Sanibel Island 10k Race for FISH

Today's 10k was better than I could have hoped! My original goals for the race were to 1) run the entire thing and 2) finish in no more than 65 minutes.

The 10k Route

I've never run a race of this distance. I've run 5ks and the one Half, but have only covered 6+ miles on training runs, when we keep the pace much slower. I was anxious.

However, the day started out beautifully. The weather has been in the lower 70s in the mornings this week, and today was no different. By the time the race started at 7:30, the sun was peeking over the trees. It promised to be a cloudless, sunny day. Still, the route on the island was tree-lined and shady. I never felt overheated, swamped in humidity, or like I was burning.

K and me pre-race

I was nervous before race time, but when we finally lined up at the start, I was filled with confidence. After all, last weekend we had had our 8-mile long-run. I could do 6.2, even if I kept the pace slow and steady instead of "racing".

K and I stayed together for the beginning, but the crowd was tight and eventually we ran on our own. I'm always fine with this, because it allows me to follow my own pace and it allows K to be as competitive as she wants. Anyway, I've been having some IT band pain this week in my knees, and I had to wear both braces today. Around 2.5-miles my knees started to feel better, but I was also starting to have that weird mental-block that comes up in races. I knew I was nearing the 3-mile mark, and if this were any of my previous races, that would mean I was done. But really, I was less than halfway to the end!

Luckily, when I passed the 5k sign (which had a clock and an actual mat to check your time), seeing 29:16 spurred me onward. The race took us over a hard-packed sand road for the turnaround, and I saw K when she was around 5 miles and I was coming up on four. The middle of the race was the easiest for me. I found my stride, felt strong, enjoyed my surroundings, and was so overwhelmed with a feeling of strength and positivity that I could have cried. Especially after how I've been feeling this week, it was just so wonderful to be out there in the sunshine on this beautiful island, surrounded by nature. It was running at its best.

K helping me finish the race

After the turn-around, I was having conversations in my head. There was about 1.25 miles left to go and I had to urge myself not to drop down my pace. I had my watch on and was able to keep a pretty good eye on my goal, and seeing that I was on pace to come in at an hour kept me going.

The best part of the run, though, was the last half mile. The end of a race is always hard for me until the last quarter mile, where I usually pick up the pace for me finishing sprint, but this time I kept pushing myself to pass people. Then, with about a tenth to go, K met up with me. She ran with me, yelling for me to catch this guy in front of me, urging me to push harder. I think my finishing sprint was the fastest I've ever done. It was ugly - I know, because M recorded it from the sidelines - but I crossed the line at the same time as the guy she wanted me to catch. I could hear her over the crowd yelling, "You did it!"

Pushing toward the end

I really cannot express how much it means to me to have such an amazing running partner. I mean, there are a million reasons she's a great friend, but as far as running goes, I couldn't ask for more. K has always come back to get me at the end of our big races to push me more than I can push myself. I'm not naturally competitive, and she gives me that extra boost I need. I never finish a race alone. In a crowd of screaming people, I can always hear her voice over the rest.

I was exuberant at the end. We got finisher's medals and were both completely jazzed. K finished in 53 minutes or so, and I slaughtered my goal by 7 minutes! This race has left me with a good feeling about the Half in November. We've come such a long way from just a month or two ago; I can hardly wrap my head around it!

Post-race with our medals!

The day was made even more special when I saw that my sister had competed in her first 10k today, too. She signed up last minute, so this was a nice surprise. We ran our first 10ks together, in spirit, in a way. I was feeling so overwhelmed and happy with everything that I was a little teary-eyed as I washed up post-lunch. Everything was just...perfect. I couldn't have asked for better circumstances, weather, route, or companions.

My stats for this race are as follows: 58:41 (58:27 adjusted time), 214/357 place overall (not my best, but whatever), 95/199 women, 5k time of 29:16. The successes of this race and last weekend's race leave me feeling exhilarated and totally, completely just...happy!

I think I may be in love with this distance! Our next race is at the end of this month. It's an 8k, so I'm really excited to see how well we do on a shorter distance, especially with a few more bridge and long-runs under our belts.

