Race Recap- Mother’s Day 5 Mile
On Mother’s Day I ran a very HOT 5 mile race. I mean, I live in Florida, so it’s always hot. This one just hit us a little hard, because normally we run first thing in the morning and are done running by 7:30, which is the time this race started. We’re also just getting acclimated to the intense heat that will be here for the next six months! I know- excuses, excuses. I had tentatively planned to run the race at a 9:15 (or so) mile pace, but due to poor pacing ended with an average pace of 9:49. Of course that was according to my Garmin. The official race results had my time at a 10:05 mile pace- the discrepancy is due to The Incident in mile 4. Read on to find out all about it! This race had a 5k and a 5 mile option, and I felt pretty sure that the 5 mile distance would not be popular. My husband was surprised to see me making a playlist the night before, because I normally don’t listen to anything during.a race. I told him I had a funny feeling I would be running by myself a lot, and thought it would be more fun to have music (even though my husband was also doing the 5 miler, we run at different paces.) Turns out my suspicions were correct! We got up at 5:30 am and I drank a large glass of water with LMNT. The race was about 30 minutes away, and on the way there I ate an orange and drank more water. When we got there we got our bibs and did a short warmup run, and I used the bathroom TWICE (foreshadowing.) We were chuckling because we overheard people saying things like “Apparently there’s a 5 mile race too- I wouldn’t want to do that, would you?” “No!” Finally we lined up at the start and they went over the course. They described where the 5 milers would split off from the 5k runners, and explained that at one point the 5 milers would be running on the sidewalk for a while “since there are only about 100 of you, so we didn’t want to pay to close that road.” Ah, okay. The race started at 7:40-about ten minutes late- and I could feel the sweat trickling down my body as I waited- yep, it’s going to be a hot one. I decided to run the first mile by feel instead of checking my watch. Bad idea, because my first mile was 9:01, almost 15 seconds faster than my planned pace. Oops. Why is it so hard to start a race at the correct pace? My second mile was slower, and the third mile even slower. We parted ways with the 5k runners and ran our section on the sidewalk, and at the beginning of mile four, our route took us onto a trail. Nowhere in the course description was there any mention of a trail- I don’t mind, but one thing my husband had said that morning before the race was “I’m just glad this isn’t a trail race.” He’s not a fan, and I knew he was somewhere behind me, cursing. (And yes- on the way home I was treated to a nice rant about that mile on the trail. “It’s not like I MIND running on a trail, but there were so many rocks! I mean, it’s like someone went and dumped a bunch of rocks ALL OVER THE TRAIL! Couldn’t they clear those rocks off before the race, or something?” Yes, let’s have someone clear every single rock off the trail for this race, ha ha.) Anyway, it was during this mile that I realized my stomach was not happy. I had gone to the bathroom twice already, but apparently the third time’s a charm for me- at least on this morning. I figured that, although it wasn’t ideal, I should try to pull off the trail and find a place to go. I surmised (correctly) that once we left the trail, we would be in a much more populated area until the end of the race and I would regret not going when I could. I felt like I was running all alone, but when I veered off to the side I realized that no- there were several runners coming up behind me. Arg. I got back on the trail and started running again, but a few minutes later decided I REALLY needed to go, so I pulled over again. The runners behind me were now in front and I had about 30 seconds or so of privacy, and did what I needed to do. I stopped my Garmin for both these little pitstops, which is why there was a discrepancy between my Garmin time and official race time. Oh, my stupid stomach. Luckily after this I felt much, much better. The last mile of this race was a long, hot trudge. I gave up any pretense of running fast and just kept myself moving forward. And- yay! I finished and came second in my age group! One thing I really love about getting older- if you can just show up and hang in there, you can do pretty well. Picking a smaller race also helps. But no matter what, it’s always fun to win something. We hung out for a little, and an older woman- I would guess she’s around 70 but looked to be in amazing shape- came up to me and said “how do you run in this heat?” Turns out she came down from Cleveland- yes, if you just spent the winter in Cleveland it would be pretty hard to suddenly run in the Florida heat. She was actually here for a triathlon next weekend and decided to run this race just to see what the weather would be like. Well, now she knows! Here’s a picture of me with my AG medal. I love the
Weekly Rundown- Race Week!
