The box, the card the bracelet was attached to, the bracelet, and a card about the virtual race
The leather band says "I RUN TO BE"
A bracelet is kinda like a race medal, right? :-)
Showing posts with label half marathon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label half marathon. Show all posts
Monday, February 6, 2012
Runner Rewards
My Nike+ Women's Half Marathon finishers bracelet arrived in the mail today. Yay! That was faster than I expected. At least I got something for a virtual race.
The box, the card the bracelet was attached to, the bracelet, and a card about the virtual race
The leather band says "I RUN TO BE"
A bracelet is kinda like a race medal, right? :-)
The box, the card the bracelet was attached to, the bracelet, and a card about the virtual race
The leather band says "I RUN TO BE"
A bracelet is kinda like a race medal, right? :-)
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Nike+ Women's Half Marathon Recap: The Race
I just completed my first virtual race, the Nike+ Women's Half Marathon.
I prepared as if it were an actual race. No expo? No problem. I made myself a virtual expo. That seemed appropriate for a virtual race. Checked out stuff online and used my Christmas/birthday gift cards. Downloaded new music from iTunes. Hydrated. Ate chicken parm from my favorite restaurant. Got my gear and clothes together the night before. Enjoyed sleeping in my own bed and not traveling. I only had to get up, have breakfast, get dressed, and roll down the street to the gym.
Off I went in the morning to the gym. It was a good morning to hit the gym. Temps in the teens with windchills around zero. Brrr. I would have done a long run outside, but not a race. Especially not a race by myself.
The treadmills are programmed to stop after 1 hour, so I had to trick the treadmill into letting me keep going. I was going to have to come to a dead stop and start the treadmill again. I decided ahead of time that I was going to run 7 miles, stop briefly, restart the treadmill, and run the last 6.1 miles.
I put my stuff in a locker, grabbed my water (1 L of Smartwater, two 8 oz bottles from my Fuelbelt, and .5 L Gatorade) and fuel (shot bloks and 4 mini pretzels) and pouch of extra stuff (chapstick, good luck charm), and hopped on my favorite treadmill, and warmed up. Then stretched. Then set the speed to 7.7 mph/ 7:47 pace and the incline to 1%.
I started my race a little after 7:30am. The gym was pretty quiet. I could have counted the number of gym patrons on one hand. The first minute, I thought the pace felt fast and wondered if I could hold on. And then it didn't feel so fast. Not easy but manageable. I had a TV schedule on a sticky note. I flipped between Saved by the Bell, ESPN, cooking shows on the Food Network, the Weather Channel, the Top 20 countdown on VH1, and CNN.
About 3 or 4 miles in, I realized Nike+ was eating my distance. Not cool, Nike+, not cool. Still, there wasn't anything I could do except run 13.1 Nike+ miles. The gym was getting busier, but there was still open equipment. Some people I knew came in close to mile 5. We waved at each other and that was it.
When I started to feel tired, I kept thinking that I paid $40 to run on my own and I am going to do it. That always brought on a surge of energy.
I stopped the treadmill at 7 miles on Nike+ and 7.55 miles on the treadmill. Note to self: if you ever try to do this again, don't try to drink out of a 1 liter Smartwater bottle. Fill your Fuelbelt bottles and loop the Fuelbelt on the treadmill rail. And off I was to run the last 6.1 miles.
Around mile 9, I got down to my sports bra. I have ran outside in the summer in a sports bra, but I've never done it at the gym before. I don't even think I cared at that point. I had a goal and I was going to work hard to meet it. I also realized that unless something unplanned happened, I knew I had enough energy to make it another 4 miles. Another surge of energy.
After 10 miles or so, I decided I wanted music instead of TV. Every song on my playlist was a song that I absolutely loved. My iPod picked me:
Switchfoot - Dark Horses
U2 - Magnificent (Redanka's 360 Remix)
Gym Class Heroes - Stereo Hearts
Katy Perry - Firework
Chris Brown - Beautiful People
Lady Gaga - Judas
U2 - I Will Follow
Kevin Rudolf - Let It Rock
skipped Jason Derulo - Don't Wanna Go Home and NKOTBSB - Don't Turn the Lights Out
Fitz and the Tantrums - Money Grabber
In my last couple of miles, there was a guy 2 treadmills down who looked like he was struggling. I encouraged to keep going and gave him thumbs up. Once we both stopped running, he thanked me for the encouragement at a time when he was feeling down.
I hit 13.1 miles on Nike+ and I think 6.3 miles on the treadmill (for a total of 13.9 miles according to the treadmill). And that was my virtual half marathon.
Nike+ says I ran 13.12 miles in 1:48:15. That comes down to an 8:15 pace. Except I had the treadmill set to a 7:47 pace the whole time (I dropped it to 7:30 for the last half mile, but that shouldn't have made a huge difference). Usually, that particular treadmill reads less mileage than Nike+, so I am not sure what was going on. Maybe it was because my Nike+ sensor is calibrated to be most accurate around 8:30-8:45? Assuming the treadmill is calibrated correctly, if my pace was 7:47, I would have ran 13.9 miles total and 13.1 miles in 1:42:02. That's an unofficial PR by almost 3 minutes! Which measurement is right, I do not know. I am leaning toward the treadmill being correct based on effort level and previous experience with that particular treadmill. I do know I am so done with Nike+. Oh, I was done with Nike+ months ago, but now I am really done with Nike+. Eating .8 mile of a 13 mile run at race pace is unacceptable.
I am not going to let it take away from successfully racing by myself on a treadmill. It wasn't awful! I never got bored because I had the TV and music to entertain me.
I walked on the treadmill for 5 minutes, changed into a dry set of clothes, ate a banana, grabbed a protein bar, and walked for another 20 minutes or so on the treadmill. I spent some quality time with my foam roller at home. Ahhhhh.
If I ever attempt to race on a treadmill again, I will make sure I have a good plan for entertaining myself and have water bottles that are easy to handle. Good thing I brought two of my Fuelbelt bottles.