ABK

A Weird Run

Last Friday when I posted that K and I "only" ran 3.5 to rest up for our long run, a running friend of mine pointed out that, not too long ago, 3.5 miles wasn't a short, easy run for me. It's awesome to go back and see how far I've come in such a short amount of time.

This morning's run was interesting. We ran a new route along the perimeter of an outdoor mall in our area. Because it's a bit farther away and I hadn't factored drive-time into the morning, we decided to do just three miles. It was nice and cool out, and we took off at a fast clip. The perimeter ended up being just under 1.5 miles, and we kept our fast pace up into the second mile. I began to feel I was lagging behind, though, especially as K began to pull far ahead of me.

What's funny about running with a partner who can out-pace you so easily is that, unlike in a race, you don't necessarily have an idea of how fast you're going compared to anyone else. There's only one person to compare your pace to...and if you're me, you sometimes forget that K can run a sub-9 without really meaning to. So, I saw K pulling ahead and assumed I was slowing down. I felt tired and couldn't seem to keep a good breathing rhythm, so I tried to let up the pace a bit for about a quarter mile, then ran the end full out (by which time, K had already finished and was waiting for me).

K told me to check my splits; she was sure I'd gone faster than I thought. Sure enough, I kept each mile well under 10 minutes, and saw negative splits in mile 2. I finished the three miles in about 28 minutes; with a 5k coming up soon, I hope this bodes well for race day.

So, like I said, today's run was interesting. I felt tired and slow, I didn't particularly like the route, and toward the end I was thinking to myself, just get through it, which is the true sign of a bad run. But, as it turned out, I ended up with a very successful run. I guess that means that sometimes even a bad run can be a good one.

ABK

Race Season

Summer is slowly drawing to a close. The first sign of that here is that the blazing heat of the day has been very mild when the sun has gone down. The humidity isn't nearly as stifling as it was in June. With these first signs that fall is approaching comes the excitement of the beginning of race season.

I have been attempting to run a race a month this year, and my goal is to run a Half in November (and then again in February, but that will technically be next year). Building up to that Half, there are quite a few races K and I would like to run. We're going to put together a race calendar that will allow us to plan in advance and stay motivated all year.

Our biggest mistake with the Half we ran in 2010 was a lack of training. We went into the race not having run in months. This year, we don't want to make the same mistake. We want to be running and racing consistently.

So as far as races go, here are some we're interested in:

September 1: Legacy 5k       Results
October 6: Lexington Cares 5k
October 13: 10k Race for F.I.S.H
October 27: Race the Roof 8k
November 18: Women's Half Marathon
December 15: Frosty 5k
February 10: Rock 'N Roll Half Marathon

Many of the winter races that will pop up haven't been posted yet, so I'm waiting to see if there are any other 10k or 8k races in December or January. I'm going to need to start a savings fund for some of these, especially because if I actually do them all, I'm looking at a hefty price tag. I love that you can run for free; it just stinks that races can be costly.

I'm excited to have these goals in front of me. This has been a huge year for growth so far, and I'm excited to be successful this year. I think I'll look back at 2012 and think, wow, this was a great year for me where running was concerned.

ABK

Sundry Running Things

I just cannot seem to enjoy the treadmill the way I enjoy running outdoors.

Call me crazy, but give me mosquitoes, 84% humidity, 91 degrees, lightning, and rain any day. The redundant clumpclumpclump of feet on the treadmill, the annoying whirring sound, and the impossibility of setting an organic pace just kills me. Not to mention the boredom. I'm not one who can read while running, and watching TV feels almost counterproductive. I'd rather be focusing on my stride, my pace, the excitement of coming to a landmark that signifies the halfway point.

It's funny, really, because earlier in the summer I was so bummed about the heat and humidity. And yes, it's still not pleasant by any means. I come back from a two-mile run looking like I've gone swimming, and trying to add any distance this summer has been a brutal undertaking.

Still, I'd rather deal with all that. The treadmill has been a nice option for when it storms too hard to run through, but the blinking lights of the "track" and the distance/calorie/pace monitors are distracting.

