Round 2.

So kind of on a whim a few weeks ago, I registered to run the Governor's Cup on November 3.  This is one of Columbia's biggest running events, and it's celebrating the 40th running this year.  It is not an easy course.  There is a long uphill in the second half and a pretty killer last half mile to top it off, but it starts on Gervais Street right in front of the Statehouse and ends on the other side, at the Horseshoe on Carolina's campus, which is cool.

My parents are coming into town, and they haven't seen me run a race yet.  Since I knew I'd still be in shape from Georgetown, I figured I might as well piggyback onto that training and get one more half marathon under my belt.

This is my plan:

	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Rest	Rest	Rest	Yoga	Barre	Easy 3 mi	Easy 3 mi
2	Rest	Easy 4mi	Barre	Easy 5mi	Rest	Rest	Easy 5mi
3	Rest	6-7mi	Barre	Easy 3-4mi	Rest	RACE DAY!

To be clear, this is Week 2.  I had to go home to Florida unexpectedly last week so I didn't make it to yoga or barre, but luckily Pinterest saved the day with some workouts that were easy to do when I only had a few minutes.  I did go out for some easy miles this weekend and felt fine, so I think that's a good sign.  

I am not planning to race-race this race, if you know what I mean.  Running a half is still hard for me... I get that it's not something that is supposed to be easy, but what I mean is that it's the longest I've ever run, and I've only done it twice, so even if I'm not race-racing, it's still a hard effort.  So this time I just want to have fun running through my "hometown" (I do not yet claim Columbia) and finish in a respectable time.

Race Recap: Georgetown Half Marathon

SUB-2 is official!  A week later, and I'm still recovering a little bit, but it was worth it.

Let's begin at the beginning...

J and I headed out of town around 4:30 on Friday, and made to Georgetown in time to scoop up my packet (took approximately 30 seconds... yay for small races) and to meet some friends for a carbo-loading sesh at Pastaria 811 in Pawley's Island.  I'm not sure what they do to the tomatoes that they put on their house salad, but it is magical.

After our delicious dinner, we checked into our hotel, and I laid out my race outfit.  Then I took a shower and straightened my hair.  This is what it's come to in order to avoid the uni-dread.  Anyway, we stayed at a Hampton Inn, so there was free breakfast starting at 6am, so I got dressed and got down stairs ASAP, then J drove me to start line.  We found a parking spot one block away, which awesome. (Again, yay for small races.)  It was windy and a bit chilly, but I was only at the start for 15 mins or so, so it wasn't too bad.  No lines for the porta potties, and I found my friends with no problems.  And then when we lined up, I ended up standing right next to a former co-worker who was running the 5K.  (Can I say it one more time?  Yay for small races.)

{Me, Leslie, Jenny, and Jennifer at the start.}

I knew that if I held at 9:09 pace then I would come in at 1:59:59, so my game plan was to start around 9:20 to get warmed up during the first mile, get it down to 9:00-9:05 at least until the 10K, and then pick it up after that if I could.  The first 2 miles of the course were through downtown, so I saw J right after the start and again just after the first mile marker.

{Thumbs up because I'm only 30 seconds in.}

The first 7 miles of the course are beautiful.  Downtown Georgetown is full of gorgeous old mansions, cute shops, and amazing views of the bay.  The sun was still coming up as we passed along the waterfront and over the first bridge out and back.  The first bridge was super fun .  I was able to hold my pace both ways without feeling like I was pushing myself hard and the view at the top was awesome.  It was definitely windy, but it felt good.  Plus, it was an out and back, so we got to see the leaders, which is always fun.  The first guys came over the bridge (going back) just as I got to the top (going out).  The turnaround was right at mile 4, so I ate half a packet of Honey Stinger chews before we tackled the bridge again.  I saw Leslie, Jenny, and Jennifer a little past the turn around, so that was a nice pick-me-up too.