First virtual race done!
I prepared as if it were an actual race. No expo? No problem. I made myself a virtual expo. That seemed appropriate for a virtual race. Checked out stuff online and used my Christmas/birthday gift cards. Downloaded new music from iTunes. Hydrated. Ate chicken parm from my favorite restaurant. Got my gear and clothes together the night before. Enjoyed sleeping in my own bed and not traveling. I only had to get up, have breakfast, get dressed, and roll down the street to the gym.
Off I went in the morning to the gym. It was a good morning to hit the gym. Temps in the teens with windchills around zero. Brrr. I would have done a long run outside, but not a race. Especially not a race by myself.
The treadmills are programmed to stop after 1 hour, so I had to trick the treadmill into letting me keep going. I was going to have to come to a dead stop and start the treadmill again. I decided ahead of time that I was going to run 7 miles, stop briefly, restart the treadmill, and run the last 6.1 miles.
I put my stuff in a locker, grabbed my water (1 L of Smartwater, two 8 oz bottles from my Fuelbelt, and .5 L Gatorade) and fuel (shot bloks and 4 mini pretzels) and pouch of extra stuff (chapstick, good luck charm), and hopped on my favorite treadmill, and warmed up. Then stretched. Then set the speed to 7.7 mph/ 7:47 pace and the incline to 1%.
I started my race a little after 7:30am. The gym was pretty quiet. I could have counted the number of gym patrons on one hand. The first minute, I thought the pace felt fast and wondered if I could hold on. And then it didn't feel so fast. Not easy but manageable. I had a TV schedule on a sticky note. I flipped between Saved by the Bell, ESPN, cooking shows on the Food Network, the Weather Channel, the Top 20 countdown on VH1, and CNN.
About 3 or 4 miles in, I realized Nike+ was eating my distance. Not cool, Nike+, not cool. Still, there wasn't anything I could do except run 13.1 Nike+ miles. The gym was getting busier, but there was still open equipment. Some people I knew came in close to mile 5. We waved at each other and that was it.
When I started to feel tired, I kept thinking that I paid $40 to run on my own and I am going to do it. That always brought on a surge of energy.
I stopped the treadmill at 7 miles on Nike+ and 7.55 miles on the treadmill. Note to self: if you ever try to do this again, don't try to drink out of a 1 liter Smartwater bottle. Fill your Fuelbelt bottles and loop the Fuelbelt on the treadmill rail. And off I was to run the last 6.1 miles.
Around mile 9, I got down to my sports bra. I have ran outside in the summer in a sports bra, but I've never done it at the gym before. I don't even think I cared at that point. I had a goal and I was going to work hard to meet it. I also realized that unless something unplanned happened, I knew I had enough energy to make it another 4 miles. Another surge of energy.
After 10 miles or so, I decided I wanted music instead of TV. Every song on my playlist was a song that I absolutely loved. My iPod picked me:
Switchfoot - Dark Horses
U2 - Magnificent (Redanka's 360 Remix)
Gym Class Heroes - Stereo Hearts
Katy Perry - Firework
Chris Brown - Beautiful People
Lady Gaga - Judas
U2 - I Will Follow
Kevin Rudolf - Let It Rock
skipped Jason Derulo - Don't Wanna Go Home and NKOTBSB - Don't Turn the Lights Out
Fitz and the Tantrums - Money Grabber
In my last couple of miles, there was a guy 2 treadmills down who looked like he was struggling. I encouraged to keep going and gave him thumbs up. Once we both stopped running, he thanked me for the encouragement at a time when he was feeling down.
I hit 13.1 miles on Nike+ and I think 6.3 miles on the treadmill (for a total of 13.9 miles according to the treadmill). And that was my virtual half marathon.
Nike+ says I ran 13.12 miles in 1:48:15. That comes down to an 8:15 pace. Except I had the treadmill set to a 7:47 pace the whole time (I dropped it to 7:30 for the last half mile, but that shouldn't have made a huge difference). Usually, that particular treadmill reads less mileage than Nike+, so I am not sure what was going on. Maybe it was because my Nike+ sensor is calibrated to be most accurate around 8:30-8:45? Assuming the treadmill is calibrated correctly, if my pace was 7:47, I would have ran 13.9 miles total and 13.1 miles in 1:42:02. That's an unofficial PR by almost 3 minutes! Which measurement is right, I do not know. I am leaning toward the treadmill being correct based on effort level and previous experience with that particular treadmill. I do know I am so done with Nike+. Oh, I was done with Nike+ months ago, but now I am really done with Nike+. Eating .8 mile of a 13 mile run at race pace is unacceptable.
I am not going to let it take away from successfully racing by myself on a treadmill. It wasn't awful! I never got bored because I had the TV and music to entertain me.
I walked on the treadmill for 5 minutes, changed into a dry set of clothes, ate a banana, grabbed a protein bar, and walked for another 20 minutes or so on the treadmill. I spent some quality time with my foam roller at home. Ahhhhh.
If I ever attempt to race on a treadmill again, I will make sure I have a good plan for entertaining myself and have water bottles that are easy to handle. Good thing I brought two of my Fuelbelt bottles.
First virtual race done!
Nike+ Women's Half Marathon Recap: The Preparation
Week 9 of my training plan had a half marathon race. Um, right. That's not happening in New England in January (side note: there is a half marathon and marathon in February in Cape Cod, MA which sells out well in advance every year. The weather is completely unpredictable at that time of year. Who are these crazy people?). There were no half marathons anywhere remotely close to me that lined up with my training schedule. I wasn't going to travel for a training race either.
In December, I found out about the Nike+ Women's Half Marathon, a virtual race that lined up perfectly with Week 9. Yes, the $40 entry fee for a virtual race seemed steep, but $10 went to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and you got a bracelet afterwards. I would have preferred a T-shirt, but I'll take a bracelet. Kinda like a medal, right? $40 was way cheaper than traveling somewhere. The idea was to run wherever you are (On the treadmill? Outside? Either was a possibility depending on the weather) and sync a Nike+ run of at least 13.1 miles.
