Half Marathon: Week Two

We'll se how my training feels this week with four days of training in a row since I postponed my run from Sunday to Monday.

Mon 3mi easy- postponed yesterday's run till today in order to feel a little more rested and recovered. I opted to only do an easy two miles around downtown Mt Holly. Ran in my Brooks shoes.

Tue 30min cross+strength- split my cross training evenly between elliptical and upright stationary bike, then did two full sets of weights.

Wed 3mi pace- I realized on my return from this run that I forgot to do a small loop at the end which caused me to cut the workout about 2 tenths of a mile too short. Another benefit of having a GPS watch soon. Pacing is something I haven't done in a long time and it was an interesting experiment to see how well I could govern a pace by feel. Again I ran faster than I thought/intended. I hit the first mile at 8:19, the second mile in 15:42(7:23mi), and then finished the last .8mile at 22:32(8:30?pace). It makes me feel good to know I can run faster than I'd thought would feel comfortable. I'd planned to do 9min, 8min, 8min/see what happened. My feet and ankles seem to be evening out more but the left recently sprained one is sore and clicking just a bit after the run today. This was my first middle of the day summer run. I had a nice layer of sweat glistening on my arms when I finished.

Thr 30min swim+climb- My mom's cousin Bennette and her daughter Sara came to visit the Whitewater center today. They did some of the Hawk Island activities and then went adventure rafting. I got to eat lunch with them after I got off work. It was really nice to see them!
I went swimming early at 6pm instead of the scheduled 6:30time. It was nice to have the water to my self and not have to compete for space with the swim team kids that have been coming out. I felt like my swimming was more relaxed but also more effective. I also got  to do several m ore difficult climbs. I finished a 5.10 that I've been working on for a while and got some of our staff to play a game of Plus One.

Sat 5mi run- Ran the whitewater parkway and two laps around the whitewater channel after work. I set out at 8:50pm so it was rather dark on the way back in on the parkway. It made me a little nervous running in the bike lane on the parkway road so I'd usually get up on the grass shoulder when a car went by but then I couldn't see the divots in the grass and was afraid I'd tweak my ankle again.

Sun 3mi easy- Postponed my run until tomorrow again in favor of having a large Chinese takeout feast and homemade chocolate chip cookies.

River Jam Race: Complete!

I was nervous going into this race because I hadn't run since the Time Laps Relay. I laced up my Brooks Pure Flow shoes with an ankle brace on my left for protection and just had to trust myself to do my best.

The 5k and 10k River Jam Races started at the same time. We ran the first two and a half miles of the race over the same course. I started near the front of the pack at the starting line but then tried to go out at a brisk 10k pace and let the 5k folks sprint by. I think the start line adrenaline did get me a little while looping around the whitewater channel but once we got into the woods I took it slower and settled into a more sustainable pace. Hurrah for the awesome white haired runner who can fall down the trail and get back up to keep on truckin! I wanna run and be that nimble when I'm older.

I felt so torn for the first three miles of the race because I didn't want to let racing 5kers pull me out too fast so that I'd expend my energy too soon. But I also wanted to be sure I was still racing. I felt good, strong, and relaxed but I knew I still had the other 3miles to do after we separated from the 5kers.

I run the pink RiverJam Run loop often and it breezed by quickly. I got stuck behind one fellow on the last uphill before we split off to the second half of the course, but managed to pass him once the ground flattened out on top of the hill. 

I was excited to find that there was a water station at the half way point. But, I got so distracted when I saw it that I missed the cut through turn for the second half of the race and I did an extra 30ft  of running because I exited and then re-entered the trail head paths. I do believe the water table itself may have been blocking the arrows for the turn though. I also can't blame the water station attendants for not directing me because I had no identifying marks to distinguish which route I was running.

I was steady climbing people during the whole race. It was encouraging to find that being in the race environment made me look ahead on the trail to the next person to pass. It kept my pace up and I would quicken it to catch and pass by someone.

