I signed up in August for the Cambridgeside Half Marathon, because our company’s running club decided to make it an event, get a team together and hopefully get enough for our VIP tent. (We did!) The registration included a training plan, which I compared to what I would normally do to ramp up my mileage, and decided to follow it and really train.  Sure, I would generally try to pick the nicest weather of the weekend for long runs, and I didn’t do all the speed work they suggested, but I either ran hard on Wednesday with my co-workers or did some hills.  I ran the paces I needed on long runs, culminating in a 15 mile easy run a few weeks ago, and a 5 mile easy, 6 miles at race pace, 1,5 mile cool down to put me solidly at an 8min/mile pace.

Then came the taper and the mental preparation this week.  I reviewed the course, looking especially at what might be harder-to-navigate sections and the last 2 miles.  I mad a plan for where I’d “coast” with the crowd and where I’d need to dig deep.  I debated to myself about how fast would be too fast, eyed my PR (2012 pre-kids, 1:41:57, last year I did 1:47:21), and considered whether I’d need/want to fuel on the course.  It was a tough week emotionally, but Saturday I got a pep talk from my dad, some encouragement from my mom, and Brian reminded me as I went to bed “you’ve overtrained for this.” So I laid out my clothes, packed my bag, set my clock ahead, set my alarms, and was asleep by 8:45pm.

The morning went according to plan, no traffic, I listened to my new pysche-up playlist in the car, got in line for slow but managable parking, found the packet pickup and our team’s tent.  I exchanged pleasantries with co-workers then decided to hit the portajohns and warm up by myself, jogging around Cambridgeport passing where old friends used to live back when we were all in Cambridge in the 90s.  By the time I got back to take off my extra layer, most people were headed to the starting line.  It was go time!

Tino, our inspiring leader (who ran a PR today!), encouraged me to get up toward the front, so I worked my way to an open spot in the middle of the first wave just as they started the national anthem.  No chit chat about paces or pleasantries, people all seemed serious, so I just tucked in and started.  Like most big races, it’s important to go out hard enough to get into a good position before the course narrows, but not go out too hard.  It’s also the time to check in with myself to assess temperature, legs, breathing – how is everything feeling?  I ramped up to a 7:45 pace followed by a 7:43, definitely getting a pick-me-up running through MIT’s campus.

I decided that I’d try to keep all my splits below 8 minutes, stick to the 7:45 range as long as I could, and see if I could power through miles 9-11 before unloading whatever I had left the last 2 miles.  I don’t have much of a finishing kick so for me it’s about not pushing too hard too early, but finishing the last 1-2miles strong. Throughout the day, the miles flew by (except mile 11!), and several times I was surprised to hear my watch beep that I’d clicked off another split. I loved running along the Charles, over the footbridge, and over to the Harvard complex.  I ran tangets hard, feeling the wisdom of many races and many years running these paths, and my watch matched the mile markers within a few seconds.  While some colleagues didn’t much care for our lap inside Harvard Stadium, I thought it was fun to run the 100 yd dash on the turf, put my arms up and shout “TOUCHDOWN!” at the goal line, then take the victory lap along the sideline out of the stadium.  Sure beats stadium laps on the stairs!  There were plenty of twists and turns in that section, but soon we were headed back toward east Cambridge.

At mile 9, I had a little pain in my left knee (not unusual for long runs on banked pavement), and my calves started to feel tight, so I worked on my stride a bit.  I was warm enough to wish I could ditch my gloves, taking them on and off depending on whether I was in the shade of tall buildings or on an open sunny path.  I debated eating the fruit chews in my pocket for some sugar and electrolytes, but decided it wasn’t worth digging them out, I’d just get gatorade at the next aid stop.  Somehow the crowd around me was either falling off pace or running negative splits, so it was hard to tuck in with a pack and cruise along.  This was the part of the race that was the difference between running and really racing.  I reminded myself, “I GET to do this today.  Just for me.  It’s a beautiful day for a run!”  Keep pushing a little harder, try to catch the next person.  Mile 10 was my slowest, through Harvard Square and a few walking steps to drink at the aid stop, then getting back up to speed.  But then it was Mile 11, and I thought, this is where PRs are made.  Not at the finish line, but working hard in the last 5K.  I pushed my pace back under 8 minutes and made it to mile 12.  Time to see what I had left!