Hmmm. If I plunked down $40, I better well run hard. Seemed like the extra push I needed to actually race on my own.
Then I came up a crazy idea. I thought it would be a huge confidence booster to attempt to race (and unofficially PR) a half marathon on the treadmill. Go to the gym, load the treadmill up with a towel, water, Gatorade, and shot bloks, pick a time when there was something interesting on TV, make a playlist with my favorite songs, set the pace on the treadmill to about 7:45 per mile, run run run, and hope I could keep up. I don't particularly mind the treadmill, but 13.1 miles is a long way to run on a treadmill. The most I had done on a treadmill was 14 miles and at a much slower pace. Could I hold on to sub-8 on a treadmill? I knew I could run sub-8 for 8 miles ... outside. 13, though? On a treadmill? Crazy.
The only way to see if you can do something is to try to do it. You just might surprise yourself.
There are a couple of advantages to running on a treadmill. It is climate-controlled. The treadmill sets the pace for you so you don't have to think about pacing. It can be perfectly flat (although I set the incline to 1% so that it is like running on a flat surface). But there are some disadvantages. It can be incredibly boring. The scenery doesn't change. It is very tempting to stop if you are tired. You don't have other runners to help pace you.
Race recap coming up in another post ...
In December, I found out about the Nike+ Women's Half Marathon, a virtual race that lined up perfectly with Week 9. Yes, the $40 entry fee for a virtual race seemed steep, but $10 went to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and you got a bracelet afterwards. I would have preferred a T-shirt, but I'll take a bracelet. Kinda like a medal, right? $40 was way cheaper than traveling somewhere. The idea was to run wherever you are (On the treadmill? Outside? Either was a possibility depending on the weather) and sync a Nike+ run of at least 13.1 miles.
Hmmm. If I plunked down $40, I better well run hard. Seemed like the extra push I needed to actually race on my own.
Then I came up a crazy idea. I thought it would be a huge confidence booster to attempt to race (and unofficially PR) a half marathon on the treadmill. Go to the gym, load the treadmill up with a towel, water, Gatorade, and shot bloks, pick a time when there was something interesting on TV, make a playlist with my favorite songs, set the pace on the treadmill to about 7:45 per mile, run run run, and hope I could keep up. I don't particularly mind the treadmill, but 13.1 miles is a long way to run on a treadmill. The most I had done on a treadmill was 14 miles and at a much slower pace. Could I hold on to sub-8 on a treadmill? I knew I could run sub-8 for 8 miles ... outside. 13, though? On a treadmill? Crazy.
The only way to see if you can do something is to try to do it. You just might surprise yourself.
There are a couple of advantages to running on a treadmill. It is climate-controlled. The treadmill sets the pace for you so you don't have to think about pacing. It can be perfectly flat (although I set the incline to 1% so that it is like running on a flat surface). But there are some disadvantages. It can be incredibly boring. The scenery doesn't change. It is very tempting to stop if you are tired. You don't have other runners to help pace you.
Race recap coming up in another post ...
Sunday, December 18, 2011
More Sunday Thoughts O'Random
I need to remember to not back up my computer at a time when I need to use my computer. Planning fail. Oops. At least I have an extra copy of my music, photos, and other assorted files.
I am seriously thinking about racing a half marathon. On a treadmill. Crazy? Maybe, but I've done crazier things. I'll take a half marathon on a treadmill over a half marathon in a nor'easter any day.
Costco rocks yet again for carrying Lululemon knockoffs. This time, it's yoga pants similar to the Groove pants. Same fiber content, same feel, same functionality. I've already worn the Costco pants to a yoga class and couldn't tell the difference between the Lululemon pants and the Costco ones. They seem true to size but with long inseams (they had short, regular, and tall). I am not particularly short, and yet short fits me fine. Thank you, Kirkland Signature brand.
I am seriously thinking about racing a half marathon. On a treadmill. Crazy? Maybe, but I've done crazier things. I'll take a half marathon on a treadmill over a half marathon in a nor'easter any day.
Costco rocks yet again for carrying Lululemon knockoffs. This time, it's yoga pants similar to the Groove pants. Same fiber content, same feel, same functionality. I've already worn the Costco pants to a yoga class and couldn't tell the difference between the Lululemon pants and the Costco ones. They seem true to size but with long inseams (they had short, regular, and tall). I am not particularly short, and yet short fits me fine. Thank you, Kirkland Signature brand.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Marathon Training Week 5
My plan for the week was cross-train, run 3, 6, and 3 miles, rest, 6 mile run, and 12 mile long run. Stuck to it, except for averaging about 3 miles over Hal's plan as I have been doing every week. What else is new? ;-)
I have this idea to race a half marathon on a treadmill for the half marathon race in my training plan in Week 9. Crazy, huh? There are no half marathons anywhere remotely close to me that line up with my training plan. However, I could do a virtual half marathon. The Nike+ Women's Half Marathon is that weekend.
Sunday - yoga class (with a different instructor ... it was nice to change it up but I like the regular instructor better), plus calf raises and lunges. Really liking my Saucony Hattori shoes.
Monday - 3.8 mile run in the AM. Easy pace. Not gonna lie, I really like these frosty morning runs. The moon was still up and the sky was just starting to get light when I set out. So pretty. Did abs and lower back in the evening while spending some quality time with my DVR.
Tuesday - 6.5 mile run, plus upper body strength training and squats. Final exam day. Yay! I go back to only having one job.
Wednesday - 3.7 mile run in the AM. Tried eating 2 caffeinated shot bloks (because the packages were open) instead of my usual pre-run coffee. Yeah. No. Need coffee before morning runs. Or maybe it was my strength training the day before. Wasn't really feeling it, but it happens sometimes. Did planks and pushups in the evening.
Thursday - Rest. And extra sleep because I didn't need to be ready for an 8am class. Ahhhhh.
