Winning is about struggle and effort and optimism, and never, ever, ever giving up. By Amby Burfoot, The Runner’s Guide to the Meaning of Life

Sometimes we are faced with scary situations. Situations we volunteered for (a marathon) and some we didn’t (like SURGERY!). In either case, we need to find a way to face them head on, get ourselves through the nervousness and doubt and progress forward. We know the outcome won’t always be what we want but in the end, at least we can say we got through it and didn’t turn and run.

I had a Park Saddlebred long ago, her name was Cari. She was gorgeous but a bit on the wild side. Most of the time, the trainer showed her. Once in a while, I mustered up the courage and went in the ring. After suffering through bouts of rearing

(which is much more dangerous than bucking),

you can imagine my anxiety level when going into the show ring on Cari.
I was able to continue riding to compete by reading a few inspirational quotes. These are the ones that helped the most.
Determination: Determination turns obstacles into opportunities.
*Cari showed in Park classes and won on several occasions. She was too pretty not to be noticed.

Persistence: Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
*Maybe you’ve seen those words of inspiration from successories
This one is my favorite.
A dream is a daring adventure. A journey to carry you far. For when you can hold a dream in your heart, you surely can reach any star!
A dream is a beautiful vision that looks beyond what you can see. Then lifts you and guides you and grows strong inside you to help you to be all you can be.
A dream is your door to tomorrow. A secret reflection of you. A threshold that leads to a wonderful future where nothings to good to be true.
Do you have a favorite quote? Words of inspiration?
Do you constantly put yourself in situations that fill you with anxiety and stress?

For more, go to www.applecrumbles.com

Honor America Days 5K Run in Rome New York

If you ever need an excuse to avoid a scheduled long run, a local race hits the mark.

When a 16 mile run was scheduled one Saturday, I was not feeling any love for the road.  The decision to turn a long run into a short speed session worked out better than I could have possibly hoped.

I was in a slump. The entire week was filled with excuses of why NOT to run.  6 .6 miles were eeked out on Tuesday.  A 5 mile jaunt accomplished on Friday.  That was it. The thought of tackling the 16 miles depressed me.  It was a slump for sure. 
I noticed a local 5K race was being held one town over. It was listed as a "Grand Prix" race on the Utica Road Runners calendar. This meant points could be accumulated and totalled for an award at the end of the year.  Why not?  I was looking for an excuse.

Saturday morning, still not sure what my body wanted to do, I took my dog for a 2 1/2 mile run.  My legs were feeling ok but not enough for a long run.  I left for Rome over an hour before the event since I had to sign up. 

It was an informal affair.  Sign up was outside of City Hall.  A t-shirt was handed out and pamphlets detailing upcoming races.   We were going off at 8:30 am.  I tweeted and updated my status on Facebook as I waited around.  As usual, the nervous anticipation of running a race built up.  I tried to calm myself by engaging in conversation with a couple of other runners.


The conversation with others was about running (what else?!).  Good conversation and no concerns that the other person wasn't interested. After all, why were we there?!

At 8:30, the announcer said "Ready, Set, GO!"  The whistle blew.  A very informal start.  There were no time tracking devices attached to shoes nor bibs.   Simply bib numbers and a time clock at the end.
My legs felt like jelly.  Darn those pre race jitters.  I was hoping they would shake out within the first half mile.  Instead, it took about 1 1/2 miles before the butterflies flew away.  I was running hard.  After all, the course was flat and fast.  It was short AND it was suppose to be a speed workout.

My mouth was dry.  It was hot. Where was the first water stop? I had a tough time getting into a rhythm. I saw the 1 mile mark and thought “I REALLY wish that was 3! Why aren’t the fast guys passing me yet on the loop home? Where DOES this course go anyway?”

I passed a runner who whispered “Good job”. I said “You too”. Then wondered if he was directing his whisper to the lead runners coming back in the opposite direction (FINALLY!)?  It dawned on me that I wasn’t too far behind those lead guys.  My pace must be pretty good. It was a competitive pace anyway.

The turn around point was in the parking lot of the Rome Hospital. A young man in front of me suddenly stopped.  I said “Come on. We’re passed the half way point. You can do it".  He responded with “I know. I got a cramp”. Poor kid. He’d be passing me in a few minutes, I was sure. But I never saw him again.

There is something about reaching the half way point in a race.  The last half always seems shorter than the first, no matter how much harder it is for your body.  Is that just me or does it seem that way for you as well? 

There were plenty of spectators cheering runners along.  Many locals were running as names were being called out left and right.  It was a good crowd.  A friendly run. 

I checked Garmin, but only for time.  I refuse to look at my pace.  When racing, you push yourself and that push should be based on how your body feels.  Associate inwards and check your breath, your form, any aches, pains?  When you rely on a pace clock, it may mislead you into running a race you could have run faster or should have run slower (e.g D N F! Oh No!).  Run with your head not with your GARMIN. 
Anyway, back to checking my Garmin for distance.  I was at the 2.76 mile point.  My thought was  "I can SO do this."    I didn’t have much of a sprint for the finish left in me but I did cross that line in a new PR time of  
22:56.  
That’s almost 2 minutes off my previous best time.  It was my fastest 5K ever. In fact, when I set my ultimate time goal for 5K's, it was at 24 minutes.  Who knew?  Hard work and dedication DO pay off.

I won the female Masters first prize of $75.00

1st Masters Female!


And an adorable hand made runner award.  
The happy runner:


As with most runners, that last PR leaves me wondering if I can go for more.  Will it be worth trying for 20:00?  Not sure.  My next 5K will be a casual run at the Turning Stone on August 19th because the "true grit" will be on Sunday when I run the Turning Stone Half Marathon.  What's my goal?
The ultimate half marathon goal on Joanne's wish list is:   1:44:00

As for the Honor America Days 5K, it's a race you won't want to miss next year.  A lot of friendly runners.  A lot of friendly support.  A great PR course.  Terrific after run food and refreshments PLUS all the festivities of the day since it's a big celebration weekend in Rome, NY.

For more, go to www.applecrumbles.com