There where much fewer people running the 6mile race. So, when we split off from the 5kers we where much more spread out on the trail and I wouldn't see another runner for a quarter to half mile at a time. I do feel like my last few miles may have been faster than the first because I was trying to catch up as much as I could to the front runners. I didn't know my place but was hoping I might be in the top 3 ladies. It was encouraging to pass as few ladies- both running and mountain biking- in the last few miles. I wish perhaps that I had started my watch at the beginning of the race so that I would have known my pace approximately after the first half of the race and could have maybe pushed harder.

I was also rather proud of myself for staying calm and relaxed over most of the race distance when pushing past people- especially in the last few miles. I let my nerves and insecurities get the better of me a little though, when I came out of the woods and it was time for a kick at the end to the finish over the last half mile. This just means I need to work on building my mental toughness and pace confidence.

After crossing  the finish line I realized that the ankle brace gave me better confidence to run down hills, but it also gave me some nice blisters on my achillies tendon. This does scare me a fair amount because it was the ankle brace I wore for an entire season after spraining my ankle at cross country camp in high school that gave me my achillies tendonitis issues in the first place. I don't want to cause more damage or irritation that may hinder my training. Hopefully this will mend itself during my time off between training plans. I also got a nice little blister under my left little toe nail.

I lost my ponytail tie to gravity and centrifugal force in the last mile and drew a few strange looks as I ran the last bit of the race with my long hair flowing freely in the wind.

The race distance was a little long. Another friend running the race clocked his distance at 6.8miles with a gps device. That means my average pace was closer to 8:46 min/mi. which I suppose is ok. I'm racing at fairly consistent paces from the 5k to 10k. I suppose that shows something, that I can hold the same pace over a longer distance. I will need to get faster though if I'm gunna qualify eventually for the Boston Marathon.

Over all it was a good race. I paced well and pushed a little. I need to re-learn how to push a little more. I got my hopes up for finishing in the top 3 ladies and didn't but I have to remind myself not to be too disappointed because running a marathon is the ultimate goal. I'm not training to be a 10k'er.
Find more info about this race, and future River Jam Races HERE.

10k: Week Nine

Race week! How will it go? I had planned on tapering my training this week, but not so much as taking the whole week off- we'll see what happens.

Mon 3mi run+core- My legs from my calves down are still crazy swollen from the Time Laps Relay. I wore compression socks all day to hopefully cut down on the swelling. My sprained ankle is still swollen but it doesn't hurt like it did.

Tue 30min cross- Jay's in town! I got to go play at work with him, his sister Katie, and her boyfriend Paul. We did just a few courses and then went rodeo rafting. It was a blast! I haven't been rafting in probably over a year. I wore an ankle brace all day to help rest and stabilize my ankle- especially when rafting. In the evening Wayne and I gave honey a crazy lion haircut to keep her cooler in the summer. We may do some more trimming to make her more lion like.


Wed 15min easy- I meant to bike and go to the gym yesterday to still allow my ankle to recover while working and moving my muscles to keep them up to speed for the race but...I had a team edition today at work and got to show a lovely group of Lenore Ryne college leaders around the center. I tried to bike and walk as much as possible to keep my muscles moving while working. My ankle swelling is much better today. I tried to shift my weight to my right leg when standing for a while to take pressure off my ankle joints.

Thr Race!- Admittedly I was disappointed when I crossed the finish line and saw that the time clock read 59minutes. It would have been nice to run a little faster and place in the top three ladies and receive a prize...but, moving on beyond my pouting and moping, it was a decent race! I was the 6th lady to cross the finish line. The 5k and 10k races started at the same time and we ran the first half of the 10k race with the 5k runners. This did concern me a bit with pacing in the first 3miles, but I think it worked out. I do think I went out fast in the first half mile but then settled in to race pace when we entered the wooded trails. I felt great and stayed pretty relaxed during the whole race. No one passed me and I was able to race and pass people over the entire distance. I did let my mind get the better of me a bit in the last half mile or so when we came back out of the woods and it was time for a push to the finish. I feel like if I had stayed a little more calm and determined in the last leg I could've had a better final kick.


