Rah Rah Shish Koom Bah - Atlanta 13.1 - new PR!

Disclaimer: I feel like a total dork for writing this right after my race. But I have soaked in the tub of ice, stretched, showered, walked the dog, put on recovery socks, and am now on the couch for eternity... and I am excited so I just had to put it all down now.

As another training run I ran the Atlanta 13.1 this morning.  I was pretty pumped after looking at the course map and turn by turn directions since most of the course was planned to be in my neck of the woods which meant I was familiar with the terrain, the hills, and pretty much most of the course. I checked the weather and learned that it was going to be in the 50's for the whole race - so I was feeling pretty confident in my run.  I was wondering how I would do since I gorged myself on spinach dip during the Alabama game the night before and I was a bit worried since Erin did a 13.1 series in Boston and they ran out of water and after seeing the less than stellar expo I feared the same thing, but I didn't want to carry my water bottle (man. I need a fuel belt) so I just hydrated really well and hoped for the best.

As always, race morning came early. 5:45 is not a pretty time and I don't like the darkness, but I got up and ready, took my dog out (the usual) and headed to the Marta Station for the quick trip up to Oglethorpe University for the start.  I got to the college with about 15 minutes to spare and felt really pressed for time but quickly stretched and hunted for my corral, only to learn there were not corrals but it was a test of honesty on your expected finish time.  I guess I am the only honest kid here in Atlanta since as I crossed the start line I was already veering from walkers (hey peachtree road race) and for the first 3 miles I was having to dodge the walkers with backpacks and khakis on.  I was cruising and having a great time and I noticed that my breathing was really under control which is a first for me.  I managed to stay steady and hold just about the same pace and the first 5 miles I was just rocking.  Around mile 5 is when fear set in. Not fear of "oh my gosh I am not going to finish" ... but fear of "why is there a Lexus on the course behind me" ... as the Lexus stayed on my heels and practically tried to run people off the road my heart rate went berserk.  Once the Lexus got around me and harassed other runners I calmed down and found my groove again.  We looped around all these neighborhoods and headed back towards Peachtree and after getting back on Peachtreee I was pretty much in familiar territory.

We trekked down Peachtree heading towards my apartment, turned on Johnson Ferry and onto Keswick and we were in the neighborhood I run for giggles.  My confidence was still high, my breathing was great, and I was just rocking the roads I already run.  I would be lying if I said the hills didn't still kill me because they did but I liked the comfortable feel.  As we turned on Harts Mills I hoped I wouldn't see Marist but we saw Marist and I was not thrilled about the awful Ashford Dunwoody hill.  Lucky for me there was a water stop and water stops = it's okay to walk. :o)  i walked and loved every second of it.  We then headed into Blackburn Park which is another area I run and I just sailed over the hills and around the soccer fields (enjoying the writing on the sidewalks).  We came out of the mark and headed up a hill that I do run and I do hate - I noticed a turn around coming up and I just prayed that my Garmin didn't freak out like it did last weekend and luckily it handled it just find. *phew*  ... as we headed towards Johnson Ferry and onto Johnson Ferry back to Peachtree I knew the rest of the course was 100% familiar territory and was confident that I was going to do well.  As I hit mile 11 I looked at my Garmin and thought "hey, I just may accidentally PR" and just chugged along, listening to my music (my marine corps play list is ah-may-zing).  I headed back up the rolling hills towards Oglethorpe and I knew we were in the home stretch so I just kept going even though I so badly wanted to take a walk break.  We hung a right before campus and then a quick left and was home free. Ms. Miley Cyrus and "The Climb" got me across that finish line in 2:27:53 - a 8 minute personal record - and I got my medal from Mike B who cheers me on via dailymile.com.  It was just a really cool race with a really pretty course and awesome volunteers who made pretty much everything run really smoothly (even the water stops and those are normally chaotic).