The last two miles felt slow, but went fast.  My legs were tired, and as my Garmin stats reflected, my turnover fell off a bit. (Note to self next time, pick up the cadence, don’t try to lengthen the stride!)  This was the part of the course I’d run through in my head.  I raced past the Plasma Fusion Center where I used to work, crossed Mass Ave, turned up Main Street, almost there!  Up to that point I felt more limited by muscle strength than breathing, but now I was breathing hard and running as fast as I could.  My 7:23 mile split reflected the effort!  I kept pushing through the finish, heard my name over the loudspeaker, and for once stopped right after the finish to bend over and rest.  I felt like I might actually be sick, and perhaps a volunteer saw that look or at least noticed I was not moving through the chute very quickly, and asked how I was.  Fortunately I got some water, some deep breathing, and then found Tino for a big smile and high five.  After picking up a dry layer and putting on my compression socks, I was ready to greet my co-workers as they finished and made their way back to our table.

This was the fun part of today’s event.  Unlike recent races when I leave immediately after I finish to get back home, I had arranged to relax and enjoy the comaraderie today (thanks Brian!).  It was fun to hear stories of colleagues meeting their pace goals, improving on previous times, Tino’s PR, challenges of racing with a 2 year old in a stroller (Charlie is still faster than most of us, even when he stops to give his kid a snack and toddling break!), and multiple people finishing their first half marathon.  We took group pictures and snacked, talked about our training and life in general.  After congratulating the last couple finishers in our team, it was time to head back to the parking garage.

Is it too soon to sign up for my next race?  Because I think I can go faster….

Over the past four years I have kept running.  I have run because I love it, not to race or PR or go after any particular distance or milestone.  I know my abdominal muscles are much weaker than they were pre-baby, which affects my speed and my stamina over long distances.  I also have the urge to pee more often when I run, which got much worse when I got pregnant the second time and found that I either had to stop every mile or two, and/or struggled with leaking, especially when I ran downhill.  I realized that I love running enough that I would keep running even if I had to wear pads for every hard workout, but I also took it as a sign to get some help in strengthening my pelvic floor so I didn’t have to make that choice.

Fortunately, I found an excellent physical therapist who specializes in the pelvic floor, and approached treatment holistically.  I also met her with a willingness to honestly answer questions about my bodily functions and sensations, and openness to go through the assessment process.  Within about six weeks of starting the therapy work, I could run 3-4 miles immediately after emptying my bladder without issue.  But I was also advised to take it easy and not put added strain on my pelvic floor, which was already stretching and trying to hold up 20 lbs of baby and accoutrements in my abdomen, by doing a lot of bouncing.  I listened, and opted to run every other day or even just a couple times a week on flat soft surfaces.  The PT also advised that I come back a month after birth, and not run during those four weeks.  That seemed like a pretty long time to wait… and I admit I did go out for a few miles a couple times… but again I listened and didn’t start any major mileage or training between Ezra’s birth and my appointment.

At the postpartum PT visit, it was clear that my pelvic floor was weak and needed toning to return to its normal functioning.  I was still surprised that my brain was sending the “contract” message but my muscles didn’t seem to be responding, although the PT said I was in excellent shape for being only 4 weeks postpartum.  She gave me a “prescription” for three key exercises to do multiple times a day.  I also happily agreed to do a few postpartum yoga sessions with one of the women who did pre-natal sessions with me, eager to get moving and also to enjoy some “me” time to relax.  I discovered in resuming familiar postures and movements that some basic inner core exercises were quite challenging.  I now have about 30 min of exercises to do each day; none of it involves my running shoes or hitting the trails.  In fact, most of it is done laying down, or just standing – I even did one set holding Ezra.  (For added challenge, gently bounce the baby to calm him while standing on one leg and lifting your other heel only an inch off the floor to engage your inner abdominal muscles.  I can do this one at 3am after a feeding!)