This was a short week of [not] training. I will try to do a little more time off for recovery between training plans. Maybe 2 weeks off total, including the time off this week, dependin on how I feel.
 On to the half marathon next! I have plenty of time before the September 26th Wild Vine Half Marathon. We'll see how well training for this 10k has given me a sturdy mileage base to build on.

Time Laps 24 Hour Relay: Suprise!

Hazah! for our staff team, the #OldNorthRuners, who won the 12 person team category while managing the event! Find all the results HERE on the USNWC race series page.



 

This second annual event was definitely a test of endurance. The race began on Friday at 7:00pm and concluded on Saturday at 7:00pm. This relay race challenged teams to earn as many points as possible within a 24-hour time period. As a relay event, only one person per team could be running at a time to collect mileage points. Points where awarded based on difficulty-weighted mileage over various routes. There where also additional bonus points that could be earned by doing certain adventure race obstacles, like monkey bars or climbing over cargo nets, along the courses. Below is a layout of the event schedule and official rules.

 

 

The US National Whitewater Center recently built new Ridge Pavilions near their Ridge and Canyon high ropes activities. This location was the central hub for all of the event activities. This is where the Start/Finish line for each lap was, where the three meals where served, where we ate s'mores around the fireplace, served/drank beer, hung out, managed the event, used the restroom, and camped near by. We even had the canyon activities open from 9pm to 1am for some of the race participants.

  

Instead of passing a traditional baton between relay team mates we used reflective yellow slap bracelets. Especially during the heat of the day on Saturday, the inside fabric got so soggy that you'd get splashed with community team sweat each time the bracelet was slapped on your wrist. But that's part of the grimy fun of events like this.

We didn't have anyone stationed out on the courses. So, in order to ensure that no one cheated their running distance we had uniquely shaped hole punches stationed at the farthest point of each lap. As each person ran their lap they'd have to stop and punch their race bib number in order to record that they'd done that specific route. When they returned to the finish line they'd check in with us at the data collection table so we could record the route points for their team. Similarly we also had four rounds of bonus point cards through out the 24hour period where people could collect unique stamps for doing various adventure race obstacles along the routes.

Below is a map of the various routes we could choose from, their point value, and a rough layout of the pavilions and camp sites.

 



 

I was the second runner for our team on Friday. I started in the daylight but before I finished my yellow 6.2mile loop it was pitch black outside. I like letting my eyes adjust to the darkness as I run but I used my headlamp a bit more than I usually would in the hope of not spraining my ankle. The run was exciting because I got to run several new stretches of trail that I'd never done before. Goat Hill trail is a beast! but, an awesome one. As I came through the 3.5-4mile mark I did, of course, sprain my left ankle again despite how cautious I was trying to be. It was a pretty flat part of the trail so I'm not really sure what I rolled it on. I felt a tendon stretch pop this time and it hurt a little more than last time I rolled it so, I had a feeling it was worse. But, that's to be expected when you injure an injury. I feel rather bad, as a staff member of the USNWC team, that I yelled a few profanities from the pain and frustration, and then promptly had another runner come running up behind me to ask if I was ok. Hopefully it was dark enough he didn't recognize who I was. He was kind enough to offer to send someone back to get me, but I waived him on with a "Thank you" and told him I'd be ok. As has been my experience in the past with sprained ankles I can finish my run on them without the pain and swelling setting in too much. I do just have to be careful about how I land my foot as it's easier to roll after it's happened once. So I carefully finished the last 2-3miles back to the finish line. I did have the fore thought to bring an ice pack and pair of compression socks as well as my new Books running shoes. I promptly went to the car to change my clothes and grab some food after the run. Then I iced my ankle and kept my foot elevated while I helped at our data entry computer table until I could catch some sleep from 1-4am. We laid the sleeping bags out in the back of the Jeep. I cracked the windows and conked out pretty hard until I sprung awake in a slight panic, a few minutes before my alarm went off, because I had to pee.

