You Go Girl! Half Marathon 2014

Three years ago I became a runner. I put on a cotton tank-top, shorts, and cross trainer shoes, went to the gym and got on the treadmill. Little did I know at that moment what I would become a runner. I have also learned a lot from running. Not only from a training standpoint, but also about myself. I learned you can't eat what ever you want the day before a long run, that GU gels work best with plenty of water and in moderation, and that cotton is not the best fabric for exercise. I have also learned that if you are going to be a distance runner, you have to have a special type of dedication. During my last race in September, You Go Girl! Half Marathon, I also learned that it okay not to get a PR.

Race day started as a warm Sunday morning. The start area was in the shadow of the buildings of downtown Tacoma and it was a nice relief from the morning sun. As it got closer to start time, I ate my pre-race GU (Salted Caramel) and began to file in. I gave one last wave to my family and then I was off. The first four miles were full of gradual hills which I took at a comfortable pace as to not wear myself out. Mile five was mostly down hill and it was hard not to pick up the pace. Half way through this mile, my husband and son surprised me by hanging out on the sidewalk to cheer me on and take pictures. They are usually waiting for me at the finish line, so it was great motivator. The second half of the race was mostly flat and next to the Tacoma waterfront. I have ran many races in this part of the city and I have always found it to be challenging. In hindsight it always seems to be a mental roadblock more that anything. About an hour and a half into the race, the weather started to heat up and I was thankful for my fully loaded hydration belt. Finally the mile 12 marker, or what I like to call home stretch. I was feeling good, but I knew I most likely was not going to get a PR. Normally I would be a little upset by this, but at the beginning I had owned up to fact that I slacked on my cross training. Whatever the outcome, I decided I was going to be happy with just finishing. As the finish line drew near, I turned the last corner and finished the race.

 Getting ready to start the race.

 I finished!

 My finish time. For not getting a PR I had the best age group finish ever.

My son is my best cheerleader. 

I know I say this about every race that I run, but I really did have fun running this race. It was very well supported and the fellow runners were great. Unfortunately I will not be able to run this race again. The organization who put on this race announced about a month after the even that they will no longer be holding it. My next race is the Donner and Blitzen 21k on December 13th. My goal for this race is to finish under two hours.  

Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon 2014

When the Tacoma City Marathon Association announced they were doing a half marathon series, I wasn't very interested. My plan was to have the Tacoma City Marathon that I ran in May be my last race of the year. Thing is, I am a runner at heart and I can not stay away from racing. Plus, I was already signed up for the first race in the series, the St. Paddy's Day Half Marathon. So I though, why not go for it. Thank goodness I have a husband that understands. The way the series works is you must finish four of the six half marathons that the TCMA has to offer in order to receive an extra race medal. This meant I had three more races to add to my calender. 

Race day started like any race would in the Western Washington, it rained at the start line. It was welcomed though. Because of the weather, and the fact we showed up so close to the start time, my husband and son couldn't wait at start line with me. It was ok because I spent all that time in the porta potty line.

 Running past the car at the beginning of the race.

 Crossing the finish line.

 Me and my bling.

My official time. I did better than I though.

This race was one of the best races I have ever ran. The course was not too difficult and it was well supported. My goal was to finish under 2:10:00. I thought I was doing well on that goal until mile nine. There is a point on the course where runners run around the baseball field at Cheney Stadium. As you run in you can see yourself running on the big screen. It was really fun, until I saw the 2:10 pacer running right behind me. At that point I realized that my goal was most likely not going to happen. By mile eleven I lost sight of the pacer and began to lose hope of getting a PR. At that point I was running to finish. I think that somehow it put me in a zone because when I crossed the finish line I didn't look at the clock. I was too busy running. It wasn't until I went to look up my stats I realized I did PR by two minutes. I finished the race at 2:12:53.

My next race is the You Go Girl Half Marathon on September 14, 2014. My goal is to finish before 2:06:00.

JBLM Half Marathon

I am not known for being spontaneous. I thrive on structure and some may say I over plan. In fact, when it comes to planing for races, I sign up for them months in advance and I study the route map as part of my training. So when I signed up to run a half marathon with one week advance notice I was a bit surprised at myself. At the time I had only been running for a couple weeks after taking three weeks off due to the injury during my last race. Not really a smart choice, but I knew as long as I took it slow I would be fine. Another deal breaker for me signing up was the entry fee being only $25. (Quite the deal considering the fact I have paid twice as much for other half marathons.) The race was being held on an army post and with my husband being in the Air Force, I got a discount.

I knew little about how race day was going to go. The only information given on the website was the time date and place. I always come prepared to any race with my own water and GU, but I would later find out that I should have brought my own Gatorade because none was provided. After getting my race pack and soaking up some sun, it was race time.

 Waiting to start the race.

 Lining up.

Crossing the finish line

This race was full of surprises. During the race I found out that part of it was also on a dirt trail and had steep hills, not idea for someone recovering from knee problems. But I think the biggest surprise for me was finding out I was wearing a 5k bib after I crossed the finish line. I was also disappointed to find that finishers medals were not given. Don't get me wrong. I don't run races for the medals, but I do like collecting them. Other than that I followed my plan to take it slow and just ran to finish. My official time was 2:29:40. 