Maybe it’s because I’ve read and learned more about physiological changes that happen before and after pregnancy and birth, and I now recognize that it takes months for even a healthy body to recover.  Willing the process to go faster does not change the fact that a body has a certain elasticity, and that pregnancy and breastfeeding come with hormonal changes that exercise doesn’t alter.  I still want to be able to fit into my “normal” clothes but I no longer believe there’s something wrong with me if I am five (or, I’ll be honest, 10) pounds heavier than my pre-baby weight by the time I go back to work.  Maybe I’m more thoughtful and in tune with my body, so I know when I’m pushing it, even if it doesn’t seem like what I’m doing should be that tiring.  I’m certainly inspired by an incredibly talented and dedicated friend who is running PRs in her mid-40s, so I believe that my best running could still be ahead of me, as well.  All this leads to my decision not to be running right now.  There’s no reason to rush back before my body is ready.  As our amazing dentist (she’s done 12 Ironman triathlons and has logged well over 1800 racing miles!) reminds me, running will always be there.  Instead I want to take this time to build a solid foundation of strength from my inner core and also work on my discipline – yes it actually takes discipline to focus on these subtle exercises, much harder than to crank out crunches or reps of bicep curls or go run 3 miles.

I hope that this decision and process will lead to better overall health, more enjoyment of the present, and ultimately better running through this decade and those to come.  I still want to run the Indiana Trail 100, and I know I have a sub-3:30 marathon in me.  I might even find myself doing a triathlon in the future.  I’m in it for that dream of renting an RV to travel and do races around the country with Brian after retirement.  These goals require a long view of health and fitness.  So, because I love running and want to keep doing it for a very long time, I’ll walk out the door wearing a baby to take my son for a hike or bike ride.  The running shoes can rest… for now.

Saturday morning

We had a hearty continental style breakfast including our first picked whitefish (yum!) along with more muesli and yogurt.  There was fruit and pastry and boiled eggs as well.  After fueling up it was time to hit the road. We debated taking the ferry from Stykkisholmer but the drive was the same length so we decided to drive and see the fjords. (foreshadowing). The first dirt road we were on was quite muddy and bumpy but pretty straightforward driving.

By this time, we had calibrated civilization.  Any group of 3 or more buildings was “town,” or any intersection or stopping point with a petrol station/small convenience store and a guest house (sometimes a home with an outbuilding, maybe 5 or 6 rooms) was a notable spot on the map and guidebook.  Most had “cakes” that we came to understand as any type of pastry, mostly danishes  (from the Danish influence), made with either wheat or oat flour, and some with rhubarb or nuts as a filling.  We later discovered one tasty item we tried was called “Happy Marriage” – an oat bar with jam.  Arugula, peas, lamb and fish were plentiful, but most other provisions were imported.  A few types of green-house grown vegetables, such as tomatoes, could be grown locally using the plentiful summer daylight and geothermal heating. It was best to not worry about the cost or exchange rate and just get whatever sounded best, since everything was very expensive compared to the US.

Upon making it to the north side of the peninsula we turned onto another dirt road. This one was being re-graded which narrowed the road to one lane. On trying to pass the grader, we slid sideways and got stuck in the soft dirt on the side of the road. I was unable to move the car. Fortunately the road was fairly busy and a car with 3 young men stopped to help us. As we were debating the best approach, a tour van driver who saw us slide off hopped out, barked some instructions, and had us back on the road in short order. The whole thing probably took less than 10 minutes but it was a little more excitement than I was looking for.

A little more dirt road and we were back on pavement. We stopped at a town which had an N1 (petrol) station. I figured out how to buy a petrol card since many of the stations around the country are unmanned and US credit cards (which have no European style PIN) do not work.

The station was also a grocery store and sold appliances. Kinda the main store for the whole “town” of approximately 1000 people, and reminded me of the store in Herscher, IL near our cousin Eric. One or two units of a variety of standard items (like frozen fish, packaged dinners, a small array of meat, lots of kinds of yogurt and cheese, and an aisle of pasta and dry goods  that could be reonstituted when boiled for a quick meal or camping), but very little produce. We were lucky to find some bananas and an apple and plums, picked up some fig bars, and a yummy Skyr yogurt drink and got back the road.

Our next destination was a major waterfall about 2.5 hours away. As we left town we quickly started ascending and had some great views of flowing rivers. There was no rain so visibiity was much better than the previous day. We stopped at a small waterfall to take some photos. Along the way, we saw plenty of sheep.  Most were mothers accompanied by two lambs, and the two lambs were good about running to mama when cars approached.  At one such instance, a confused lamb ran into its sibling and mounted it in the road instead of getting out of way.  Silly lamb! Finally they both cleared the road and we moved along.