I don't know if it was the pasta that I ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner or all the spinach dip I gorged myself on last night during the game ... or if it is because Alabama stomped Florida last night and well Alabama and people who went there are just winners, but it was an awesome race and it gave me just the confidence that I need heading into Marine Corps.  I went into this race not worrying about my finish time and I think my "whatever happens happens mentality" helped a lot.  I was 2.39 miles ahead of the bridge closing and I knew that for MCM I need to do about 5 miles per hour and I was ahead of that today.

And in the Erin vs. Barbie competition I totally accidentally beat her last half time by 2 minutes. 

And I am l-o-v-i-n-g running to the Glee kids. Seriously, add them to your iPod. Stat.

Oh and the only bummer - I have a baby blister on the tip of one of my toes, I felt it forming and it surprised me. My wonderful Wigwam Socks usually never blister me, this is my 1st blister EVER. Not cool, not cool at all. Help me. How do I make it go away?!

So rock on 13.1 Marathon Series, you and your volunteers put on one awesome race this morning. The only thing I would change is to add corrals so we can all run easily at the beginning so we're not all jumbled.  BUT  I will be back next year!

bring the spring 5k

This morning I ran my first 5k of 2010. I do not know how I chose this race but I ran the bring the spring 5k which benefited the Embry Hills UMC Youth Fellowship. Once I signed up and checked out the course, I realized it ran through my brother's neighborhood and I though to myself, wow that is going to be a hill race. And yes indeed it was hilly. A little past mile 2 was the worst of it and the pollen count in the thousands did not help much.

I was kinda worried about this race all together. Not only was I super unprepared, the pollen is out of control, but Kyle and I went to Medieval Times last night (yes, it is a real place, not an imaginary "Cable Guy" place) and well Chicken Leg, Pork Rib, and Garlic Bread isn't exactly great pre-race food. We got home super late and I was asleep by like 11:30. Seeing that I had to be up by 6:45 I knew I was going to be exhausted when my alarm went off.

Overall, the race was a good one. It was pretty disorganized which was a little frustrating. We were scheduled to start at 8:00 and were told everything was running just a little behind... which meant we started at 8:30 am. Once I got running everything that irked me was forgotten. The course and the neighborhood we ran through really is pretty, hilly, but pretty. The volunteers on the course were really excited to be there and cheer us on which was nice. As I mentioned, a little after mile 2 there was quite a slope UP and when I saw it I muttered a few words to myself and tried to truck up it only to fail since I could barely breathe (Atlanta is in major need of a good rain to wash this pollen away). Around 30 minutes I thought to myself that I was not going to PR but I was wrong. I ran my fastest 5k to date by 2 minutes and 11 seconds. Go me!

Here are the mile breakdowns:
mile 1: 9:33
mile 2: 11:10
mile 3: 12:33
last .1: .31
finish time: 33:39
average pace: 10:51

Next on schedule: The Brookhaven Bolt 5k - it will be bittersweet since that was my first race ever! ....Now if I can run it in 30 minutes flat, I will be super stoked!

march 2010 – over. bring on april.

March has been quite the month. I was pretty busy with work and life but I still managed to accomplish amazing things in the running world. I ran my second half marathon to date, had a great time, and even beat my last half marathon time by a landslide. I ran a 10k when I could barely breath and had not such a great time, and I had a month full of miles ran. Can you believe I ran 50+ miles?!?! (53.28 to be exact) I can’t! I cannot believe we have almost crossed over into April and it makes me wonder where the year is going.

I had the crazy idea to sign up for The Chicago Marathon but before I was able to they reached their 45K runners mark and I missed out. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason so I am ok with not getting in. There is always 2011 or 2012 right? Plus by then I hope to be a running fool and will be able to smoke my 2 Chicago friends.

I am sticking with my normal format of highlights and goals for the next month but have decided to steal some from CAUTION: Redhead Running and her March Recap format.

