2013

November 8, 2012 by 12 Comments

Did you see the movie 2012? I watched it one time while running on the treadmill and wasn’t sure if it was a comedy or a drama. It’s basically your typical apocalypse story, in which the earth’s core is heating up rapidly and is going to boil, causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and a huge tidal wave that will engulf the earth. So the powers-that-be go about secretly building these massive arks that of course can only save a small percentage of the population. All the usual fights ensue, people get crushed, maimed, go crazy, etc. There’s the typical crescendo toward the end when someone has to risk their life to save the ark from crashing into Everest and – spoiler alert – does it with about 0.02 seconds to spare.


Source

Happily I didn’t waste any hours of my life watching this drama/comedy as I was running at the same time. Something I haven’t been doing lately, due to my own stupidity in not allowing my calf tear to heal before increasing my mileage. In fact, my entire 2012 has been about as disastrous as the movie, because I’ve been injured for most of it.

Cue the violins…

- At the beginning of the year I battled a glute/hammy injury. I ran two half marathons and an 8K on that in February and March.
- The compensation from running with a super tight glute/hammy gave me a hip problem in the other leg. In May I ran a 10K and in June a 50K on that.
- Then, while training for JFK 50, and already behind on mileage, I tore my calf. I ran a half marathon in October while still rehabbing and retore the calf the following week.

Yes, I see the pattern. Not sure if I’m martyr, hero, or just glutton for punishment. But, as disastrous as 2012 has been, I still managed to pull out:

- 2nd place in my age group at Annapolis sprint triathlon in May.
- 2nd female overall at Infinitive sprint triathlon in June.
- 2nd in my age group at Rockville Rotary 8K in July.
- My second-fastest 10K time at USAT Age Group Nationals in Vermont in August.

I guess I had a decent summer.

Right now I’m not running and not even thinking about racing the rest of the year. My husband asked me if I was signing up for the 10K I usually run on New Year’s Eve. I told him I can’t make any plans right now…

That doesn’t mean, of course, that I can’t make plans for 2013:

- In March I hope to be able to run Shamrock Half Marathon. I’ve run one of the VA Beach Shamrock races for the last 2 years (Marathon in 2011, 8K in 2012) but haven’t run the half since 2006.
- In April I’ll run my second Boston Marathon. I’m really looking forward to going back, this time with my good friend Lisa. I have no expectations for the race; my hope is to get to the start uninjured.
- While I’ll still race some of my favorite triathlons, and I’m waiting to see where USAT Age Group Nationals are this year, I’d like to focus more on duathlons this year. My swim is the weak link of the three triathlon disciplines, so I can do better in a run-bike-run than a swim-bike-run. That, of course, requires me to be able to run well, so I’m not making any concrete plans yet. But if I can run well I think I have a shot at making Team USA for the ITU World Championships…

So while it may only be November, I have big plans for 2013. And in case they don’t work out, I can always build an ark. ;)

Have you made plans for 2013? 

How do you handle injuries? Do you try to push through them like me?

What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen?

 

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Boston 2013…A Pacing Story

March 20, 2012 by 4 Comments

My good friend and partner in trail running crime, Lisa AKA RunWiki, just qualified for the Boston Marathon!

I don’t want to tell her race story because I want to leave that to her. This is simply a pacing story. I had the honor of pacing her for the second half of her qualifying race at Shamrock Marathon. Pacing – and being paced – is a real test of the bond of friendship. I discovered Sunday that it’s much more than one person relying on the other. You might think that Lisa was just relying on me, but I was relying on her just as much. Just as she relied on me to pull her, I relied on her to dig deep, listen to me, push away the demons, and believe in herself.

It wasn’t easy. I wish I could have shouldered more of the burden. I knew exactly what she was going through, because I’ve been there five times myself, but I couldn’t make it go away. At times I felt like a broken record: “just give me a little bit more, just a little faster, dig a little deeper” over and over. I handed her water, Pringles, reminded her to take GU, peeled a banana and joked that it was like being with your kids, but I couldn’t take away the pain nor could I run the race for her. That, she had to do all by herself.