My IT band has been wonderful ever since I began wearing the velcro strap above my knee. I've also begun to use my visitor pass for the gym to do some strengthening exercises. After doing all that research, I discovered the IT band is too big of a muscle to really stretch effectively, and the best defense against injury is strengthening it. So I've been doing some weight-training. I'm excited to see the improvements in my running as my gluts, hips, quads, core, and hamstrings finally grow stronger.

Along that some vein of general improvement, I've also added chia seeds into my diet. I'm not really sure what the specific benefits are supposed to be, or how I'll see them, but I used to take flax seed and I've heard chia is very similar. I'm varying my breakfasts with fresh gluten free oatmeal with apples and cinnamon, instead of just my usual cold cereal with banana. This summer has definitely been a time of scrutinizing my routine and changing things that could potentially improve my running. I hope these changes stick when school starts up again.

No matter the changes, the goal is always the same: be a better runner.

The other day I was able to run through a local park, and instead of setting a particular course, I just took the paths wherever the spirit moved me. It was so nice and freeing to just...run. There's something almost magical about just following your feet, letting your mind go, and leaving the usual course behind. Yesterday my run was much later, and it was dark and threatening to rain, so I wanted to stick to my tried-and-true loop. The loop is about a mile, and I planned to add distance by completing it twice and then running half of it again. But by the time I'd finished one round, I was already bored. I veered off down the sidewalk and onto the main road and added distance that way. I felt like tethers had fallen off me, and coming back to the loop for the finish was tedious.

I think I need some new routes! But the difficulty lies in timing it correctly. If I run too early, it's too hot out; if I run too late, it's too dark.

I'll leave this post with a brief article on mental blocks and overcoming them. My mental blocks almost always come into play if I'm running a route I've done poorly on before, or if I'm coming off an injury. One of the points in the article is the ability to say "I'm a runner", and the importance of owning this identity. I love knowing I'm not alone in that one in particular; I've overcome it now, but it was one I struggled with for awhile.

One final quick note: my running buddy is healing happily post-birth of her second daughter. I'm so excited to have her rejoin me on our runs in the not-too-distant future!

That's all for now. Happy running!

ABK

My First Solo Race - The Fast & the Furriest 5K

Yesterday I ran the Fast and the Furriest 5k for the Gulf Coast Humane Society. The race was open to runners, walkers, and pets. I was nervous about this particular race for multiple reasons. For one thing, what if I tripped over a leash and caused some kind of crazy domino-effect of toppling animals and people? For another, and more realistically, what if my drive and motivation ebbed and left me limping to the finish line?

You see, while this was only a 5k and I am completely capable of running 3.1 miles without stopping, this was my first solo race. K is, at this point, 6+ months pregnant, and earlier in the week when we ran together she needed to take a walk break after our first lap. I decided to sign up knowing I'd have to run it alone, and immediately began to feel that wary, niggling sensation that accompanies an undertaking I'm unfamiliar with. M would be at the finish line to greet me, but how would I motivate myself? Who would say, "Just one mile to go!" and urge me on? Who would keep me on-pace?

Running alone can be rewarding for its own reasons, although I usually prefer to run with K. Racing alone, however, was a new and daunting experience.

The crowd gathering for the start line.

I sought advice from some more seasoned runners who told me to keep my sights on someone ahead of me and stick with them. A kind of unknowing surrogate buddy. I found this both enlightening and kind of creepy. I was going to secretly partner myself with a stranger.

To further prepare myself, I updated and reorganized my playlist so I'd have all my favorite running songs to listen to.

The morning of the race dawned perfect and bright. I wore K's and my usual race outfit to give myself a mental boost. I bumped into a couple of students of mine and an old colleague. The race was relatively small (compared to the others I've run, including the Komen 5k), so I was up near the starting line. The dogs were well-controlled (if not a little noisy) and the route was familiar (the same as the Komen 5k, putting me at quite the advantage).

Soon my fears were alleviated. By the first quarter mile I'd found a tall blond with a unique stride (she bounced on her tiptoes rather than using her heel to push off) to run behind, and kept with her for the first 1.5 miles or so. Then, however, she began to slacken her pace and I found myself in a clump of five people. I pushed through and ahead, and then kept pace with a woman and her pitbull. During this leg of the race, I found I was annoyed that I had programmed my Nike+ for a 5k because it kept giving me my pace in kilometers. Ah well, little problems, I figured. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing.