Highlights of the month:

1. ING Georgia Half Marathon – I set a PR and ran a fairly great race. Like normal, I was no where near ready but who cares. One of these days I will take a half marathon or marathon seriously and put in effort to the training.
2. I had the highest mileage month to date. I ran 50+ miles in one month which is HUGE for me. Now I just have to do that every month!
3. Erin & I ran our second 10k of 2010 together. She smoked me again but whatever, I can admit defeat.
4. I registered for my first (and probably last) Peachtree Roadrace. It was a test of patience and persistence and took me over a hour, but I got in. **That is ALL that matters**
5. I actually took the time to figure out my Garmin 405 and I am super impressed. I can upload all the info online and check out the route I ran, my splits (how fast each mile was), calories burned, elevation junk. I never know how little I was utilizing that big thing!

March Running Song: “Girls on the Dancefloor” –Far East Movement

March Triumph: The ING Half Marathon on 3.21.10 – I rock it.

Current Goal: To stick to the high mile months and keep up with the weekly spin classes.

Goals for April:

1. To run another 50+ mile month. Right.Left.Repeat.
2. To keep up with my weekly spin classes and Sunday cardio circuit at the gym.
3. Register for the Marine Corps Marathon – yes all 26.2 miles of it. :o)
4. Find a local 5k or 10k and run like the wind!
5. Start the 200 Sit Ups Program and actually stick to it. I need (and want) a stronger core.

March has also started a friendly running competition between Erin and me. She ran the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon last summer and beat me when I ran Nike. I just ran ING and beat her time from Napa. She is training for 13.1 Boston in June and her goal is to now beat my half marathon time. Friendly competition has never hurt anyone, but I think her and I should take it to the streets of 5ks and then 10ks and then half marathons *together* and eventually maybe she will work her way up to a full. I will keep you posted on Erin vs. Barbie 2010 and we shall see who comes out victorious in the end.

April is a new month. If anyone has any races they’re interested in running and need a friend let me know, I am game! Same goes with gym time, spin class, or just a running buddy!

ING Half. Finished. Dominated. Booya!

There is nothing like waking up before you normally get up to run a race... especially when you're less than prepared and rain is in the forecast. But I got myself up and on the Marta by 6:00 AM for the ING Georgia Half Marathon. I did not really set any major goals for myself going into the race and I realized that around mile 4, so I decided that I wanted to be at mile 10 by 2 hours flat (check.completed) and finished by 2:30 (ehh not so much). BUT - I finished in 2:36:53 which is only 6 minutes after my target finish time and a whopping 19 minutes faster than my last half marathon. Super big thanks to my running family on Twitter & Dailymile - your congrats and well wishes mean the world to me. ...evidently beating your last have time by 19 minutes is HUGE! :o)

I didn't know too much about this race other than that it was a running tour of some awesome Atlanta neighborhoods, had some killer hills, and that there would be a lot of crowd support. I was in Corral N and I felt wickedly rushed since they were singing the National Anthem to start and I was still making my way through Centennial Olympic Park. Ehh... poor planning on my part, I thought 1 hour would have been plenty of time to get Downtown. 7:00 the gun was off - I crossed the start around 7:30 and for the first mile or so I was just picking people off one by one, got frustrated with the walkers in the middle of the course, and got insanely hot so I stripped off my jacket and tied it around my waist (amazingly it wasn't annoying like it was in San Fran). Near the beginning of the race I was with the 2:45 pace group and I would lose them and they would catch up and then we would lose each other again. I do not know when I decided I wanted to beat the 2:45 pace group, but I told myself I would not and could not let them catch me again. And they never did. The rain started around mile 3 and as much as I was hoping it would have held off, I was so thankful it was falling since it was cooling my body temp down (the beginning of the race was super humid and I was thinking it was going to be a long 13.1 miles in the sticky air). I took Gatorade at the first water stop (on accident) and remembered just why I do not drink Gatorade in the middle of the race - my stomach started to cramp up around mile 5, which luckily Team in Training was at mile 6 so I got to down some water. The Virginia Highlands & Inman Park area was great, but like normal, I do not remember too much about courses and routes. I just run. Right.Left.Repeat. I did have motivation at mile 10 thanks to Ms. Miley Cyrus and "The Climb" ... perfect timing for that song and around mile 12 The Glee Cast singing "Defying Gravity" kept me moving. ...honestly, I had a pretty rocking playlist. Paul Simon "You Can Call Me All" - two thumbs way way up.