Hello and welcome to the weekly rundown, hosted as always by Kim and Deborah. It was a week of runs, workouts, a little bit of tapering, and a fire in the Everglades. And oh yeah… we won something. Read on to find out what it is! Sunday Ah, what a great day. I ran nine miles on the trails and absolutely loved it. My foot felt fine during the run, and okay for the rest of the day. In order to not keep talking about my foot over and over again, just assume that it still hurts, maybe a little less, and usually not while I’m running. I’m just forging ahead with my running life and will see what happens. Monday Easy day- I did a yoga class, as always on the Peloton app (all classes this week were on Peloton) with my yoga bff, Denis Morton. Tuesday I decided to switch things up a bit since I have a race on Mother’s Day. Instead of a run, I did a heavier lower body strength class. It was Matty Maggiacomo’s 30 minute class, and I used 15 pound dumbbells. I know squats, lunges and deadlifts with 30 pounds isn’t heavy strength, but it’s heavy for me right now. I want to get back into doing this kind of strength work, as opposed to body weight and lighter weights. This is a good, hard class. Followed it up with a Rebecca Kennedy core class- her classes are also hard! Wednesday I did a 3 mile run on slightly sore, very heavy legs- exactly how I wouldn’t want to feel while running a race. That’s why I made sure to do lower body strength early in the week! Followed this run with pull-up work. I did 15 negatives- where I pull myself up using the band, then slip my leg out of the band and lower my whole bodyweight down very, very slowly. So now my lower AND upper body are sore- perfect! Thursday Another yoga flow with Denis and core class with Rebecca. As I was taking my daughter to school I noticed a burning smell, and realized that it was very smoky out west. I figured there must be a fire in the Everglades, and then heard on the radio that lightning struck in the natural area just west of us, WHERE I DO MY TRAIL RUNS, and started a fire. They warned people, especially those with respiratory problems, to stay indoors. Eek. Friday Another 3 mile run, and this one felt much better. The fire was still burning to the west, but luckily the air quality was fine while I ran. We could smell smoke on and off throughout the day and into Saturday, sometimes stronger than others. It must depend on how the wind is blowing. Since I’m liking Matty these days, I decided to do his core class. It was good! I especially liked his description of how to do the bear plank- make sure your back is flat “like you’re balancing three perfect martinis. Don’t spill a drop!” Good cue, Matty! Saturday Another yoga class (yay! I did yoga three times this week) and Matty’s martini core class again. So, today my husband announced that the gym at the school where he works is being redone and they’re getting rid of the old equipment. Unbeknownst to me, he put his name in a drawing and won… a stair stepper. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this. First of all, I’m wondering how big it is, but those gym machines are pretty big, right? The second thing I’m wondering is where in the world we’re going to put it. Right now I use my son’s room as my “gym” but I don’t think he’ll be happy if he gets home next week and there’s a huge stair stepper in his room. So, it will have to go in the garage, which obviously is not air conditioned and furthermore is where we keep the cats’ litter boxes. I’m really not sure how this is going to fit into my exercise routine, but I’m slightly excited about it anyway. It’s always good to have options, right? Sunday On tap… a 5 mile race! Although my foot has prevented me from doing any real speedwork for a long time, I’m really going to push myself in this race. I tried to give my legs a break for the later part of this week to set myself up for a good run. It’s not going to be fast, but I want to run as fast as I can right now. Then I’ll take that time and figure out some paces for speedwork moving forward. Race recap coming up on Tuesday! For the rest of the day I’ll be relaxing, reading my book, and drinking tea out of my “Baylor Mom” mug. Happy Mother’s Day to everyone who is celebrating!!! Did you do a Mother’s Day race? Do you have a home gym? Would you have room for a large stair stepper?
May Coffee Date!!!
Here’s some exciting (?) news- I finally found a coffee drink I like! An iced oatmilk latte! It’s not sweet, but the oatmilk makes it creamy enough to remind me of coffee ice cream (yum.) I won’t be drinking it often- my favorite is still Earl Grey tea- but for once I’m drinking coffee for our monthly coffee date. Thanks as always to Coco and Deborah for hosting! The first thing I would talk about if we were having coffee is J.K. Rowling. I recently finished this book: I think I’ve mentioned a few (hundred) times about how I re-read all the Harry Potter books over the summer, and how much I love them. The Casual Vacancy was published in 2012, but it took me a long time to get around to reading it, because to be honest, the plot sounds really boring. It’s almost like, after writing the most incredible series of books ever, J.K. Rowling set herself a challenge: pick the dullest topic imaginable (local politics in a small English village) and still manage to write a great book. And… she succeeded. It took me a few chapters to get into it, but then I was completely absorbed in the characters and their village issues. This is probably my least favorite book by Rowling, but the bar is set very, very high. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Next up: This is the fifth book in the Cormoran Strike mystery series, once again written by J.K. Rowling under a pseudonym. I LOVE these books! Troubled Blood is 900 pages long, and I would be happier if it were 9000 pages. I could read this book forever. So… I’ve mentioned J.K. Rowling quite a bit on this blog, and it’s time to face the “trans-phobia” issue. Rowling has been widely criticized for some anti-trans statements she made on twitter, and many people are grappling with their love for her art vs. their dislike of her views. I say… I think we expect too much from celebrities. In addition to being masters at their craft, we expect them to have impeccable morals and say the right thing at the right time, 100% of the time. Rowling is not a Buddhist nun; she’s not a spiritual guru of any kind- she’s just a writer. In case anyone is interested, Rowling lays out her reasons for speaking as she did in this article. I’m not saying she’s right. I’m not saying I agree with her. But it’s worth reading to hear her point of view. I don’t think she meant to cause harm to the trans community, and unless she does something to purposely cause harm to any group of people, I’m going to keep enjoying her books. Onto a lighter topic. Darlene has informed me that she’s registered for this race: It’s Sunday, February 19, 2023, and there’s a half, a full marathon and also a 5k option. I told Darlene that- barring any unforeseen problems- I’ll run it with her (and really, what could possibly go wrong between now and then? Hahahahahaha…) Who wants to join us for a race-cation/fun blogger meetup??? Think it over! Put it on your calendar! Florida in February. That’s it for this month. I hope you enjoyed your own beverage while listening to my ramblings! Do you like J.K. Rowling’s books? Would you not read her books if you disagreed with her views on twitter? Are you interested in a Florida race next February?