Upon waking, and returning to help with the race data entry, my ankle felt much better. I decided I could do at least one more run. I had to keep at least my 12mile promise. I was pretty bleary eyed and worried I'd have to try to take a second nap later in the day. The sun just started to lighten the horizon around 5:30am and I finally started to wake up half way through my second run around 6:30 or 7am when the sun started to shine.

I ran my second and third runs in my Brooks shoes as they're lower to the ground and seem to squish more stably in to the lumps of the trail. I wish I had run in them at night but I didn't want to do too much mileage in new shoes that my body may have not adjusted to yet. I will never wear my Asics for evening runs again. I also walked some of the down hills as that's when my ankle felt the weakest, like it wanted to flop over my toes.

 

 

The one frustrating part about this relay was that it seemed to always be my turn to run next when the food was being brought out for meal times. I can't run having just downed a full meal without feeling a little like I might vomit. Because of this I'm glad we where allowed to bring  our own food so I could eat after my runs but, I feel like I ate a lot less food than I normally would have in a 24hour period because of this.

 

I woke up feeling like I was starving on Sunday morning and couldn't put enough food in my mouth all day. On Sunday all my muscles over my entire body where fatigued. It took a little extra concerted effort to move, pull, or lift things in my daily job. I also noticed that my legs from my calves down where crazy swollen. My toes looked like tittle sausages.

 

Over the whole event I ran a little more than I'd expected. According to my training plan I was supposed to do an hour of cross training on Friday and six miles on Saturday. So, I'd figured I'd do two 6mile yellow laps. Since it is a race to gain the most points, though, I did also figure that I may have to run more mileage. In the end I ran a total of 16.5miles and Wayne did 18.5miles. I also ran most of my mileage on my sprained ankle. I'm just nervous to see how this plays out toward training for the 10k next Thursday.

10k: Week Eight

Only one more week till the first RiverJam Race and my 10k! What a ride training for this race has been. We'll see how it pays off...

Mon 3mi run- Did the 3mi USNWC parkway. I ran on the asphalt the whole time. It's very different from running on the grass, like I usually do, but my Asics are meant for pavement. On a consistently flat surface I could better focus on evening out my stride and,, hopefully, allow my ankles to work the way they want and not over work to stabilize. My muscles feel nice and well worked and balanced. Better consistent form on a smooth surface.

Tue 45min cross train+strength- I split cross training between elliptical and upright bike again and did another two circuits of weights.

Wed 2mi run+core- I just did a light 2mi run on Hawfield road in my new Brooks PureFlow 3 shoes. I really like the way they feel and make/allow me to run. I feel more sure footed on uneven gravel and my calves feel less strained because they don't have a high heel. My stride feels more natural.

Fri 60min cross train- Surprise! 24hour Time Laps Race. I ran 6.2mi at 8pm as the second leg of our 12 person relay. It was night time when I finished  the run. I wore my Asics gel-evate shoes and of course rolled my left ankle again in the dark. I felt a little tendon stretch pop this time. The ankle swoll a lot more than when I last rolled it. Because the Asics are so ridged I think I will have to stop wearing them at night because if my foot starts to tip the shoe has a point of no return where it begins to force my foot to roll. I will try to wear the Asics on pavement more instead of the trails. I iced well that night. Brought an ice pack in pre-anticipation.

Sat 6mi run- I ran 8.2 more miles at 8am and then 4.5mi at 5pm. It was so much fun to get to help with the race! I got to help with the computer scoring system. I slept from 1-4am. Both Wayne and I had swollen legs afterward. I ran 17.5mi and Wayne ran 19.5mi I think. After sleeping I went back to helping with the computer an kept my left leg elevated up on the table. I transferred to my new Brooks for the rest of the race so that the shoes would work a little more with my feet to flex and absorb the contours of the trails. I love these shoes! they did a really good job. I'm interested to see how long the squishy foam holds up to my mileage. We met a lot of amazing runners and had a crazy amazing time.

