San Jose Rock and Roll Half Marathon

Since I missed posting last week, I have two posts today...

On October 2, I ran the San Jose Rock and Roll Half Marathon. It was a cloudy and cool morning, perfect weather for running. With around 10,000 racers, we were divided into 16 corrals based on our estimated finish time. Since my estimate was 2:45, I was is in corral 12. I was there about 30 minutes before the start of the race so I found some friends from Team in Training to chat with before heading to my corral. About 10 minutes before the race started, I made my way to corral 12. There were probably about 500 people squished into a 20ft by 20ft square.

The problem with being towards the back of 10,000 runners is that when the gun went off, we didn’t even move. By the time the people in front of us started moving, we could still only walk a little until we got about 60 feet from the actual start line. Thank goodness our race time didn’t start until our tag on our shoe crossed the start line.

For the first mile, I was able to hold about an 11:30 min/mile pace which was just a little faster than my estimated pace at about 12:35. During the second mile, I settled into a 12:20 min/mile pace. We started passing the bands during the second mile and then roughly every mile after that. With songs like We Will Rock You, Dirty Deeds, and Welcome to the Jungle, it helped me keep up the pace. I held about a 12:30 min/mile pace until around 8 miles. Then I started to feel myself slipping. Although the music kept coming, I had trouble pushing. Then at around 11 miles the hip pain from the previous weekend kicked in with a vengeance. It took every bit of will power to just keep running. Once I rounded the last corner though, I forgot about the crazy pain. I could run through anything for the last 1000 feet. That is exactly what I did, I sprinted to the end faster than at any other point during the race. Thank goodness I did, because although I didn’t make a new personal record, I tied my last one and added another finisher medal to my collection.

A very long 18.5 miles

On September 25, I attempted my longest run to date in preparation for running a marathon on October 23. I was supposed to run 20 miles on the actual marathon course. I’ve been preparing to run the marathon since July and running consistently since May. I felt like I should be ready.

I parked my car at the start line and started my run along the course. The first few miles were nice easy rolling hills. The hills would have been great on a bike, but they weren’t too bad running either. Around 7 miles, I happened upon a porta-potty I decided to take advantage of. I took off my head phones, and by the time I put them back on after using the restroom, my music was off and my phone had died. Not very good luck for a long run in the middle of nowhere alone, but at this point it was almost as far back to the car the way I came as it was to just finish my run. So I continued along the course.

The hills started getting steeper, and it wasn’t the up hill that hurt as much as the down hill on my hips and knees. At around 14 miles, my hip was aching to the point of almost intolerance. At 15 miles, I gave up running. I borrowed a phone from a cyclist and attempted to call my husband. He did not answer, so I left a message, and I rested for about 30 minutes. I figured I couldn’t stay where I was since I was alone at the reservoir park. At this point, I continued along the course. This involved more rolling hills, and one last large hill. I walked another 3.5 miles back into town. By the time I made it into town, my hips and knees were throbbing. I made another call to my husband, who finally returned my call and came to get me. The lessons I learned on that day are way more important than the fact that I will not be running the marathon in 4 weeks.

Lessons Learned

1. Always check your cell phone before leaving on a long run
2. Don’t run an unknown course, at least drive it first
3. Tell someone exactly your course and when you should be home
4. Make sure your husband keeps his phone on him at all times during your run
5. Pick a flat easy course for your first marathon

Just a 10K

It's funny, 10 years ago, if you'd said that running 6.2 miles was a long distance, I would have agreed whole heartedly. Today, however, as I prepare for my first marathon in a month, it's just a 10K.

It was actually a great 10K. I ran the entire distance except for water breaks, because if I run and drink, I don't actually get the liquid in my mouth, more like all over my face. Many people would find a 10K in 1:17:02 to be a bad time, but for me, someone who could barely run a solid 3 miles just a year ago, that's a great time.

Some how in one year, I've learned to really love running. Now, if only I'd learn to really love my bike then I'd have a true love for triathlon.

Self Doubt

My marathon is in six weeks, which means I have four weeks of training left. I have run 16 miles to date. Which is fantastic. It's further than I've ever run before. But is it enough? I ran it in less than 4 hours which was approximately 14:45 min/mile. That's really good for me, but to finish the race in the required 6.5 hours I need to run the entire 26.2 miles with an average of 14:53. That's scary for me. I mean that means I have about 8 seconds per mile to give up.

I know I'm a financial analyst and I'm just analyzing the numbers WAY too much, but I'm scared that I won't finish. I've told so many people that I'm doing this race. I already didn't finish my first triathlon when I did it, and granted I've now finished 4 triathlons. I just hate to fail again. To this day, I'm bound and determined to go prove to myself I can finish that triathlon. I don't want to have another thing that I have to prove I can finish.

It's like this little tiny seed of self doubt that I had just a couple of weeks ago has totally invaded my brain. It makes me want to just go out an run the total 26.2 miles just to prove to myself I can complete the distance, but I know that will just mess with my training. There is a reason I am working from a training schedule. I just feel like I should be running more or doing something different. I don't know how to get back the confidence that I had when I started this crazy quest to finish a marathon. I originally gave myself plenty of time and worked from a plan which took me from 6 miles to 26.2 miles. But my legs just gave out last week, I couldn't complete the 16 miles on my plan so then it was last weekend for 16 miles which means I'm a bit behind in my plan.