....I digress...

The crowd support (in the rain) was amazing. I do not know, but if you live in the Old 4th Ward and were out cheering us on. You're amazing on so many levels. I loved the people dressed in traffic barrels. To the GA Tech kids who were out in full force dressed as whoopee cushions, bananas, guys dressed as girl cheerleaders, and to the girl giving out water who knew me (still no clue) - you're support at mile 11ish was phenomenal! And near the end everyone who had already finished, your high fives and encouragement was wanted, needed, and appreciated.

I rounded the last corner and just took off when I saw the finish line. Never did my body shut down, I felt good pretty much the whole time, and I really did enjoy myself. It was awesome to know that I ran at an 11 and some pace which is a major accomplishment for me, it felt great picking off people who were in Corrals earlier than me (mean. I know), and I felt like a total moron trying to hold back tears of *joy* as I crossed the finish line knowing that I had majorly PR'ed that morning ... in the rain!!

I got to check off one more race on my marathon/half marathon bucket list. If you live in Atlanta (or are looking for a reason to visit Atlanta) and are looking for a great half or full, you should do it. I know it won't be ING next year but still... do it.

Post race, I walked to QT from the Marta station. Picked up a bag of ice for my ice bath and a chocolate milk. I soaked in the nice bathtub of cold water and ice for about 30 minutes and then waited and waited for the Peachtree Road Race 10k registration to open and when it finally did it was a total fail. I hour later, I was registered for my first ever (and probably only) Peachtree. I spent the rest of the day on the couch because I did not want to nap and ruin any chance of getting a good night sleep - HEY I had to work Monday!

To everyone who ran and finished (half marathon and full) - congrats! You all have SO much to be proud of! :o)

On a side note, I do not know how KT Tape works but I am so grateful I had not used my sample from the Disney Marathon. I have had some pretty rough right calf issues which I think was causing my foot to fall asleep so I decided it could not hurt to try it out. I "taped" my calf up this morning and there was not a single pain or issue the whole race. I do not know how it works but I love it and am going to add it to my Christmas list EVERY year and if you have any aches and pains you should 100% try it out.

I do not know what is next on my list (seriously considering Chicago in October and The Rock and Roll Half - VA Beach in September)... but I intend on just putting one foot in front of the other and getting better on incorporating cross training!

Charles Harris 10k & February Recap.

This morning was my first 10k of 2010. I had known for awhile that I wanted to run this event (not because it was an easy Peachtree Qualifier) but because it benefits leukemia research at Emory. As everyone knows the mission to finding a cure for leukemia holds a special place in my heart. This course was GREAT. I was a little skeptical that it would be unattractive and I was convinced that since it was in Tucker that it had to be hilly. I actually told Erin at the VERY beginning to just go and not to let me hold her up. Sure, it wasn't the prettiest course I had ever run but it was fairly flat and what hills we had to run were not too bad. The hills were "rolling" in a way. Never were there screeching up hills, break your back hills, and the hills going down were not that bad either. Mile 4 was pretty rough, I don't quite know why but I was pretty pumped to see the Mile 5 marker. The last mile was for the most part downhill but as you rounded the 1st corner to the finish it was fairly flat and then you hang another right and BAM hello hill. I felt 100% out of steam rounding that last corner and I really thought I would be walking across the finish, but I have a little too much pride and I trotted across the finish to find Erin.