I loved watching the dogs running by. A huge great dane overtook me, his owner sprinting to keep up. Eventually my pitbull-buddy proved to be a little swift for my pace, so I found another oblivious partner to stare at. Eventually, though, I overtook her, too.

Almost there!

As I rounded the corner to the end of the race, I saw the giant countdown clock and was surprised to see 29:00 on the board. I hadn't been able to monitor my pace as I'm used to, in miles, so I was completely unprepared for that. Given a second wind by the simple idea of beating 30:00, I sprinted to the end, finishing in 29:31 and placing 7 of 17 in my age group.

My first solo race experience was nerve-wracking because races give me butterflies anyway. This was the best I could have asked for in getting used to racing alone: the distance was right, the number of participants was perfect - enough to blend in with but not enough to get lost among, I had run the exact same route just three weeks before, and there were plenty of animals to distract me.

Made it!

I finished the race feeling strong, accomplished, and proud. This was a huge milestone in my running career and showed me that I truly am a runner in my own right. I took the initiative to run a race alone. And I plan to do it again.

Another great thing about this race was that M recorded my finishing sprint. This is the first time I've seen live-action footage of myself in motion, so I was able to see how my strides have changed and improved, and I also saw where improvements can be made. I lean forward too much when sprinting, but otherwise my form doesn't look too terrible!

Upcoming races:

• African Aid 5k on April 21 (raising money for World Vision to benefit children affected by AIDS in Africa)
• Race for Grace 10k on May 26 (raising money to support Teen Challenge Women's Home for women recovering from drug and alcohol addiction)

I haven't run a 10k before so I'm a little nervous about this one, but I figure if I keep doing what I'm doing and start adding some mileage to my weekly runs, I'll be able to run six miles without too much fear!

ABK

The Importance of a Running Buddy

Like I mentioned in my introduction post, I'm not a natural runner by any means. When I first began running, a friend of mine from my grad school cohort agreed to try it with me. But, seeing as neither of us had any running experience, she bowed out after a couple runs. I soon learned that if I were to find a running buddy, it had to be someone with more experience, drive, and determination than I had.

When I first began running and M set me up with my iPod and shoes, he ran with me a few times, but there was some difficulty there. For one thing, his legs are at least six inches longer than mine, and our strides don't match up. For another, he was living in a different state.

So in 2009, when I met K, I was relieved to find that not only did she like to run, but she had experience! K had been a cross country runner in high school. She knew all kinds of jargon, like fartlek and intervals. And because we worked together, we could easily go on our runs right at the end of the day. Perfect.

Although K had her first baby that year, which interrupted our running a bit, it also served as a motivator for her the next summer when she wanted to lose her post-pregnancy weight. Her motivation fed into mine, and we decided (crazily) to train for a half.

But that's a story for another day. The point of this post is the power of a running buddy. K holds me accountable without really having to do much. A simple text ("want to run tonight?") is enough to get my off the couch.

The importance of having a running buddy goes beyond that, though. Let's be honest here. Running is work. Some days, it's the last thing you want to do. You've been at work all day. In my case, that means 8 hours of standing, talking, answering repetitive questions, sometimes shouting, sometimes pulling teeth to get work out of these kids. At the end of the day, wine and TV is like...a dream come true. So why run? Why create another obligation to fulfill?

Well, for one thing, the girl time! The thing I miss most from college is sitting in the sorority house talking about completely inappropriate things, or political things, or literature-related things. During a run, our conversation provides a distraction. After the run, while we stretch, it provides a solid time to catch up and be adults. Honestly, that in itself is priceless. More than anything else - the motivation, the knowledge and advice - the time to just talk and feel like a real person with thoughts, opinions, and feelings is the best part of having a running buddy.

There is something about bonding over achieving a goal that deepens a friendship, and maybe that's what finding a partner to run with is really all about. One thing I know for sure - running would be a lot less enjoyable if I had no choice but to do it by myself.

ABK