I have tons of self doubt, doubt about whether I can even run 26.2 miles. Especially if I have troubles with 16 miles. I know I'm in the minority that I've even run 16 miles at one time. But I have bigger dreams than the majority. I have to finish the 26.2 miles and I want the medal so I have to do it in 6.5 hours, but right now that is really scary.

Gardening Hurts

That sounds really weird coming from someone that has done 4 triathlons and is training for a marathon, but I hurt more have gardening than after running. First, we dug up the plants in the back yard planted against the foundation. They were ugly. And we replaced them with the over growing ones from the front yard. Of course, instead of using a shovel, I decided to dig the up with my hands so I wouldn't destroy their roots. We also replanted our herb garden in a window box planter so they would have some extra room. Then, I weeded 2/3 of the front yard, skipping the part where the bees were hanging out. Lastly, I replaced the over grown plants with some annuals which will hold me out until spring. This all sounds lovely, but I did it all without gloves, and obviously without balance because while trying to actually use the shovel, I fell over and landed in a rose bush. Both me and the rose bush survived, but it was probably a scene for America's funniest home video's if we'd caught it on video. I'm glad we did not.

I've decided that maybe holiday weekends are more dangerous than just going to work.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Cycle for Life

On Saturday, we attended the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Cycle for Life in Santa Cruz. Mike cycled 25 miles in honor of our son, and we met the staff of the CF Foundation and some other CF patients. It was an interesting experience to say the least.

After Mike left the starting area, Alex decided he wanted to go for a ride. He walked over to our SUV and started knocking on the door, and when I opened it and picked him up, he pointed to his car seat and said "seat". He helped me buckle him in, and then he said "Go!". This may not sound like much for a two and a half year old, but two months ago, Alex had a vocabulary of about 4 words. He had great difficulty expressing what he wanted and he would just have a fit. Now I'd say his vocabulary is probably approaching 20 words, and he is as expressive as ever. He wanted to go for a ride in his car seat, and, in his own way, he told me. This was a huge accomplishment.

We went to meet Mike and the turn around point for his ride. It was what they called the "Strawberry Rest Stop" on Highway 1. When we got there I understood why. It was a farm house with strawberries painted on the outside. I'm not sure if it was a market during normal business hours because it was only 8:30AM, if it was, it was not open, yet. We waited for Mike to arrive at the rest stop which was stocked with water, peanut butter, energy bars, and Sizzle Sticks (red licorice). The migrant workers were working in the background, harvesting what looked like green onions. Mike eventually arrived at the rest stop. Although exhausted, he was doing pretty well. He took some snacks and liquids, said hello to Alex and I, and then headed back into Santa Cruz. After Alex and I made a quick stop and changed a diaper, we met Mike back at the Finish Line where lunch and drinks were waiting.

As usual, everyone at the event adored Alex. He even got a special invite to be a representative of Cystic Fibrosis patients at another CF Foundation event, Broc Glover's Breathe Easy Ride - Bay Area on October 1. We met two very special Cystic Fibrosis patients, Brett and Katie. Both had lung transplants earlier this year. As Brett put it, they traded in one set of problems, for another, but also a huge extension of their lives. The lung transplant will not cure Cystic Fibrosis, but the CF had done such great damage to their lungs through pneumonia and bronchitis type sickness that they would not have survived without it. I could not have had the conversations with these patients or other parents of CF patients one year ago. It was still just too scary to think about the future. I'm glad I was able to talk to them today. They were very inspirational and gave me great hope for the future of Cystic Fibrosis treatments.

The best advice I got, was something you hear every day, but we all tend to forget. "You can only take it one day at a time."

Running and more running

I still haven't solved the shoe dilemma. In the mean time, I'm still running. It hurts at times, but I'm not giving up and I'm not stopping.

I ran in my first 10K last Sunday in the Felton Race Thru the Redwoods. I've completed three half marathons, four triathlons and even a 5K, but some how I've never done a 10K. I figured it would be nice to have a real 10K time, but little did I know this was not the race to be basing my progress in training. In the middle of a nice, relatively flat and down hill race, there was ONE very steep hill climbing 300ft in about 3/4 mile. That ruined any opportunity to have a great time. However, it was a really fun race, and will be a nice annual event.

This week, I ran a great 4 miles on Wednesday, it was my interval run, 1/2 mile hard run with 4 minute rest in between for 6 repeats. I was exhausted, but it felt really good. Then on Thursday, I was supposed to run 5 miles. Well, I'm lucky I made it home. I ran 1.5 miles from home and then I hit a brick wall. I tried for another 1 mile to get into my rhythm, because sometimes it takes me 2 miles. Unfortunately, I was done physically, but was now 2.5 miles from home. I walked the rest of the way home, with little attempt at running. I figured at this point, I just wanted to make it home. My biggest mistake was trying a run on one of the hottest days in the mid-afternoon. I was just dehydrated. Oh well, lesson learned.

Tomorrow is my longest run to date. I will be running 14 miles. Let's hope I get my running legs back because walking 14 miles will take much, much longer than I'm planning.