Then we kept ascending and descending. Then the roads turned to dirt. Then we were driving on a narrow road along the walls of the many fjords. Climbing one side, heading over the summit, and then descending the other side. We headed up each valley, usually crossing a one lane bridge where the glacial river emptied into the fjord, then heading back up the wall of the opposite side of the fjord. It was challenging driving.

We finally got back on some pavement at a small gas station/restaurant/swimming pool where the road split to the waterfall and the other way to our hotel. We decided to go to the big waterfall called Dynjandi (good decision). It was another hour of narrow dirt road but this time the scenery was not fjords, but instead a rocky open landscape with very little plant life. There were still snowpacks in the north and west facing cliffs and glaciers in the distance. It was much more brown (and red from iron in the soil).

Finally we descended to the falls. One huge main head fall about 1km from the road descended several hundred feet to a series of smaller falls (all named) that emptied into the ocean. Unfortunately this was our first encouter with bugs – there were swarms of small flies. Brian took lots of pictures, and Susan was glad they had a WC at the parking lot. Never take petrol or bathrooms for granted in Iceland. Also refill or unload (or both!) each time you see one.

After walking around the falls and enjoying the invigorating mists, we headed back over the dirt road to the gas station and filled up again (with a WC stop and another oat “cake” for a snack) before heading toward the hotel. Halfway to hotel the road turned to dirt. We saw a sign advertising a bar and big screen TV showing soccer so we decided we would eat there rather than at our own hotel. We considered a nice bistro in a fishing village across the fjord, but it would have required an extra hour of travel and I was tired of dirt roads.

We checked into the hotel, which was a former boarding school. Our bedroom was a dorm room with an updated bathroom. The bed was also very comfortable (individual duvets again). Su took a short nap and we headed the 10 minutes down the dirt road to the next hotel for dinner.

Due to the continuing rainy weather, bad visibility and being tired of driving we decided to change Sunday/Monday plans. We booked a spot for the car on the ferry back to Stykkisholmer so we wouldn’t have to drive the winding mountain roads farther north, and then a long drive back on Monday. It was fun to do once and great scenery but I didn’t need to do it again so soon. At this point we did not have a hotel for Sunday night but figured we would be able to find one. Su picked out some things to do in the rain Sunday (explore town, go to the swimming pool) near Stykkisholmer, which is a huge town of 2000 people.

Dinner was just ok (fish and chips for Brian, shrimp fettucine for Susan) but we were ravenous. After dinner we both wished we’d tried the grilled salmon and vegetables, maybe next time.  We were joined at dinner by a large group of motorcyclist who were staying at the hotel’s block of rooms in a second building.  They were enthusiastic but polite, and it added an air of energy to the dining room.  The site also had camping in addition to outbuilding and the main Inn. After dinner I watched a few minutes of soccer in the bar before heading out to the evening entertainment – the Latrabjarg bird cliffs. We discovered that after dinner is the best time to go see Puffins, and with daylight extended nearly all night, there was no reason not to head over.  It was a 30 minute drive on narrow dirt roads (again!). The car by this point was filthy and I was exhausted from driving.

The bird cliffs are the westernmost point in Europe (not counting the Azores). Thousands of black birds (terns and other varieties of sea birds) and gulls nest on the cliffs. We managed to see 3 puffins, cute friendly quiet little birds compared with the others, and I again took many photos. The ground was amazingly soft and it was so quiet other than the crashing ocean and birds. We walked about 1km up the cliffs before turning around. We came back down to car and read about a famous shipwreck and heroic rescue by the townsfolk before heading to our hotel. At this point it was 2200 and the sun was still in the process of “setting.” The sky would have maybe turned red if we had stayed until midnight but we were sleepy.