10k: Week Six

This week I realized that my body and mind feel and work much better when I'm taking my daily vitamin. My mood is better and I feel like my body works and moves more smoothly when I'm getting more balanced nutrients,

Also, I think I jumped back into training this week with some extra gusto after feeling so crummy last week. This may be making me feel more tired and worn out than if I'd eased back in to the cross training and running paces I was doing pre sickness.

Mon 3mi run+core- nice confidence boosting run around the wet roads of downtown mount holly. The pace was easy but brisk. My left leg seems to be playing catchup a little bit but I feel much more in the swing of things than I'd expected to after last week. Did one set of the Lolo Jones' Core Workout.

Tue 40min cross+strength- Split my cross training between the elliptical and the upright stationary bike, and did two sets of the leg and core part of my weight circuit. I bumped up the speed and resistance a little bit. I'm feeling nice and lightly sore tonight. I'm looking forward to a nice 2mile shakeout run tomorrow morning.

Wed 2mi run- Lauris is in Town at The Evening Muse in NoDa! Ran a nice easy shakeout run on Hawfield Rd before work. This was a crazy weather day, low 50's in the morning to high 70's in the afternoon.

Fri 60min cross+core- Just focused on moving my legs as naturally as possible using the right muscles and keeping my legs balanced. Split the cross training evenly between ellypticaling and biking 30 min each.

Sat 5mi run- It was quite rainy weather this morning and my AM Canopy Tour didn't book so I got called off the first half of my work day. So, that means I got to run before work today! I did two loops of 2.5mi around downtown Mount Holly. Again focusing on keeping my legs balanced and using the right muscles while staying as relaxed as possible. The muscles in my feet are evening out but because it seemed my toes where working my calves are quite tight after the run. Will do some foam rolling tonight.

10k: Week Four

My legs are an important part of my body image. But, after this week I'm starting to feel like I'm abusing them and clouding that image...

Mon 3mi run+core- I ran the pink loop at work again. My knee still hurts but it diminished as I ran more. It seemed to help if I allowed my feet to pronate more. Perhaps I'm still holding my ankles ridged and it's causing my knee to track differently than when I had arch supports in. Part of the reason I think I feel so tired is likely because my body is still getting used to having less structure under my feet. I felt like my core chain stabilizers are still weak. But, strength will build over time. I really should take an ice bath tomorrow.

Tue 35min cross+strength- Elypticled at the gym for 22 min and then used the seated stationary bike to take some pressure off my hips ankles and achillies. I also finally did two sets of my weight lifting routine. It feels so nice!

Wed 2mi run- Easy two lap shake out run around the whitewater channel. I feel refreshed and my feet and form feel much more stable and balanced. I got some pretty hefty bruises on my shins today when I slipped on a wet board on a course as I went out to assist a guest. My left shin especially didn't feel very nice for the first mile of the run. I love running up stairs! I wouldn't normally but with construction at work my 1mi loop around the channel has had to change a bit and it makes me feel stronger to run up stairs. Tiny bit of achillies tendonitis left but much better.

Fri 50min cross+core- I wore compression socks all day today and at work yesterday to help the bruises on my shins. It did help a lot! the one on my left ankle is definitely the worst. I split the crosstraining today 25min elypticle+25min upright stationary biking plus I did one set of weights

Sat 4mi long run- You know that feeling when you're strolling down a trail and suddenly all your body weight is resting on the top/side of your foot and you realize your toes are suddenly higher than your ankle? It's just... horrifyingly sickening. I ran our newly extended East Main trail after work today starting at 8pm- so it was dark and I sprained my ankle on a downhill in the last 300 meters of the run. I did take a flashlight with me but I could see fairly well for most of the run with my eyes adjusted to the darkness. As I was running I could tell that my feet are getting stronger! My foot is more in tune with how it should move and stabilize. Much different from when I wore my uber supportive shoes.The run was not as fast as my normal pace would have been because I was taking lots of short choppy breaking steps in order to be cautious. This raises the quality vs quantity question in my mind. Was the slower pace and risky behavior worth loosing some of the benefits that I would have gotten if I'd stuck to a better lit route? I realized on the run today that my legs are much less used to running with all the cross training I've been doing instead of splitting my runs with actual running. I'd hoped the elypticling would be equivalent but I'm not so sure.