Friday - 6.2 mile run on the treadmill. It was relatively warm but very windy, plus I only have 1 route for all of my winter runs. I will get bored with that route if I run it too much. Can't run on the bike path once it snows and I don't feel safe running on my college campus while classes are not in session. The treadmill is a change of pace. Well, not literally a change of pace. The second half was pretty darn good. I increased the speed by .1 mph with 2.5 miles to go and kept increasing it another .1 mph every half mile or so. When I saw 8:20 on the pace display, I thought about how I held an 8:20 pace in my second half marathon. That was such a good race where everything came together perfectly. My iPod picked me songs I really like. That certainly helped.
Saturday - 13.2 mile run. Had some errands to run in the morning that put me on the highway, so I figured I'd drive farther and start my route a few miles farther down the bike path than usual. Ran on a mostly different section that I had never been on before. Very pleasant, not too cold, and good pace. Saw some interesting things, including a salt marsh, ducks and swans, and nice views of Narragansett Bay.
Total Miles: Scheduled - 30 Actual - 33.4
I have this idea to race a half marathon on a treadmill for the half marathon race in my training plan in Week 9. Crazy, huh? There are no half marathons anywhere remotely close to me that line up with my training plan. However, I could do a virtual half marathon. The Nike+ Women's Half Marathon is that weekend.
Sunday - yoga class (with a different instructor ... it was nice to change it up but I like the regular instructor better), plus calf raises and lunges. Really liking my Saucony Hattori shoes.
Monday - 3.8 mile run in the AM. Easy pace. Not gonna lie, I really like these frosty morning runs. The moon was still up and the sky was just starting to get light when I set out. So pretty. Did abs and lower back in the evening while spending some quality time with my DVR.
Tuesday - 6.5 mile run, plus upper body strength training and squats. Final exam day. Yay! I go back to only having one job.
Wednesday - 3.7 mile run in the AM. Tried eating 2 caffeinated shot bloks (because the packages were open) instead of my usual pre-run coffee. Yeah. No. Need coffee before morning runs. Or maybe it was my strength training the day before. Wasn't really feeling it, but it happens sometimes. Did planks and pushups in the evening.
Thursday - Rest. And extra sleep because I didn't need to be ready for an 8am class. Ahhhhh.
Friday - 6.2 mile run on the treadmill. It was relatively warm but very windy, plus I only have 1 route for all of my winter runs. I will get bored with that route if I run it too much. Can't run on the bike path once it snows and I don't feel safe running on my college campus while classes are not in session. The treadmill is a change of pace. Well, not literally a change of pace. The second half was pretty darn good. I increased the speed by .1 mph with 2.5 miles to go and kept increasing it another .1 mph every half mile or so. When I saw 8:20 on the pace display, I thought about how I held an 8:20 pace in my second half marathon. That was such a good race where everything came together perfectly. My iPod picked me songs I really like. That certainly helped.
Saturday - 13.2 mile run. Had some errands to run in the morning that put me on the highway, so I figured I'd drive farther and start my route a few miles farther down the bike path than usual. Ran on a mostly different section that I had never been on before. Very pleasant, not too cold, and good pace. Saw some interesting things, including a salt marsh, ducks and swans, and nice views of Narragansett Bay.
Total Miles: Scheduled - 30 Actual - 33.4
Friday, November 18, 2011
2011 Races in Review
Here's the breakdown of my 2011 in races. I am moving sometime in the next few months, so this year was the last chance for me to do my regular races in Rhode Island. Too bad. I will miss a lot of these. I also traveled to 2 big races this year. That's new to me.
I realized that I ran more races than I thought I did. I thought it was more like 4 races. Ha. Who knew? There's still a possibility of one or two more 5Ks, but I doubt it. I'd want to try to PR but could potentially injure myself. My focus is marathon training.
February
Rock N Roll Mardi Gras Marathon, New Orleans, LA
My first marathon and a race I would definitely do again. Flat, mostly interesting course, well-organized, and tons of fun.
May
Cox Rhode Races Marathon, Providence, RI - Eh. The marathon is an OK choice for locals, but I'd seriously think about running it again. There are some issues with the course and limited crowd support, especially in the last 2 miles.
July
Harvard Pilgrim 10K, Foxboro, MA - 4th of July-themed race. The best part of this race is finishing on the field in Gillette Stadium. There are a lot of cons, though. It can be hot and humid, no electrolyte drinks, no tech shirt, the course is crowded, etc.
August
Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon, Providence, RI - There were some extra hitches because it was an inaugural half marathon, but otherwise pretty much what I expected from Rock N Roll. Moderately hilly on a similar course to the Cox Rhode Races Half Marathon.
October
Rhode Island College Homecoming 5K, Providence, RI - small local 5K. Hopefully it will be back next year.
Chicago Marathon, Chicago, IL - Amazing crowd support, flat, and generally well-run. If it wasn't so expensive and if registration was open longer, I'd run it again.
Amica/United Healthcare Half Marathon, Newport, RI - My favorite half marathon by far. Moderately hilly. Had a really fun time running through the scenic parts of Newport. I would come back to Rhode Island just to run this race.
Total races: 7
Total miles: 114.1
I realized that I ran more races than I thought I did. I thought it was more like 4 races. Ha. Who knew? There's still a possibility of one or two more 5Ks, but I doubt it. I'd want to try to PR but could potentially injure myself. My focus is marathon training.
February
Rock N Roll Mardi Gras Marathon, New Orleans, LA
My first marathon and a race I would definitely do again. Flat, mostly interesting course, well-organized, and tons of fun.
May
Cox Rhode Races Marathon, Providence, RI - Eh. The marathon is an OK choice for locals, but I'd seriously think about running it again. There are some issues with the course and limited crowd support, especially in the last 2 miles.
July
Harvard Pilgrim 10K, Foxboro, MA - 4th of July-themed race. The best part of this race is finishing on the field in Gillette Stadium. There are a lot of cons, though. It can be hot and humid, no electrolyte drinks, no tech shirt, the course is crowded, etc.