It was actually hard to go out fast.  The voices behind me were chittering about “no reason to sprint” and “let them go ahead” and “we don’t need to start to fast.”  I’m sure I cued into these voices as they echoed what was in my head – I’m used to holding back, pacing myself, saving it for the end.  But part of my goal in racing 5Ks is to NOT hold back – remember my Jan 1st goal?  Still working on it.  I kept telling myself it’s only a 20 min race, and I’m not known for my kick at the finish line so I might as well leave my effort out on the roads.  I immediately started picking off people and I felt very solid at the first mile, coming in at 7:46, so I kicked into a faster gear for the second mile.  I kept asking myself “can you go faster?”  I liked running the hills (albeit small ones) hard and I always was able to pass people on the downhills.  I tried not to let myself get focused on the next person ahead of me, but instead focus on someone even farther ahead whom I could reel in.  I pulled out a 7:24 second mile and then sped up just a bit more as I found someone to pace with in the last mile with a few surges. I finished in 23:19 (unofficial) – a 7:29 pace.

Reflections: A longer warmup is definitely better.  I felt good from the start, I certainly didn’t feel like I tired myself out, and it was nice to spend 20 min away from the crowds that tend to make me nervous.  I can definitely challenge myself more.  Next time I should target a faster just to see if I can do it – maybe part of the reason I feel like I’m at a fitness plateau is that I’m not continuing to push myself.  I don’t think I can sustain a 6:30 pace like I did at the end, but a 7-7:15 pace still seems comfortable. I like running with other people.  I didn’t feel particularly nervous about this race, so maybe that part is getting better!  And I really need to figure out how age group awards work.  I suspect I may have been top 3 in my age group but I was getting cold, I didn’t see any activity or organization indicating awards were imminent, so I decided to head home.  I look forward to seeing the results when they are posted.

Addendum: Hey, I won my age group!  Cool!  And I was pacing off a 14 year old for mile 3. (Wow, I’m soooo old.) But I have to say, those Marx youth team members are inspiring! We’ve seen them at several local races in their fierce orange jerseys.

I still had some nervousness, but was much calmer than most races.  I think having Brian and Isaac around helped, as well as it being a much smaller race than I have done in a long time.  It was reminiscent of high school cross-country races, with a little bit of catching-up with other runners, friendly banter about the course’s hills and turns, and general enjoyment to be out running on a beautiful morning.  I did a few laps on the track to warm up and work out the nervous energy, went to check on Isaac and Brian at the playground, and then did one more lap with some pickups to get my legs moving.  Without much fanfare, we lined up at the blue tent indicating the starting line, Brian with the stroller toward the back, and me running solo near the front.

I had decided to run this event based on feel, and not use a watch.  I wore the Garmin for data collection purposes, but didn’t glance at it once (which turned out to be hard to resist!).  I just kept asking myself if I could go harder, and listened to what was limiting – catching my breath, leg turnover, muscles, mental state?  When the horn went off, I took of at a sprint like the rest of the front runners.  It was fun to tear out of the parking lot and down the road.  After about a quarter mile, I settled in, checking on those around me.  A group of girls from Team Run (affiliated with the sponsoring running store) were leading the pack, and I was a reasonable distance behind.  I tried to keep tabs on the top women other than the youth team, and felt like I was probably running around 3rd to 5th.  I ended up pacing most of the time with Alex, a super kid with amazing talent – can you believe he’s only 8!  I towered above him and felt bad several time when I was literally breathing down his neck.  I’d pass him on the down hills, while he had an edge on me when going up hill (size and I’m just not in hill shape yet), exchanging a few words of encouragement here and there.  Mostly I was breathing too hard to talk and be social, even though there were several other guys running about the same pace as we were.

A 5K still seems to go way too fast.  There’s no settling into a pace or clicking off the miles – it’s go out hard, try to stay focused, and finish strong!  It was easy to know how far we had left when we started cruising back up the road, and once we entered the track, there was 300m left to go.  I had been closing on another woman in my sights, and thought I might be able to catch her with a burst of speed.  Unfortunately, speed has never been my strong suit, and this day was no exception, so I wasn’t able to catch her, and in fact got passed with about 100m to go by another woman despite a pretty good push at the end, at least for me.  I finished in 23:11, almost a minute faster than my last 5k, and sub 7:30 pace.  Improvement is good!

I walked through the short chute and grabbed a water, tried to catch my breath, and turned around to see Brian and Isaac finishing right behind me!  Brian was going to take it easy, but evidently he was feeling spunky with the stroller, coming in at 24:46.  The full race results are here.