Long Run Adventures
You guys! I ran nine miles on Sunday! I know that’s not LONG, long, but it was long enough for me to follow my usual long run routine. Today I thought I’d share some of my tips, tricks and tools for hot long runs… because heat is a factor just about year-round in South Florida. First off, I’ve had a major mindset shift about my long runs. I remember in the past, training for marathons, I would get really stressed out about them. I would worry about those runs in advance- almost dread them. On my run this Sunday, as my Garmin beeped for the first mile, I remembered how, for those stressful long runs, I would be so relieved as I ticked off each mile. Now I see each long run as an adventure. Rather than dreading them, I get excited and look forward to them all week. I try to plan a route that will give me a chance to explore.- I wonder what this neighborhood is like? I wonder how far this road goes? Now that I’m running on trails, I have a new one I want to try next time. I know where it starts but not where it ends. I’ve been wondering about it for months now- if someone has gone to the trouble of clearing a trail, it must go SOMEWHERE… right? Now for fueling and hydration. Everyone is different here. I had a memorable run about two years ago, where I went out for “eight miles.” I had planned to drink from the water fountain at my usual park, but because it was early on in the pandemic, I didn’t realize the park was closed. When I made that discovery I thought “No problem- it’s only an eight mile run.” But… thanks to my burning desire to explore, I ended up getting lost that day and ran 11.25 miles. It was 82 degrees when I finished, and I did it with no fuel or water. And I was fine. Yes, I was thirsty and it would have been nice to have water. But nothing bad happened- I rehydrated afterwards and all was well. Having said that, I do bring water and fuel along on my longer runs now. I’m not trying to have some sort of weird “Naked and Afraid” experience- I want to have fun. Probably the best thing I’ve purchased in a long time is this: The Orange Mud HydraQuiver hydration vest. I love it so much! You seriously can hardly feel it. When I first got it I had some issues with chafing while wearing it with only a sports bra. I ended up covering the problem areas with KT tape and that solved the issue. So far this year I’ve been wearing a cropped tank top, and slathering body glide on any parts I think might chafe, and it’s been fine. This bottle holds 24 ounces, which is plenty (for me) for runs up to 12 miles. If I were going farther I would probably want to stop and refill it. They also make a vest that holds two bottles, and I’m considering getting that at some point in the future. I fill the water bottle about 3/4 full and put it in the freezer the night before my run. Then in the morning I top it off with more water. That way I have some water to start with, and the ice melts while I’m out there, giving me cold/cool water throughout the run. Before my long runs I drink 16 ounces of water with half a packet of LMNT (I drink another 16 ounces with the rest of the packet afterwards.). I eat a little fruit- an orange or apple maybe, before I start. My stomach can be sensitive, and I need to eat something that digests quickly. During the run- if it’s ten miles or longer- I’ll eat a gel. Even though this run was planned to be only nine miles, I brought one along anyway. I was leaving myself the option to run ten miles if I happened to “get lost,” and although that didn’t happen, I did eat the gel and enjoyed it. I love that boost of caffeine. If I were running more than twelve miles, I would probably take another gel somewhere. The second one has no caffeine, and I don’t have a favorite flavor. Although my stomach is sensitive when it comes to food, I can tolerate any gels. Hammer gels are my favorites but they can be hard to find, so I take what I can get. My only regret is the chai flavored Gu- I won’t be repeating that. One more thing- I love listening to podcasts when I do a long run. I totally get why people would rather run on trails with no headphones, but my favorite thing is to listen to a podcast where someone is recapping an extremely long and difficult race. My favorite ultrarunning podcasts nowadays are The Freetrail podcast and Training for Ultra. I usually listen to an episode for the first part of my run, and then- unless the podcast is so riveting that I don’t want to stop- I’ll put on music for the last couple miles. This was the weather at the end of my run, which for this time of year was pretty great. There’s so little shade here, any clouds are welcome. When it gets hotter and my runs get longer, I’ll start in the dark (and by the way, when I start in the dark I keep my headphones out of my ears for safety reasons until it’s light out.) Right now I’m keeping my fingers crossed that my foot continues to hold up, so I can enjoy some long run adventures over the summer. Most of our half marathons and marathons happen December-March, so I’ll just be running for the fun of it for now. I’m linking up with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics! Do you get nervous for long