A couple of times, I thought she had given up. When she stopped to walk I told her she had to choose whether to let it go or keep fighting. Walking meant letting go of the dream of a PR and BQ. And that was OK. But she had to choose. She started jogging. She kept fighting. And she prevailed. And she also did it in style.

So RunWiki is going to Boston. Hopefully I will be going with her….now I have to requalify!

 

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Stone Cold Gumby

February 9, 2012 by 14 Comments

Rabbit. Crew. Good cop. Bad cop. Drink-holder. Feeder. Distractor of pain. Concealer of truths. A pacer is all these things, and more.

I am pacing my good friend RunWiki at the Shamrock Marathon March 18th. I’ll run the second half of the race with her as she attempts a BQ. I ran Shamrock last year so I’m familiar with the course; it’s pancake flat but the second half can be lonesome as you run away from the crowds, through a very pretty pine-tree area, and then onto Fort Story. Even after coming off the Navy Base, the streets are a bit quiet as most spectators are at the finish. Quiet can be good, allowing a runner to get away from the noise for a while, but quiet can also allow the negative thoughts to creep in with nothing to detract from them.

So that’s where I step in. Except, I’m a bit of a novice at pacing. In fact, the only other time I paced anyone was at the Hershey Half Marathon; I paced my husband for the last 7 miles. He wanted me to talk to him so I blabbered away about random things as much as I could, got him water at the aid stations and tried to pull him through the last 3 agonizing miles, which were all through the parking lot, but really wished I could have done more.

We didn’t discuss what he’d need from me before the race. Going into this next race, I’ve discussed extensively with Lisa what I should say and do. Actually, most of our discussion converged around what I shouldn’t say.

Me: “If I start to slow down in a marathon I say to myself, ‘you’re going to look really stupid when you didn’t achieve that time you predicted.’”

Lisa: “Don’t say that.”

Me: “Oh, ok. How about, ‘Think about all your family and friends waiting for you at the finish.’ ”

Lisa: “No, that’s worse. I like Shalane Flanagan’s mantra she used at the Olympic trials: stone cold.”

Me: “Stone cold? OK, so do I tell you you’re stone cold?”

Lisa: “Yes. No emotion.”

So “stone cold” will be the mantra. It kinda fits me anyway because my coach told me Lisa and I have such different personalities and I am the “stone cold” one. Ha ha.

The other thing that we’ve discussed is where she wants me to run. When I paced my husband I ran alongside but slightly in front of him, trying to maintain or push the pace just a little, but not enough that he’d notice. In the last few miles I started running in front of him to try to pull him, but I realized at one point that I’d gone too far ahead and the lifeline was broken. For Lisa I’ll run just slightly ahead and she will imagine a cord connecting the two of us that cannot be broken.

But what other strategies are useful? I took a look at the forums on Runner’s World and found some good ideas and some real gems, on which I’ve added my thoughts in italics.

  • A pacer should know how to evaluate the runner’s condition (whether by knowing the person or from broad experience with endurance athletes). Alive and running? Check.
  • A pacer is to do nothing to distract the runner from running (the runner comes first). Right, no “OMG look at that man’s shorts!!!”
  • A pacer must be able to pick up the pace as much as the runners wants (runner might come back to life). I’ll be ready with my kick.

“I like my pacer to only speak when spoken to (I know that sounds tough, but I dislike idle chatter when I’m hurting). So ask your runner to tell you straight. There’s no room for niceties.” Yes Ma’am. I will just pretend it’s Downton Abbey and I’m your maid.

“Establish how far he wants you to go if he says he wants to quit, like “only let me quit if I’m in the back of an ambulance”, or “don’t listen to me when I say I’m going to quit”, or “I know when I have had enough, and I’ll decide when I’m stopping.” Lisa, there will be no quitting. :)

“Never ever say “not far to go now”. Your runner will know exactly how far there is to go. “not far” is a very subjective thing.” Very true. I want to punch everyone in the face who says this. Lisa, do let me know if you want me to punch anyone in the face for you.

“Try to remember that if the runner “barks” at you or is mean, don’t take it too personally, take it as a cue to keep quiet for a while and just let them do their thing.”  OK, but I’ll get you back later.

“You never know what their mood will be after the fatigue kicks in.  Just be flexible and help while they run their race.” Call me gumby.