 {Sunrise over the bay.}

Right at the the turnaround point, I started to notice something funky happening in my left calf.  Both calves were very sore this week, and I have no idea why.  I took my runs super easy, obviously, and I made a point to wear flats or very low heels to work to give my legs a break.  I rubbed the crap out of both of them with the Stick on Friday night and before leaving the hotel, and actually, the right one was much more sore than the left, so the crampy twinges in my left leg really surprised me.  And once it started, it never went away.  I expected it to go into a full blown cramp at any second the whole way from mile 4-13.1.  It was not a fun mental battle to fight - since it more annoying than painful, I told myself to keep going as long as possible and if it did go into a full cramp, I could deal with it then.  Luckily, this was also the point where I made a running buddy.  We were running the same pace and we stuck together from mile 4 until about mile 12 (when she totally left me in the dust... must work on that for next time), so I just tried to focus on staying with her.  

We went back through downtown for a few blocks around mile 6-7.  I ate the rest of my Honey Stingers, and I saw all of my cheerleaders - Leslie's husband and father, J, and my coworker Ginger.  I went through the 10k right at 55 minutes, so I knew I was on track, and except for the occasional twinges in my calf, I was feeling good.  Just before mile 8, we hit the second bridge, which is the start of the second out and back.  This bridge was terrrrible, mostly because the sign for mile 12 was right at the base of it, so you pass it as you're going out and realize that means you've got to come back over it at the end.  Also, it's steeper than the first one, which is rough.  We did see the leaders again, though, at almost the exact same spot, just as we crested the bridge.

{10Kish.}

Then shit got real.  Miles 9-11 are run within this weird, unbuilt subdivision.  It's all paved and all of the lots are marked off, and you can tell it was supposed to be some kind of really nice development along the water, but there are no houses.  It's really bizarre, and it was totally open to the wind with no shade.  In fact, when we finaaaaaallllllyyyyy hit the turn around at mile 10, the wind hit us head on.  So miz, and definitely not the way you want to start the last 5K.  I was starting to get a little tired, so I tried to take 3 or 4 sports beans, but I couldn't hold them down.  I ended up spitting them out, which is weird because I did fine with them last time and had no issues on my training runs.  But, whatever, lesson learned... next time I will make sure I have more options in my fuel belt.

So Mile 11-12 means you have to go back over that damn bridge.  I passed mile 11 almost exactly at 1:40:00, so I knew I was going to be cutting it close for sub-2.  I told myself just to keep it steady and get up the bridge as fast as possible.  This is where my race buddy took off.  I don't know how she had it in her to get up that bridge so fast, because when I finally made it up, my watch said I was at a 9:53 pace.  I thought I had lost my sub-2, and even though the downhill helped me make up some time, I was DONE.  My calf was seriously unhappy, and my hips were throbbing, and I really just wanted to cry, but there was no way in hell I was stopping at that point.  I went through Mile 13 and my watch said 1:58ish.  I could see the finish and hear people (J) screaming at me to go sub-2, so I somehow managed to keep moving to the finish.

The clock said 1:59:47 as I went through, and I just lost it in the chute.  I was already out of breath and my calf was freaking out, so the crying didn't help.  I managed to grab some water and immediately scarfed down a banana, and calmed down a little bit.  Only then did I remember to stop my Garmin.  Runner fail.

Nevertheless, my official chip time, and NEW PR, is 1:59:34. 

The post-race festival included music by Bil Krauss, who is an institution in the beach bars along the SC coast.  J and I went to see him play the night we got engaged, and we try to see him whenever we're down at Pawley's.  He's a runner too, and he actually ran the course earlier in the morning.  We got a little shout out while he was playing, so that was fun.  We couldn't hang out for too long because J wanted to get back to Cola for the Carolina/LSU game.

So just like that, race weekend was over!  But lucky for me, I'll be running (not sub-2) the Governor's Cup on Nov. 3.  My parents will be in town, so that should be fun.  I will post my turnaround plan later this week, and I could definitely use some advice about how to pull it off.

Runner's Quiz + Race Week

What whattttt... it's Race Week! 