August
Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon, Providence, RI - There were some extra hitches because it was an inaugural half marathon, but otherwise pretty much what I expected from Rock N Roll. Moderately hilly on a similar course to the Cox Rhode Races Half Marathon.
October
Rhode Island College Homecoming 5K, Providence, RI - small local 5K. Hopefully it will be back next year.
Chicago Marathon, Chicago, IL - Amazing crowd support, flat, and generally well-run. If it wasn't so expensive and if registration was open longer, I'd run it again.
Amica/United Healthcare Half Marathon, Newport, RI - My favorite half marathon by far. Moderately hilly. Had a really fun time running through the scenic parts of Newport. I would come back to Rhode Island just to run this race.
Total races: 7
Total miles: 114.1
Monday, October 17, 2011
Amica/United Healthcare Half Marathon Recap
I ran the Amica/United Healthcare Half Marathon in Newport, RI on October 16, 2011 with two of my running buddies. Amica is easily my favorite half marathon.
I have to put in a word of caution. I ran the Chicago Marathon a week ago (recap here). While I wanted to run the Amica half, I knew to wait until afterwards to see how I felt. Online registration for Amica closed 2 days after Chicago. My legs were a little sore but felt mostly fine, and so I jumped in. I had an easy run on Thursday with no soreness. I knew I was running with a pregnant running buddy and another running buddy who also just ran the Chicago Marathon. We weren't going to break any land speed records. The pregnant running buddy was going to control the pace, walk breaks, and stops at aid stations. Go out and enjoy a nice 13.1 mile run through the most scenic parts of Newport.
The night before, my running buddy and I decided to take old race bibs, write "Pregnant runner support posse" on them, and pin the bibs on the back of our shirts. They were a hit!! We got encouragement all along the race. A lot of people thought we were pregnant too. Hahaha, no. We were just the support runners to keep our pregnant friend company ;-)
The weather was perfect. Partly cloudy at the start, then cleared to sunny. Kinda windy but it was manageable and kept us cool. I'll take windy over nor'easter (this race actually was in a nor'easter in 2009 ... stupidest race ever) any day.
The course is gorgeous. We had such a fun race. I actually got to enjoy the race, look around, and take pictures instead of thinking pace, pace, pace all the time. We chatted with lots of other runners along the way and all finished together. Way to rock it with your running buddies!
Pre-race
At the start
And we're off!
Newport Harbor, complete with cruise ship in Newport for the day and the Newport Bridge in the background
Fort Adams State Park with a different view of the harbor
Farm with moo moos (can't really see the moo moos, but they are there)
Ocean Drive. So beautiful. You can taste the salty sea spray.
I can haz this haus?
One of the aid stations had a construction theme with all sorts of funny signs. This one was good!
Bellevue Ave ... 3 miles to go. Bring on the Newport Mansions
Rosecliff, my personal favorite
The Breakers is the granddaddy of the Newport Mansions
I liked this guy's sign. It said "marathons are for winners." Yes, sir, indeed.
The finish line is waaaaaay off in the distance.
The post-race refreshments were pretty good. They ran out of pizza and bananas (although there were more brought out for the marathoners), but there was plenty of hot chicken soup (the clear winning food choice and perfect for a windy fall day), bagels, and bottled water and Gatorade. Zico was giving out little bottles of coconut water, including the chocolate kind. My running buddies and I got some food, then waited for some other running buddies to finish their first half marathon. We were so proud to see them running along!!
There were some minor organizational kinks, but what race doesn't have that? Overall it was much better than years past. I was expecting a traffic and shuttle bus apocalypse that never happened. Gear check and port-a-potties went smoothly pre-race. The aid stations seemed better organized, or maybe that was just because I was paying more attention to them. Some of the aid stations were themed. Crowd support is minimal because the course is not heavily populated and is not very accessible by car once the race starts. But the pretty scenery makes up for it. I really liked a spectator lady who rode around the course on a bike. We saw her at least 4 or 5 times and she was screaming like mad. She was great!! I am pretty sure she was there last year too.
I knew going into it that we were just running for fun. It is very very different running with a time goal and running for fun. I can see the value of running for fun every once in a while. I did this one to provide morale support and company for my pregnant friend and to get the T-shirt and medal. A nice T-shirt and medal they are.
I have to put in a word of caution. I ran the Chicago Marathon a week ago (recap here). While I wanted to run the Amica half, I knew to wait until afterwards to see how I felt. Online registration for Amica closed 2 days after Chicago. My legs were a little sore but felt mostly fine, and so I jumped in. I had an easy run on Thursday with no soreness. I knew I was running with a pregnant running buddy and another running buddy who also just ran the Chicago Marathon. We weren't going to break any land speed records. The pregnant running buddy was going to control the pace, walk breaks, and stops at aid stations. Go out and enjoy a nice 13.1 mile run through the most scenic parts of Newport.
The night before, my running buddy and I decided to take old race bibs, write "Pregnant runner support posse" on them, and pin the bibs on the back of our shirts. They were a hit!! We got encouragement all along the race. A lot of people thought we were pregnant too. Hahaha, no. We were just the support runners to keep our pregnant friend company ;-)
The weather was perfect. Partly cloudy at the start, then cleared to sunny. Kinda windy but it was manageable and kept us cool. I'll take windy over nor'easter (this race actually was in a nor'easter in 2009 ... stupidest race ever) any day.
The course is gorgeous. We had such a fun race. I actually got to enjoy the race, look around, and take pictures instead of thinking pace, pace, pace all the time. We chatted with lots of other runners along the way and all finished together. Way to rock it with your running buddies!
Pre-race
At the start
And we're off!
Newport Harbor, complete with cruise ship in Newport for the day and the Newport Bridge in the background
Fort Adams State Park with a different view of the harbor
Farm with moo moos (can't really see the moo moos, but they are there)
Ocean Drive. So beautiful. You can taste the salty sea spray.
I can haz this haus?
One of the aid stations had a construction theme with all sorts of funny signs. This one was good!