Since they had age group awards, and it was a small race, I knew I had placed.  So we hung out on the track, grabbed refreshments, and let Isaac run around to his heart’s content until the awards ceremony.  The sun was warm and it was so nice to just be out among other local runners.  Isaac decided to get in his own workout, so cute to see him on the track!

If you can’t see the video below, here is the link: Isaac running track!

No need to beware the ides of March in this case, as we all had great races and a lot of fun.  There were about 500 runners in the 5K and another 500 in the 10 miler, so a fairly large number of people were pulling into John Prince Park as the sun was starting to rise.   It was a relaxed but well organized race with plenty of facilities, space to warm up and stretch, and of course awesome weather.  Many of the Floridians were wearing their long sleeved, bright lime race shirts, but our group opted for short sleeves or tanks.  With a race time temperature of about 70 degrees, it was pleasantly warm, with a slight drizzle that seemed to evaporate as soon as it touched our skin.

We decided to each run our own race.  Leslie knew the crowd, found a spot at the start that felt comfortable for her, and avoided some of the weaving. Brian, Sarah and I all paced closely together for the first mile, weaving through the crowd (despite Leslie’s suggestion that we should move up at the start line.  Lesson learned.)  The course was along a recreational path along the water, really pretty with plenty of turns to keep it interesting.  The crowd was a little congested at the start, but after the first mile it was mostly single file, with enough people to have someone to pace with you, or someone just ahead to target for passing.

As Brian predicted, I went through the first mile at a 7:45, with Brian and Sarah a few seconds back at sub-8s as well.  I held on for a 7:45 second mile, and stuck to nearly the same pace with a 7:48 3rd mile and 44sec last .1 for a 24:03.  I heard a spectator cheering on a woman just ahead of me, telling her she was placing in her age group.  And she looked about my age.  Sure enough, 3rd in my age group was just 5 seconds ahead of me.  Lesson #2, don’t forget about being an “age grouper” now, those few seconds of weaving or loss of focus can count!

Brian  came through shortly after in 24:21, with Sarah right behind at 25:23.  We had just enough time to walk back to the 3 mile mark and see Leslie coming through, so we could cheer her through the finish too.  We did a leisurely cool down, stretch, and snacking before heading back to the car.  It always feels good to have done a race and have your whole Saturday ahead of you at 9am!

I had not run a 5k in a very long time.  It is just as short as I remember it, hardly time to get into a groove before the race is over.  It’s all about starting out hard and pushing yourself the whole way.  My limiting factor as this point is that my core muscles still have not recovered from pregnancy/childbirth, so getting them toned up will be a focus for the coming months.  I also experimented with caffeine, which I have not really had since February of 2012.  I had nearly a cup of coffee before we left for the race.  It was hard to tell if I was affected by normal race butterflies or if the coffee caused a bit of distress, but I don’t think I’ll be resuming consumption of regular coffee again quite yet.

Overall, a really fun day, I would definitely come back next year, and maybe try the 10 miler!

I decided not to get there too early, just enough time to go register, scope out the start/finish, hit the portapotties, drop off a layer in the car, and jog to the starting line.  I had about 10 minutes to stretch and chat with other runners before we took off.  I decided to take Elizabeth Waterstraat‘s advice for short races:  go out hard and then speed up.  I also took her advice on cold weather running – if you’re cold, you’re not running fast enough!  That got me a 7:46 first mile and a 7:36 second mile, and by then I had definitely warmed up.  I repeated a mantra about “no fear” to break my habit of hanging back at the start or settling into a “comfortable” pace in order to save enough for the finish.  The beauty of a 10K is that I don’t have to worry about hydration or nutrition – just go with what I’ve got and deal with any fallout later!  It was fun to have plenty of people to pass as the 5K and 10K shared the same course, with the 10K runners repeating the loop.

The third mile was a bit harder, as we turned into a headwind, but I still managed to stay under 8mins.  As the 5K runners split off, I took off again for a 7:41 4th mile, and decided to really focus on running a strong mile 5.  It worked, as I ran a 7:26 – it might have also had something to do with the extra detour through a neighborhood, as I really like using turns as focus points for surges.  Then it was back to the headwind and the home stretch.  I admit that I lost a bit of focus at this point, and the wind made my nose run and thus my breathing a little tougher.  But soon it was all over, a respectable 48:52 for an average 7:52 pace.  And I even got to see my co-worker Liane at the finish line!