I am pretty excited for this race, but to be honest, I'm not feeling super confident about meeting my 2 hour goal. I haven't been very consistent about sticking to my training plan, sometimes for legit reasons and other times for less legit ones.  But given that this is only my second half, I'm just looking at it as a learning experience. I've definitely learned some things that I will apply to my next training cycle (i.e. I will not lie to myself and think I can run 5-6 days in a row.  Not happening on this shins.)  Oh, and if I don't do it this weekend, I can always try again on November 3 at the Governor's Cup.  :)

Also, I miiiiight have sustained a moderate injury this weekend at the wedding. I tried dancing in heels (stupid) but gave up after an hour or so and took them off (stupider). I ended up stepping on glass on the dance floor, and I just generally danced my ass off for like 6 hours straight (for real).  It feels like I've bruised the pad on the bottom of my right foot/toes, and it's a bit tender to walk on today. Totally, 100% worth it though... so.much.fun.

_______

Ok, so this running quiz is kind of making the rounds, but since I love running and I love quizzes (it's true, I thought school was awesome) I figured I would try it.


1. Fuel: Shot Bloks, GU, Energy Chews, Candy, or other?

Definitely Honey Stinger Chews. Preferably Pink Lemonade. Finding the right fuel has been a long battle for me. I was definitely underfueled during my half in May. I only ate like 3/4 of a bag of sports beans because I just really, really haaaaate gels. I tried to make myself like them, but one time I tried a Strawberry Banana on a long run and it was hot and just so gross and that was the end of GU for me. I was dry heaving for like a mile afterwards. So sick.

2. Race Length: 5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon, marathon, ultra or other?

{Cooper River Bridge Run}

Maybe this is a weird choice, but I really like the 10k. It's a good combo of endurance + speed - too far to go all out right from the start, but short enough that you can really push it.

3. Workout bottoms: Running skirt, shorts, capris, tights or other?

TS4L.  Tempo Shorts 4 Life.  I really love my Nikes, but I just bought my first pair of speed shorts from lululemon (thanks J!) and I might be hooked. That is unfortunate given their price tag.

I've never tried the running skirt thing, and it's waaaaay too hot here for like 10 months of the year to run in tights or capris. I did get some sweet running tights for Christmas last year, but I only used them once or twice before I got injured, so we'll see how it goes this winter. Unless it's in the mid-40s or below, I usually just wear shorts + a long sleeve tech tee. And let's get real... if we're getting below freezing, I will be staying inside.

4. Sports Drink: Gatorade, Powerade, Cytomax, water or other?

I drink plain water exclusively during my runs, but I do love a cold red Gatorade (the cure for [almost] anything that ails you ... well, maybe not, like, SARS or something) or some Nuun before and after. I am a salty sweater for sure, but I really try not to overdo it with sodium, and sports drinks tend to have more than you think.  I'm not convinced that because I'm salty after a run, it means I need more salt. I get plenty (read: too much) in my normal diet and that seems to be enough.  I haven't had an issue with cramps even at the peak of my summer running (see below), so I don't see a reason to change that right now.

5. Running temperatures: Heat or cold?

{Summer in Columbia}

Hot, hot, hot any day of the week. I live in South Carolina... it's not like I have a choice.

6. Running shoe brands: Saucony, Brooks, Mizuno, Nike, Asics or other?

I love my Mizunos. My shin splint issues really decreased once I ditched my old New Balances for these. I'm a fan for life.

7. Pre-race meal: Oatmeal, Bagel, Banana, Eggs, Cereal or other?

Finally got this one figured out too. Honey Wheat English Muffin + PB + banana slices + Tupelo honey (preferably from the actual Tupelo Honey in Asheville). Usually with 16oz of Nuun to wash it down, as discussed above.

8. Rest Days: 1x per week, 2x per week, never ever ever or other?

We all know I am the Queen of Rest Days. Usually 2 full rest days per week plus one cross training day for yoga or barre or an NTC workout.

9. Music: Have to have it or go without it?

I surprised myself on this one. The first time I had to go without music was because I couldn't find my headphones, and I was sure I was going to be the mayor of Miz City. But... it really wasn't that bad. These days I tend to do at least once a week without any type of "entertainment." I still want music for races, but I also love my zombie runs and recently I started listening to audiobooks on some of my longer runs as well. My first pick was Bossypants, which actually turned out to be kind of a mistake... breathing gets even harder than usual when you are laughing uncontrollably at the genius that is Tina Fey. Also, people tend to look at you strangely when you're running along LOLing to yourself.