Bellevue Ave ... 3 miles to go. Bring on the Newport Mansions
Rosecliff, my personal favorite
The Breakers is the granddaddy of the Newport Mansions
I liked this guy's sign. It said "marathons are for winners." Yes, sir, indeed.
The finish line is waaaaaay off in the distance.
The post-race refreshments were pretty good. They ran out of pizza and bananas (although there were more brought out for the marathoners), but there was plenty of hot chicken soup (the clear winning food choice and perfect for a windy fall day), bagels, and bottled water and Gatorade. Zico was giving out little bottles of coconut water, including the chocolate kind. My running buddies and I got some food, then waited for some other running buddies to finish their first half marathon. We were so proud to see them running along!!
There were some minor organizational kinks, but what race doesn't have that? Overall it was much better than years past. I was expecting a traffic and shuttle bus apocalypse that never happened. Gear check and port-a-potties went smoothly pre-race. The aid stations seemed better organized, or maybe that was just because I was paying more attention to them. Some of the aid stations were themed. Crowd support is minimal because the course is not heavily populated and is not very accessible by car once the race starts. But the pretty scenery makes up for it. I really liked a spectator lady who rode around the course on a bike. We saw her at least 4 or 5 times and she was screaming like mad. She was great!! I am pretty sure she was there last year too.
I knew going into it that we were just running for fun. It is very very different running with a time goal and running for fun. I can see the value of running for fun every once in a while. I did this one to provide morale support and company for my pregnant friend and to get the T-shirt and medal. A nice T-shirt and medal they are.
How to Run a Half Marathon a Week after Running a Marathon
1) Recover quickly from the marathon, or at least feel reasonably OK ... whatever that means to you.
2) Wait until after the marathon to make a decision about the half marathon.
3) Have a good understanding of your own body and how you recover from races.
4) Don't do this for a first-time marathon or half marathon.
5) Take extra rest and do a couple of short easy runs. Legs not sore? You're good to go.
6) Be prepared to take the half marathon easy.
7) Run with running buddies who you absolutely will not abandon.
8) Enjoy your race! Chat with other runners, interact with spectators, take pictures, linger at aid stations, and stop to walk whenever you please.
9) Do it for the T-shirt and medal.
10) Accept your certifiably insane label ;-)
2) Wait until after the marathon to make a decision about the half marathon.
3) Have a good understanding of your own body and how you recover from races.
4) Don't do this for a first-time marathon or half marathon.
5) Take extra rest and do a couple of short easy runs. Legs not sore? You're good to go.
6) Be prepared to take the half marathon easy.
7) Run with running buddies who you absolutely will not abandon.
8) Enjoy your race! Chat with other runners, interact with spectators, take pictures, linger at aid stations, and stop to walk whenever you please.
9) Do it for the T-shirt and medal.
10) Accept your certifiably insane label ;-)
Monday, September 12, 2011
Rock Encore
This year, I ran the Rock N Roll Mardi Gras Marathon and got this ...
... and the Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon and got this ...
... and so I also got this special medal because I've completed two Rock N Roll Races. More bling!
... and the Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon and got this ...
... and so I also got this special medal because I've completed two Rock N Roll Races. More bling!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon Recap
I ran the inaugural Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon on August 7. Fun times.
It rained. Oh did it rain. Sometimes showers, sometimes downpours. I actually like running in the rain, as long as you’re prepared and it isn’t too cold or windy. Once you get over your feet being wet and squishy, it’s not so bad. It keeps you cool. However, none of the hourly forecasts I checked said it was going to downpour. Showers or thunderstorms, yes. Rain and sometimes downpours, no. Thankfully, forecasted showers were enough for me to pull out a visor. It was already raining when I left for the race. You can’t do anything about the weather. You can only be prepared. I made myself a superhero cape, er, disposable poncho out of a 13-gallon garbage bag by cutting one side and the bottom of the bag and tied the drawstring at my neck. Just enough to keep most of me dry before the race started.
I got in my corral about 15-20 minutes before gun time. And waited. And waited.
Start line
On the downside, the race started 15 minutes late. I am not sure why it didn’t start on time, but I expected better from Rock N Roll. Also, the gear check was uncovered. It rained the whole time. You do the math. The gear bags were not the large clear plastic bags like at Mardi Gras. I had a plastic poncho wrapped around the stuff in my gear bag, which helped a little but not enough. My towel and extra set of clothes still got wet.
On the upside, other than the late start and uncovered gear check, it was the well-oiled Rock N Roll machine I expected. I was in corral 4 and crossed the start line in about 2 minutes. Not bad. Was able to settle into my pace within the first mile. Curb-to-curb road closures, which doesn't always happen in the Providence area. Plenty of port-a-potties everywhere (start/finish area and on the course). Well-stocked water stops. Gus where they said there would be Gus. Cheerleading squads out on the course. Nice medal. Plenty of food options in the finishers area. Water, Cytomax (the citrus flavor tastes weird. I am glad I did not drink it on the course), bagels, bananas, oranges, Popsicles (best idea for a summer race), Marathon bars, snack mix, maybe some other stuff. I am soooooo glad I packed a poncho and Adidas sandals in my gear bag. I didn’t stick around to see Sugar Ray because I was soaked.
Smart things I Did
Ran in a sports bra - Based on the temperature alone, I was planning to wear the sports bra. It was around 70 when the race started. Less is more when it comes to running in warm rain.
Ran with my Fuelbelt - I have never been in a summer race of any distance where there were enough water stops. I took water at every water stop and then drank my own water as needed. One of my four bottles had Gatorade because I do not like Cytocrapx, er, Cytomax, that Rock N Roll has out on the course. Finished the race with a half bottle of water and a half bottle of Gatorade left.
Ran with my bib toggled to my Spibelt - Rock N Roll bibs tend to be large. I didn’t want to pin my bib to my skirt or sports bra. So that meant toggling it to my Spibelt. Yes, I ran with both a Fuelbelt and a Spibelt (to hold a pack of shot bloks and a chapstick). Yes, the bib fit in between my Fuelbelt bottles. I had the Spibelt a little too low at first. In the first mile, I moved it up to my natural waist. Much better. Even though the Spibelt was against my skin the whole time, there was no chafing or uncomfortableness. In full disclosure, I have never run with the toggles before. It could have been a disaster. But it works perfectly. Yay.