Wanna see how well I balance rest and recovery with an ongoing training plan?
Stay tuned next week for another episode!

10K: Week One

This first week will be a little experimental trying to figure out how to best tailor the training plan to fit my week. This is what I've come up with so far. I may make a few tweaks like possibly switching my fri and sat runs so I'm still doing my long run on sat as the last run of the week.

Mon 2.5mi+core- Just did an easy 2.5mi around the whitewater channel loop and hawfield road. I'd never measured the Hawfield road bit before. It's nice to know it's longer than I thought. I may use it more.

Tue 30min split+strength- Happy St Patrick's Day! Ran for 15min around the park and then stationary biked in the gym for 15min also. Since I didn't do core yesterday I'm gunna ease myself into doing more weights and core with this 10k schedule by doing the RW hip and core workouts.
This wast the first day of the year I've run at the peak of 80 degree sunny weather- I need to hydrate more. After the run the bike resistance I've been using felt a little easy so I bumped it up and down a few times while still concentrating on using the right muscles. I noticed that wearing different shoes affect height of seat because they have different stack heights or sole thicknesses.

Wed 2mi- A fast two miles around Mt Holly. I pushed the pace in hopes of holding better form. I could feel my quads and especially gluts working more during this run. I do have a small amount of achillies pain after the run today that I'll need to keep tabs on. I had the same at the beginning of the 5k plan but it seems strange to occur now with less running mileage and more cross training.

Fri 40min split+core- Happy First Day of Spring! YAY! ran around the park for 20min Then used the stationary bike in the gym for 20min. I bumped up the resistance again at the beginning but then kept it at a more standard pace for the rest.

Sat 3mi- Oops. I got a week ahead of myself in the plan again and did 3.5mi. My right ankle and left knee are quite sore after. Perhaps it's because by body isn't used to running the day sfter my long run? I'll try to do core tomorrow.

I'm not quite pleased  with my asics running shoes. I feel like the thick heel is causing a little runners knee. My feet are wanting to contact the ground under and slightly behind my body. Hopefully doing more weights and core will help strengthen weak muscles and improve this. They'll probuby be good for long runs but not so much shorter training runs. If this struggle continues I may try to go ahead and acquire my next pair of running shoes that will satisfy more of the requirements that I was trying to work toward with my current running shoes. I hope a lower heel drop and more flexible shoe may help when mixed into my running routine.

Not quite sure how I feel with just a lower mileage taper week between these two training plans. I guess that will be part of this experiment too. I will likely add at least 3 days if not a full rest weekbefore starting the half marathon plan.

Color Me Green 5K: Race Complete!

At first, I wasn't so sure how I felt about doing a color run. I don't really believe in the idea of spreading colorful powdered stuff out into the environment to be washed into the soil and water systems. "The Color Run" uses powdered paint that I'm sure is not good for the environment. But, I was pleased to discover that the USNWC , since it is an environmentally conscious place, used something with a more natural chemical makeup. Simply- corn starch dyed with food coloring. So, what is it about a color run that's so interesting? How fantastic can running through clouds of green corn starch be? Especially on a rainy day? Well, it was more interesting than I thought it would be.

 

 They had two different shades of green a lime and a forest color. The corn starch didn't taste bad at all, it almost melted away since the powder is so fine. I also didn't experience any interference with my breathing especially as we ran through the huge cloud at the start. However, I did have slightly green boogers for the next two days.  It also took two showers to wash all the green off my skin. I looked like I was turning into the hulk in tiny little splotches on the fronts of my ankles, my left collar bone, and my left wrist. I may have been stained in more places if I hadn't washed it off so soon after the race. Because of the cooler and wetter weather than expected, before the start of the race, I ran the first 300meters in my rain coat. It is still caked with green powder even though I took it in the shower with me after the race. My white t-shirt that I wore during the race is still a little tie-dyed even after washing it. You can see the nice white square where my race number was pinned, red clay mud spots on the back from my shoe,s and swirly colors of green.