10. #1 reason for running: stress-relief, endorphins, you love to race, so you can eat all the cupcakes you want, weight-loss, love running for social reasons or other?

Easy. All of the above. What started out as a weight loss thing very quickly reignited my love of competing/having a sport in which to participate. (Sorry, the English major in me would not allow myself to end on a preposition.) The stress relief and endorphins are also addicting. The cupcakes (or in my case, Swedish fish) are a bonus.

BAM.  There you have it.  Leave your answers in the comments if you'd like!

Dreadlocks and Rainy Runs.

So fall happened this week in Columbia.  Yes, it is supposed to be back to around 90 degrees later this week, but there has been a definite change in the weather.  It's cool in the mornings and in the evenings.  I can run without feeling like I'm swimming through the air with all of the humidity.  In short, it is awesome.

Last Monday, I was planning to do an easy long-ish run but it started raining on me, which was actually awesome, until my left shoe started rubbing and opened up a very uncomfortable blister on my ankle.  I decided that 5 miles was enough, and called it a night.  

I had straightened my hair that morning, so when I left on the run my hair was stick straight.  Rain/humidity/sweat do very bad things to my hair, however, so when I returned, my pony tail looked like this.

{Rat's nest.}

I actually had to cut the elastic out of my hair because it had expanded so much,  I couldn't get it out without ripping hair.  And that rat's nest took me a good 30 minutes to comb out in the shower.  The middle part on the inside of the tangles wasn't wet, so it was really hard to get conditioner in there to help untangle it.  It was like one giant dreadlock. The worst.  And this is not the first time this has happened.  Basically any time I run with my hair curly/natural, I get a nasty uni-dread.  Does anyone else have this issue or is this a personal problem?  Maybe I need to start braiding my ponytail?

Reboot.

There are 4 weeks left before Georgetown, and I'm realizing that my plan needs to be reworked.  I've got issues...

1. One rest day is not cutting it.  I've been taking extra days to keep the shins calmed down anyway, so might as well address that in the schedule.

2. I've finally found a really great cross-training/strength class that I love, so I want to make sure I have time for that each week.  (It's this barre class, and it is AWESOME.  I get so sweaty and it's a great workout.  My glutes really need some work, and this class definitely gives me that.)  

3.  The 10 mile race that I was planning to run this weekend has been canceled, so that's kind of a bummer.  However, it leaves me with an extra week in the schedule, so now I'll have time for a cutback week/mini taper.

4.  We've got a big wedding the weekend before the race which requires us to be in Charleston on Thursday night.  I was thinking that I'd get up on Friday and do my long run, but Thursday night is a bar crawl for the wedding party/out-of-towners, so let's get real... I'm gonna want to participate.  So, I'm moving that week's long run to Wednesday. 

Taking all of that into consideration, here's the plan for last few weeks of training.

8	8m	Rest	Barre	4.5m run	3m run	5m pace	10 m
9	Rest	5m run	1 mi + 10x hills + 1 mi	3m run	5m pace	11m run	Rest
10	Rest	5m run	Barre	45 min tempo	5m pace	12m run	Rest
11	3m run	5m run	Barre	9m run	1 mi + 10x hills + 1 mi	Rest	Rest
12	3m pace	4m run	2m run	Rest	Rest	RACE DAY!

Yesterday I did a 4m pace run.  Not shockingly, I went out too fast and positive split the crap out of this one.  Part of that was on purpose... I wanted to keep the run in the 8:50-9:00 range (since, you know, that's the pace I'm aiming for and that's the point of this run).  I felt great the first 2.5 miles and then hit some hillier bits and couldn't have held on to the 8:35ish pace anyway.  Definitely something to remember when I'm on the start line in Georgetown.