It was fun to run with Brian’s new Garmin to track my splits, the course and pace.  I found it especially helpful to be able to glance down and see a rough pace, which was good motivation.

So, I have a baseline for 2014, let’s see where the year takes me!  I should be able to improve my speed with some intervals and also maybe some warmer weather…. 20 degrees is probably the coldest racing condition I’ve experienced!  There are a couple tempting races in February and then a definite Florida race in March.

Happy new year!

I managed to get out on Saturday afternoon for a 5k through the woods to work out the kinks from the week.  On Sunday the weather was gorgeous, sunny with a slight cool breeze.  I skipped social hour at church, got home, fed Isaac and put him to sleep for his nap, and got myself packed up to head over to the race.  I found parking, walked to the starting line area to pick up my race packet, and checked out the scene.  There were TONS of kids and families doing the fun run (2pm) and 5K (2:20pm), but a smaller set of more serious runners registered for the 10K.   I had plenty of nervousness, especially since Brian wasn’t there to pace me or talk me through the plan.  I tried to stay calm by warming up, chowing down on a granola bar, and watching the kids and dogs sprint around the lawn of the school.  Finally at just before 2:30pm, it was time to line up for the 10K, and with a short blast of the horn, we were off.

The start of the race was downhill, so I hoped to be warmed up enough to take advantage of it.  Sure enough, I came through the first mile at 8:10, right on pace.  Then I picked up the pace a bit more as there were MORE downhill sections, for a 7:04 and 7:52 at nearly halfway.  I passed a father and his young son (maybe 8 years old?) running together, and smiled thinking about the possibility of Isaac running with me one day.  I told them that they looked great, encouraged them as they started the uphill section, and then took off to try to catch the next pack.  Through miles 4 (8:23) and 5 (8:59) I mainly settled in to the grind of the hills, trying to run smart and not let anyone pass me.  A small group of us kept passing one another and then getting caught again, depending on the terrain or who took water breaks.  Then it was the 6th mile, time to pick it up and see what kick I had left!  The answer was not much as I got passed at the end by two of the women I had passed on the hills, but I still came in at a respectable 50:40 for an 8:10 pace.

I walked around to cool down, wheezing a bit from the effort, and chatted with some of the group that paced together with me through the hills.  I grabbed an orange, bottle of water, and banana, and headed back to the car to head home.  It was a surreal 3  hours of time to revisit the racing side of me that I hadn’t experienced for over a year, but then it was back home to tag back into “momma mode” and feed Isaac.

I’m not sure what event is next for me.  Though I gravitate toward the longer distances and the feeling that I can keep going forever, I don’t really want to spend the time to train for anything longer than a half marathon right now.  I have been loving the trails at the park, and thinking about the North Shore Trail Running series.  Mainly I want to try to ramp up the intensity and frequency of my running to get back into a normal schedule, and maybe add in the elusive strength training and yoga that I often consider but never seem to make the time to do.

If you’re up for a run sometime this summer, definitely give me a call!  I now feel officially back into the swing of running.

My goal for June is to improve my consistency and continue to hit my mileage targets.

44
Since learning about it several years ago, I’ve been working on hiking the 48 peaks in New Hampshire that are 4000 feet or higher. On Sunday, Susan and I decided to go hiking and knock another peak off of the list. We chose Wildcat (D and E peaks) to be my 44th of the 48 4000 footers.

There are two main routes to access Wildcat D. One is a long, though pleasant, hike in along 19 mile brook before ascending to Wildcat Ridge and hiking across the A, B, and C peaks to reach the D peak. Since we had already hiked that end of the ridge we opted for the more direct route. Of course, more direct means more vertical in a shorter amount of time. After setting out from the car and crossing the Ellis River (pictures of Su crossing the river on the way down later) we immediately started up the New England version of a stairmaster.

Believe it or not, this picture was taken in one of the easier, more level, sections of the trail.