  • A good pacer must be both understanding and relentless. Like Jekyll and Hyde?
  • A good pacer focuses on keeping their runner on track at all times. Lisa, just ignore my comments on other runners’ attire. ;)
  • A good pacer holds your hair back while you’re puking. OK I think that’s enough.

I think that last one is the best.

Have you ever paced a runner?
What tips/advice do you have?
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Lucky Me!

March 22, 2011 by 17 Comments

What’s big and purple and lies next to Ireland? Grape Britain!

I thought I’d start this post with a joke because I figure you’re all expecting me to start with “I PR’d!!!” – which I did (as you can see by the new marathon PR listed on the right!), but the PR was just part of an amazing and very fun weekend in Virginia Beach with my family and triathlon team.

Shamrock

Grimacing in the final stretch

The joke, by the way, was one of several that were posted on signs along a quiet, spectator-free section of the Shamrock Marathon course. They were what kept me going from miles 16 – 19 and I remember several of them. This stretch was so quiet that when someone behind us burped everyone started roaring with laughter. It kinda broke the silence and I started chatting to the guy next to me, with whom I’d been in step for a while. I needed to talk, because I was starting to hurt. We chit-chatted for a while and then another guy came up to us and said, “do you know when this hill ends?” (“What hill?” I thought. Aside from a bridge that you run over and back, Shamrock marathon is pancake-flat.) “Uh, soon, I think,” the guy next to me said. Then, when “hill” guy was out of earshot, he turned to me and said, “what hill?” “Exactly.” I said.

So, how did my “training run” go? Well, basically I tried to slow myself down for 20 miles and then speed up for the last 6. I was literally “swallowed” by the 3:40 pace group, which descended on me at mile 8 like a pack of wild dogs, and which I rejoined – and passed! – at mile 21. Sweeeet.

Recapping an entire marathon is hard and probably very boring, so here are the answers to questions I am presumptuous enough to assume you might have:

- Yes, I went out too fast, even though I swore I would not. My splits were 8:29, 7:59, 8:00, 8:07, 8:20, 8:11, 8:18, 8:10, 8:06, 8:08, 8:11, 8:16, 8:14, 8:17, 8:14, 8:13, 8:12, 8:19, 8:06, 8:19, 8:10, 8:24, 8:14, 8:09, 8:20, 8:07, 7:13. Altogether, my pace was fairly even  so I don’t think I messed up. I went through the half in 1:49 so I did run a negative split – by a hair!

- Yes, I peed while running. And I laughed out loud at people wasting time standing in the porta-potty lines on the course.

- I ate 5 (five!) GUs and a pack of Honey Stingers. This is way more than I’ve ever eaten during a marathon and I think this really helped me in the latter stages.

- Even though I used a significant amount of body glide I still chafed. Lesson learned: you can never use too much body glide.

- The day before the race I ate oatmeal for breakfast, blueberry pancakes for lunch, and pasta with meat sauce for dinner.

- There is a point during the marathon when everything hurts. You will always want to stop or at least slow down at this point. Run through it. Deal with it.

- I had a weird pain on the outside of my knee between miles 3 and 4. I had the exact same pain at about the same point in the Philly Half Marathon. The pain intensified, became excrutiating, and then went away during that race, so I hoped it would act the same way this time. It did. It went away after about a mile and didn’t come back. I don’t know what caused it. I’ve had the same pain running on the treadmill, which is why I no longer run on the treadmill. Odd.

OK, so if you have a burning question about my race that I didn’t answer, please write it in the comment section and I will be sure to respond!

So, what else made it such a great weekend? My husband ran his first 8K in an awesome time and made it look easy! Next time he says he’s going to run it faster!

My kids, who “hate the beach” and “can’t stand sand” spent several hours digging holes, fishing stuff out of the ocean, playing frisbee, and making sand volcanoes.

Finally, to cap it all, the day before the marathon, I got an e-mail from Cathy Pugsley at Potomac River Running inviting me to join their Age Group Racing Team! Of course I was interested but I didn’t think I was =PR= material, so I sent them my PRs just to be sure they really wanted me and they replied YES, they would like me to race for them!

Lucky me!

Ok, one more: What do you get when you cross a shamrock with poison ivy? A rash of good luck!

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