In non-running news, J and I went to see Beasts of the Southern Wild this weekend, and I looooved it.  The little girl who plays Hushpuppy is absolutely amazing.  So much so that I'm not sure the movie would even have been possible without her - it would have been entirely different.  If you get a chance to see this one, definitely do it!

Georgetown HM Training: Weeks 4 and 5

Because I'm so behind (again), I thought I would just do some highlights from the past 2 weeks.

On Wednesday the 15th, I did a glorious 40 minute tempo.  I warmed up for about half a mile (aka before I discovered that my Garmin wasn't on) so it was really more like 45 minutes, but whatever.  The warm up as pretty draggy so I was concerned about having to pick up the pace, but when it came time, my legs just did it.  I love that.

Uhh, yeah, that last mile was downhill.  Still counts.

On Sunday, I did 7 miles for my long run for the week.  I haaaaaaated the first half of this run.  Hated.  Cannot stress enough how much I did not want to be doing it.  I had a headache all day and it was sticking around when I left the house.  My Garmin died after about 2 steps, so I had to use RunKeeper on my iPhone, which I don't like because I wear an armband and I can't see my paces very easily.  Plus I couldn't find my good headphones, the kind that hook over my ears, so the right earbud fell out no less than 43 times in first 3 miles.  (Are you feeling sorry for me yet??) Because then... I BUSTED. Hard.  On the busiest road on my route, of course.  I managed not to go down on my knees, so that was good.  But I took some skin off my hands and my thigh and I definitely jammed up my wrist.  It's actually still a little sore.  But once I popped back up and got going, everything got zen and last 3.5 miles just flew by.  By the end, I was back in love with running and all was right in the world.

As discussed, slower than my goal pace, but not THAT much slower.  Even when I was wallowing in self pity over the earphone situation, etc., my legs felt good.

Lastly, this past Friday I had approximately 12 minutes to spare for a run so I ran 5 hill repeats on my favorite hill.  Less than a mile, but dang did I get plenty sweaty and out of breath.  Also my glutes were sore all weekend, so maybe I need to visit my hill more often.

Tonight, strength + stretching was on schedule, so I went to a barre class.  I bought a 10 class Groupon, and my booty is gonna be fierce by the time I've used them all.  Holy cow, who knew such tiny little movements could burn so bad?  Love it!

Georgetown HM: Weeks 2 & 3

I'm way behind on my weekly recaps.  I barely even remember Week 2, except for the 5K to end the week, but I think it was pretty uneventful.  Week 3, however, was a bit of a doozy.

I started the week with some strength training using the Nike Training Club app.  I did a butt workout that was one of the worst decisions of my whole life.  I was SO beyond sore for days afterward that I could barely walk.  I had planned my rest days for Thursday and Sunday.  As it turned out, I needed my rest days on Tuesday and Wednesday for my buns to recover, so I made some rearrangements.  

My favorite run of the week was the 3 mile pace run I did on Saturday morning.  I wasn't real sure how it was gonna go because I didn't have anything to eat before I left the house (J's stepmom made a ridiculously delicious brunch when I got back) and it was already blazing hot at 9am when I set out.  I started out on the road, running past all of these amazing beachside/creekside houses and ended up doing the last mile on the beach.  

{The view from our bedroom.  Not too shabby.}

The first half mile was kind of a struggle but then I hit my stride and the rest of the run flew by.  In order to run a 1:59:xx, I need to hit at least 9:05/mi.  I'd like to run more like the 8:55-9:00 range, and my average pace on this run ended up at 8:56, so I was very happy with that.

I didn't want to spend any of our last few hours of beach time doing my long run, so I waited until we got back to Cola.  I had to settle for 5.5 miles as it was getting dark fast.  

I'm kind of undecided about long run paces.  I know the traditional wisdom is to do them very slowly, but I'm not 100% convinced that's a good idea for me.  My legs can't take a ton of miles, so I like to make the most of them.  Anyway, for now my strategy is just to let my legs decide... I'm trying to focus more on effort and breathing rate and to stop checking my Garmin constantly.

In other news, I registered for the Kill the Hills 10 miler this week!  That should be an interesting one. :)