Got a baggy of ice at mile 5 - I cannot tell you how good that ice felt. I was just starting to get too hot. The ice was partially melted, so I tried to dump the water out. But then I realized it was cold. Ice cold water would do the same trick.
Lululemon running skirt – I have long said to not wear anything loose when running in the rain. Running skirts and rain do not mix well. Unless it’s a Lululemon running skirt. The skirt fabric is light enough that it never got weighed down. It didn’t chafe. My Fuelbelt did not ride up. The elastic in the bottom of the shorts never felt uncomfortable. Well done, skirt, well done.
I usually take pictures during races. But not when it’s raining. I was more concerned about avoiding puddles and potholes than taking pictures and potentially damaging my phone/camera.
Mile-by-mile recap
Miles 1-2 – State House and South Main Street. The 1:45 pace leader was in my corral. I passed him early in the race. Passed my local running store at mile 1.5.
Mile 2 – Benefit Street – one of the most scenic areas of the whole race. Colonial-style houses. Good amount of spectators. The band just before mile 2 played Superstitious by Stevie Wonder when I ran past.
Mile 3-5 – North Main Street and Hillside Ave. Eh. I knew this part was going to be boring. Slightly uphill for most of North Main Street. The 1:45 pace leader caught up to me at about mile 5. We played cat and mouse for the next 4 or 5 miles. Hillside Ave was OK, though. My husband was at mile 5 with my bag of ice.
Mile 6-7 – Blackstone Boulevard. Pretty area lined with trees and large houses that I run on almost daily. More spectators. More rain. Checked in with myself to make sure I was running at a pace I could hold and that I had the right amount of water, Gatorade, and shot bloks. All systems go.
Mile 7 - Residential area, then very steep hill down to a river, then more heavy rain. Some of the bands in this area weren't playing, I think because of technical difficulties with all the rain.
Mile 8-9 – Up, then down, then along India Point Park, and under a highway and along another river. There was a cheerleading squad in a tunnel. Very loud and very much needed. The 1:45 pace leader was ahead of me but still in sight. I think I lost sight of him somewhere in mile 9 or 10.
Mile 10-11 – Downtown Providence. Over the Point Street Bridge and into the wind. Uh, the wind. Dislike. I didn’t think I had enough to break 1:45, but I would be a solid 1:45:something and I almost certainly had a PR. That was OK with me. This part of the course doubled back on itself. I love that in races. I get motivated by seeing other runners at different points on the course. I saw the 2:00 pace leader twice on the other side of the course. Just before mile 12 as I was crossing the bridge again, one of my running buddies shouted my name from the other side of the course. I was really really focused on .... something and it didn’t fully register. But I responded with “Woohoo!”
Mile 12 – Turned to back towards the finish line. One mile to go. Still in downtown Providence. Took two very short walk breaks because of what I knew was coming in mile 13.
Mile 13 – Who plans a half marathon that finishes on the steepest hill of the entire race? Oh that’s right, Rock N Roll did. You couldn’t even see the finish line until you passed the 13 mile marker. I would be annoyed if I didn’t know about that hill in advance, but it was no surprise to me as I live in the area and I have run other races with a similar finish line. It was good practice for the hill at the end of the Chicago Marathon.
Finish – The crowds were loud. Thank you, crowds. Garmin said 1:45:50. Woot! New PR. I rocked it all over Providence!!
My official time was 1:45:47. New half marathon PR at an 8:05 pace. Sounds good to me, especially since it was in less than ideal running weather and on a hilly course. Also, my previous fastest summer race pace was 8:26, and that was in a 10 mile race. Good on that account too. I ran a pretty consistent pace the entire race. And I ran pretty darn close to my marathon goal pace (8:00 to give me some leeway to hit 8:12 in the marathon). That’s a good confidence boost going into the second half of my marathon training cycle.
Runner Rewards
It rained. Oh did it rain. Sometimes showers, sometimes downpours. I actually like running in the rain, as long as you’re prepared and it isn’t too cold or windy. Once you get over your feet being wet and squishy, it’s not so bad. It keeps you cool. However, none of the hourly forecasts I checked said it was going to downpour. Showers or thunderstorms, yes. Rain and sometimes downpours, no. Thankfully, forecasted showers were enough for me to pull out a visor. It was already raining when I left for the race. You can’t do anything about the weather. You can only be prepared. I made myself a superhero cape, er, disposable poncho out of a 13-gallon garbage bag by cutting one side and the bottom of the bag and tied the drawstring at my neck. Just enough to keep most of me dry before the race started.
I got in my corral about 15-20 minutes before gun time. And waited. And waited.
Start line
On the downside, the race started 15 minutes late. I am not sure why it didn’t start on time, but I expected better from Rock N Roll. Also, the gear check was uncovered. It rained the whole time. You do the math. The gear bags were not the large clear plastic bags like at Mardi Gras. I had a plastic poncho wrapped around the stuff in my gear bag, which helped a little but not enough. My towel and extra set of clothes still got wet.
On the upside, other than the late start and uncovered gear check, it was the well-oiled Rock N Roll machine I expected. I was in corral 4 and crossed the start line in about 2 minutes. Not bad. Was able to settle into my pace within the first mile. Curb-to-curb road closures, which doesn't always happen in the Providence area. Plenty of port-a-potties everywhere (start/finish area and on the course). Well-stocked water stops. Gus where they said there would be Gus. Cheerleading squads out on the course. Nice medal. Plenty of food options in the finishers area. Water, Cytomax (the citrus flavor tastes weird. I am glad I did not drink it on the course), bagels, bananas, oranges, Popsicles (best idea for a summer race), Marathon bars, snack mix, maybe some other stuff. I am soooooo glad I packed a poncho and Adidas sandals in my gear bag. I didn’t stick around to see Sugar Ray because I was soaked.