...As I went to try and pick up my race tee (always gotta get the finishers shirt) I ran into my run coach from Team in Training Joanna. It was great to see her and say hi. She joked that I must have found the love of running. I laughed back and said "yeahhh...". But it was great to see familiar faces and meet new people. (Erin and I finally met Anne from DailyMile). Overall it was a good race - fairly easy - I for sure need to incorporate hill training into my work out plan because I cannot getup hills - I loved how they had a clock at every mile so you could know where you were time wise - if I still live in GA next year I will totally do it again.

February recap:I did not quite meet my goals (the only goal I completed was setting a PR at Charles Harris), but I am content and okay with that. I realized that I had a crazy busy month with work and I was really bad at getting any sort of workouts in and honestly, I am okay with it. There is no point on being too hard on myself... it is all in the past now, I just have to improve and be more dedicated in March. So what were my miles this month -- I had hoped to run 48.94 in the month of February but I actually ran ... 19.75 Trying to hit 48.94 miles may have been a stretch anyways because my miles were SO high in January thanks to Disney! ...I guess I am just going to keep on keeping on!
Highlight of the month: I PR'd at my 10k. Now my 10k goal is to run a sub 1 hr. :o)

So March - what is on the calendar? What is the plan? First things first, make training and working out a priority. Work and Kyle have been my #1 and #2 (not in any specific order of course) for months now. I need to work in "me time" where I don't feel bad if it is a Tuesday and I want to do something aerobic after work. For too long I have been too concerned about getting home and making dinner. Dinner.can.wait. The schedule?! I am running a ShamRock and Roll 10k on the 14th through the Atlantic Station part of Atlanta which I am actually pretty stoked for and then the following Sunday I am running ING. Yes, I am no where near ready for it but what is new? I am sure the hills are going to kick my ass but I am gonna spend the next two weeks trying to get in some hill work and just some serious running before the event. You know me, it's like college - cramming for a final exam after skipping a bunch of classes. ...I graduated college didn't I?! **I bet you're happy I am not your child** :o) And now onto my March 2010 goals...

1. Run at least 21.73 miles. Sticking with my 10% rule ... that is 10% more than I ran this past month. Ideally, I would love to run 40+ since I have a half marathon this upcoming month - but I am a realist and know that may not happen.
2. Again... cross training. Swim.Spin.Pilates. Done. With running.
3. I would like to PR at ING Atlanta. I ran my last half in 2:54 ... I would like to do ING Atlanta in 2:30 or under.
4. If I end up doing the 5k ... I would like to PR in that as well.

Super big congrats to everyone who raced today. There were a lot of PR's happening so everyone should take great pride in their accomplishment!!

Run for Justice 5k. Personal Best.

This morning was the Atlanta Legal Aid's Run for Justice 5k. I work for a staffing company here in Atlanta and man do we want to work with the legal community so we thought why not sponsor a legal affiliated race and network a little bit?! My two co-workers (Julie and Rebecca) and I decided to represent TRC well and were up bright and early for a little run around beautiful Decatur.

The course really was pretty and it was a nice one. Honestly, the course wouldn't have been that challenging had I not taken about a week and a half of of training and running. The hills dominated and slowed me down but when you go up you have to go down so I was able to make up time on the downhills. The 1st hill at this race really reminded me of the 2nd hill from the Nike Women's half. I know the ING goes through part of Decatur so I will get some hill training in for that ... but for now ... I have to focus on Disney and racking up the mileage!

I changed up my pre-race normality's. I swapped the 2 pieces of toast for a Luna Bar and 1 piece of toast and got there extra early to do a little pre-5k running and super stretches. Needless to say, I felt GREAT post race. I just may adopt this tradition going foward. If anyone knows where to get mini Luna Bars let me know - they handed them out at Nike and I would love them for Disney!

Finish time: 35:50 <-- just a 4 second improvement from my last 5k *which makes it a personal best for me* ... but hey ... I will take it!! Super big congrats to mike (who was an honorary TRC staff member) who placed 2nd in his age group. Rock on!