My next race is The Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon, August 2nd 2014. My goal time is 2:10:00.

Tacoma City Marathon 2014

For those of us who love to run, we get to a point where we want to push our limits. That is the self competitive drive in us. In my case it was running two marathons within two weeks. Not an impossible feat, but definitely a test of my training and ability to recover between races. I made this plan a year in advance and I knew that I would have to put many hours of training to make this happen. Unfortunately though, when you push yourself and finish the last race with a personal record, it can make you think you are capable of more than what your body is willing to give. I would learn this lesson during this race, but not at a complete loss.

One of the best rules for race day is no new anything on race day. No new foods because you don't know how it will make your stomach feel, and no new clothes because you don't know if it will make you chafe. (That is why I never wear that years race shirt for the race.) Another great rule for race day is get to the start area early. This gives you a chance to make sure you are where you need to be, and if you need to use the porta-potty you won't have to wait in a long line. Getting there early can have its disadvantages as well. On this particular race day the weather was cold and wet and we got there almost an hour early, but once the race started I warmed up quickly and the rain was a welcomed comfort.

Waiting in the rain for the race to start. 

Getting ready to start.

This is the part where pushing more than what my body had to give comes in. After the last marathon, two weeks prior, I was having some knee pain. I have never had knee pain in the almost three years of doing distance running therefore I thought nothing of it. I did know I needed to prevent injury so I used KT Tape for added support. (This is a great product by the way) By mile four of the race I was starting to feel a little pain in my knee, nothing major so I pressed on. Around mile ten I was feeling good and took a walk break for some GU and water. At mile sixteen is when my knee had enough. Looking back I realized I made some rookie mistakes that may have contributed to my down fall. This course is mostly down hill and in an effort to run a sub five hour marathon, I though I could speed run the down hill portions to save time. This is not a good idea especially when you have knee issues. Needless to say, I ended up walking (more like limping) most of the last ten miles.     

 Crossing the finish line.

Glad to be done and sporting my fifth marathon medal.

My finish time for this race was 5:21:04. Twenty two minutes past the time that I wanted, but I am actually thankful I finished the race at all. By the end I was in quite a bit of pain. I had to take a three week break from running and cross training and quit a running streak I had going to allow my knee to recover. There is always a silver lining though. Because the Wenatchee Marathon and this marathon were sixteen days apart I was able to qualify for the Marathon Maniacs. I do not have a marathon planed for my near future, but when I do I will be wearing a Marathon Maniacs singlet. 

My next race is the Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon, August 2nd, 2014. My goal is to finish in 2:10:00

Wenatchee Marathon 2014

 The best part about doing a race for the second year in a row is that you know the course. Somehow I find that to be an advantage. If you were focused the year before, and if you didn't 'hit the wall', you remember when every turn is, where every aid station is. This year I also had something to prove. Last year I came short of my goal time by almost an hour. Although I was happy to had finish the race, I was sorely disappointed of my time. Not this year though. Nope. I trained harder, became stronger, and started the race better prepared. I learned from training for the last marathon that cross training is a major key to doing well. This time around, my cross training of choice was a round of Insanity. Also training on routes with more hills helped me build endurance.

Race day came on a cool spring day. It was sunny though, so that meant that the weather would get warm during my run. Learning from the mistakes I made the year before, I made sure this year I had sunblock, a hydration belt, and my own gels. (I'm picky when it comes to flavors.) There is a point on the course, between mile 20 and 23.5, where there is a gap between aid stations. If you have ever been in Eastern Washington in the spring then you know it can get warm. Last year I was not prepared for this gap and heat, so this year I made sure I had plenty of water on me to compensate.

 Waiting for the race to start.

 First time around the loop.

Second time around the loop and making good time.

 Crossing the finish line.

Me and my bling.

My official finish time for the is race was 5:05:59, six minutes short of my goal. I really can't complain much with that time because I pushed hard and I had a fun time. That is really what maters most. Normally I give myself some time to recover after a marathon, but this time I had to jump right back into training because I will be doing this again in two weeks. My next race will be the Tacoma City Marathon, May 4th, 4014. My goal is to finish under five hours.  

St. Paddy's Day Half Marathon 2014

It has been three and a half months since my last race, so needless to say I was more than ready to get behind the start line. For a runner, a race is a way to test your limits and your training method. There is also a great scene of community at an event as well. It is almost like you are running with hundreds of your best friends, all of which are strangers to you. That is one of the many reasons I love running races.

The St. Paddy's Day Half Marathon was the first in a long line of races for this year, also it was my first official half marathon. Even though I am use to running longer distances, I was looking forward to experiencing racing this distance.

My cheering squad and I waiting for the festivities to start. 

Getting ready to start.

About to cross the finish line.

Celebrating with the traditional tofu noodle soup.

I finished the race with a time of 2:14:48. Five minutes and twelve seconds faster than my goal. I had a lot of during this race, even it was cool and rainy. It really was the best way to kick off a long list of races. My next race is the Wenatchee Marathon on April 19th 2014. My goal is to finish with in five hours.