Smart things I Did
Ran in a sports bra - Based on the temperature alone, I was planning to wear the sports bra. It was around 70 when the race started. Less is more when it comes to running in warm rain.
Ran with my Fuelbelt - I have never been in a summer race of any distance where there were enough water stops. I took water at every water stop and then drank my own water as needed. One of my four bottles had Gatorade because I do not like Cytocrapx, er, Cytomax, that Rock N Roll has out on the course. Finished the race with a half bottle of water and a half bottle of Gatorade left.
Ran with my bib toggled to my Spibelt - Rock N Roll bibs tend to be large. I didn’t want to pin my bib to my skirt or sports bra. So that meant toggling it to my Spibelt. Yes, I ran with both a Fuelbelt and a Spibelt (to hold a pack of shot bloks and a chapstick). Yes, the bib fit in between my Fuelbelt bottles. I had the Spibelt a little too low at first. In the first mile, I moved it up to my natural waist. Much better. Even though the Spibelt was against my skin the whole time, there was no chafing or uncomfortableness. In full disclosure, I have never run with the toggles before. It could have been a disaster. But it works perfectly. Yay.
Got a baggy of ice at mile 5 - I cannot tell you how good that ice felt. I was just starting to get too hot. The ice was partially melted, so I tried to dump the water out. But then I realized it was cold. Ice cold water would do the same trick.
Lululemon running skirt – I have long said to not wear anything loose when running in the rain. Running skirts and rain do not mix well. Unless it’s a Lululemon running skirt. The skirt fabric is light enough that it never got weighed down. It didn’t chafe. My Fuelbelt did not ride up. The elastic in the bottom of the shorts never felt uncomfortable. Well done, skirt, well done.
I usually take pictures during races. But not when it’s raining. I was more concerned about avoiding puddles and potholes than taking pictures and potentially damaging my phone/camera.
Mile-by-mile recap
Miles 1-2 – State House and South Main Street. The 1:45 pace leader was in my corral. I passed him early in the race. Passed my local running store at mile 1.5.
Mile 2 – Benefit Street – one of the most scenic areas of the whole race. Colonial-style houses. Good amount of spectators. The band just before mile 2 played Superstitious by Stevie Wonder when I ran past.
Mile 3-5 – North Main Street and Hillside Ave. Eh. I knew this part was going to be boring. Slightly uphill for most of North Main Street. The 1:45 pace leader caught up to me at about mile 5. We played cat and mouse for the next 4 or 5 miles. Hillside Ave was OK, though. My husband was at mile 5 with my bag of ice.
Mile 6-7 – Blackstone Boulevard. Pretty area lined with trees and large houses that I run on almost daily. More spectators. More rain. Checked in with myself to make sure I was running at a pace I could hold and that I had the right amount of water, Gatorade, and shot bloks. All systems go.
Mile 7 - Residential area, then very steep hill down to a river, then more heavy rain. Some of the bands in this area weren't playing, I think because of technical difficulties with all the rain.
Mile 8-9 – Up, then down, then along India Point Park, and under a highway and along another river. There was a cheerleading squad in a tunnel. Very loud and very much needed. The 1:45 pace leader was ahead of me but still in sight. I think I lost sight of him somewhere in mile 9 or 10.
Mile 10-11 – Downtown Providence. Over the Point Street Bridge and into the wind. Uh, the wind. Dislike. I didn’t think I had enough to break 1:45, but I would be a solid 1:45:something and I almost certainly had a PR. That was OK with me. This part of the course doubled back on itself. I love that in races. I get motivated by seeing other runners at different points on the course. I saw the 2:00 pace leader twice on the other side of the course. Just before mile 12 as I was crossing the bridge again, one of my running buddies shouted my name from the other side of the course. I was really really focused on .... something and it didn’t fully register. But I responded with “Woohoo!”
Mile 12 – Turned to back towards the finish line. One mile to go. Still in downtown Providence. Took two very short walk breaks because of what I knew was coming in mile 13.
Mile 13 – Who plans a half marathon that finishes on the steepest hill of the entire race? Oh that’s right, Rock N Roll did. You couldn’t even see the finish line until you passed the 13 mile marker. I would be annoyed if I didn’t know about that hill in advance, but it was no surprise to me as I live in the area and I have run other races with a similar finish line. It was good practice for the hill at the end of the Chicago Marathon.
Finish – The crowds were loud. Thank you, crowds. Garmin said 1:45:50. Woot! New PR. I rocked it all over Providence!!
My official time was 1:45:47. New half marathon PR at an 8:05 pace. Sounds good to me, especially since it was in less than ideal running weather and on a hilly course. Also, my previous fastest summer race pace was 8:26, and that was in a 10 mile race. Good on that account too. I ran a pretty consistent pace the entire race. And I ran pretty darn close to my marathon goal pace (8:00 to give me some leeway to hit 8:12 in the marathon). That’s a good confidence boost going into the second half of my marathon training cycle.
Runner Rewards
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Let's get ready to Rhode race!!
The Rock N Roll Providence Half Marathon is tomorrow morning. Let's get ready to let it rock let it rock let it ROCK through the streets of Providence.
My trusty Mr. Potato Head came to the race expo with me.
My gear and clothes ready to go. The weather forecast is all over the place. I am probably not wearing the shirt. If it looks like it's going to shower tomorrow, I will wear the visor instead of the Bondi Band and sunglasses.
Postcard in the gear bag
Got a replacement 26.2 sticker because the magnet I used to have fell off.
Good luck fellow runners!
My trusty Mr. Potato Head came to the race expo with me.
My gear and clothes ready to go. The weather forecast is all over the place. I am probably not wearing the shirt. If it looks like it's going to shower tomorrow, I will wear the visor instead of the Bondi Band and sunglasses.
Postcard in the gear bag
Got a replacement 26.2 sticker because the magnet I used to have fell off.
Good luck fellow runners!
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