Susan ascending Wildcat Ridge trail

The trail continued ascending steeply with occasional short steep descents mostly in woods with annoying flies for the next two miles. Just when it seemed like the short hike (ha, short) would never end we hit the top of the ridge, descended briefly to the ski gondola station at the top of Wildcat Mountain, and were rewarded with a great view of Mt. Washington across Pinkham Notch.

Mt. Washington from Wildcat Ridge Trail

Wait, we could have taken a gondola to the top?

Not a bad reward for a lot of work

At the top we snapped a few photos, devoured our sandwich, and liberally reapplied bug repellent. Apparently I got some on the lens of my camera as a lot of my later photos are blurred. Oh well, better than being eaten alive.

The descent went much more quickly than the ascent and despite being hard on the legs didn’t leave us nearly as winded. One final crossing of the Ellis River and we were back at the car and off for a well deserved burger on our ride home.

Ellis River crossing

I'm Susan, #17930

I pretty much immediately smelled bacon when I walked into the expo.  Running and bacon are not usually associated, but in this case the Pork Council had rented a booth, so indeed, there *was* pork available!  I had to taste a sample, so I too could be pork powered.

Powered by Pork!

My earnest prayer a few weeks ago to avoid cold windy conditions was answered with gusto as the forecast predicted temps soaring to the high 80s with a slight (and non-cooling) tailwind.  Based on the numerous warnings I gave up on a PR or Boston Qualifying time, and just set out to run a smart, controlled race that would get me to the finish line still smiling.   I headed to Hopkinton on Monday morning feeling rested, fueled, and ready for the adventure that awaited me that day.

Ready to head to Hopkinton

Brian and my parents dropped me off in Hopkinton and headed to Mile 7 to watch me; they would hustle on to mile 16 and then make a bee line for Boston to meet me after the race.  I also had cheering friends at Miles 17 and 20, as well as virtual cheering sections along the route – I had a mental list of friends and family whose name began with each letter of the alphabet, so at each mile I could imagine them cheering for me.

The first few miles were downhill and it was hard to hold back with all the adrenaline and excitement.  I tried to keep my pace between 8:00 and 8:30, knowing that the real race didn’t begin until after the halfway point.

Miles 1 to 5 elevation and pace

Even averaging 8:20s for the first 7 miles, I was starting to feel the heat, so I backed off a bit more and made sure to get enough fluids.

Miles 5-10 pace and elevation

I came through the halfway point at just under 1:51, an 8:32 pace.  My fueling plan was going well (a gel at 1 hour and a pack of honey at 2 hours), and I was able to chug a cup of Gatorade every other mile.  I fell into a rhythm with the aid stations, grabbing water to pour on my head or running through a hose when I could.

Miles 10-15 elevation and pace

By Mile 16 I was feeling even better than I had earlier, ready to charge up the Newton Hills after seeing Brian, Mom and Dad.  My goal for the hills was constant exertion, to run them strong but not wear out my legs.

Miles 15-20 elevation and pace

Then it was up and over Heartbreak Hill and then coasting down the backside.  I had been warned that if my legs were hurting at Mile 22, I should expect to have a rough time making it to the finish.  Instead, Mile 22 was one of the fastest of the race, a speedy 8:19 that propelled me through Brookline into Boston.

Miles 20-25 elevation and pace

I settled back into my ~8:30 pace for a couple miles, then savored the jog through Kenmore and down Commonwealth Ave.  It was such an amazing feeling to round Hereford and see the finish.

Final mile

I just grinned and strided on in, at 3:46:33.  I grabbed some water and pretty much any food they gave me, but ended up consuming a water, a banana and potato chips as I wound my way over to the Family Meeting Area and finally took a seat and removed my shoes to relax.

Finished!

It’s taken me a few days to recover, but I am still so thrilled with the experience.  Thousands of cheering crowds lining the path, hundreds of volunteers who stood out in the hot sun all day to make sure we had a safe run, and thousands of runners who were considerate and encouraging of one another.  So many weeks (years really!) of training, imagining my hill repeats were Heartbreak Hill, envisioning my speed work as the final miles of the race, getting up before daylight to get in my workout before heading to the office.  I’m happy to relax a bit, let my legs recover, and take a little time to reflect before embarking on my next adventure.  And maybe bask in a little bit of extra attention.