 

This was an untimed event with prizes given to the top five male and female finishers and the cleanest and greenest runners. I tried to be one of the cleanest runners to make it to the finish line. I realize now that maybe I cheated without meaning to by wearing my jacket at the start through the largest amount of green that we encountered during the race. But I didn't have time to wait around for awards anyway because I knew the locker room showers would get swamped quickly. Luckily I was one of the first people in before the long line formed and I even had time to help with cleaning up the start/finish line before I had to clock in for work.

 

 The race was quite light hearted because it was untimed and focused more on the colorful clouds of green. Mike Kafsky, our USNWC Guest Experience Director, dressed up as an aproximatly 6'5" tall green painted, red hair dyed, top hat and contact lens wearing leprechaun who started the race with us on a cruiser bicycle. The race also kicked off our first festival of the year- The Green River Revival. Though I have worked at the USNWC for over two years now this is the first time I've gotten to witness the water turning green. It's so brilliantly neon green your eyes can hardly believe it!

 

 

I went in undecided about how to run the race since, in the grander scheme of things I'm just starting this journey, and am technically just barely beginning to build mileage. Should I run casually just to see how my body would act in a race environment or did I really want to race and try to place in the top five ladies? I kind of settled somewhere in between. I knew that with an untimed race, and a very muddy, wet, and rainy day anything could happen. Without chip timing chances are most of the runners would be casual runners there just to have fun getting colored green. I decided I would start toward the front of the starting line but I tried to go out at my own pace and not get caught in race start adrenaline. I did run at least a few steps with my eyes closed and my breath slightly held  as we passed through the foggy shower of buckets full of green just after the start. It stopped raining almost exactly when the race started and I got warm quickly so I chucked my rain coat on our land sport office deck as we ran past to begin our journey on the trails.

 

I am glad, and it makes sense that, the race was mostly on the service roads instead of our single track trails. The USNWC closes it's trails depending on how wet they are so that runners and bikers don't cause terrible erosion problems in muddy conditions. The service roads are much wider an allowed us to have room to pass people and hop back and forth on the trail to avoid some of the deep puddles and small rivers of water. I noticed that the powder would clump a little, perhaps because it had gotten wet In the rain, so when I got green thrown at me it was like watching a small green comet with a powdery green tail and you'd get hit with a small soft mass. I did start to wonder if my face got more serious the further along in the race I went because It seemed that the green starch throwers weren't as interested in dousing me.

 

We did run on small section of single track trail downhill and I got a little frustrated when I had a dad and his two smallish (early middle school age maybe) kids in front of me going slower than my long legs wanted to go. The final straw was when a gal passed me and the family by cutting across the inside of a sharp turn. The competitive side of me snapped and I kind of tried to jump over or around the little guy  on the last steep part of the down hill and nearly knocked him over. I'm sorry little guy, you where doing awesome! And your dad was being an awesome parent to run with you and your sister to encourage you guys to run the whole race.

 

I paced behind the gal and then a guy who passed me on the next long, rocky, muddy, loose gravel downhill, that intimidated me a little- but I didn't mentally let them go. I stuck behind them for the next quarter to half mile until we got back on the main gravel loop around the white water channel to return to the Finish. I managed to gradually pick up the pace beyond what I'd physically expected to feel, and kick it in a lot harder than I'd anticipated I would.  I passed the guy and gal and then several other people who tried to stick with me to the finish. When I rounded the final corner to the finish and could see a general time clock running, I notice it had just rolled over to 24 minutes and I suddenly found one more gear before crossing the finish line. As soon as I crossed the line Adam Bratton, our Sponsorship and Events race guy at the USNWC, showed up in my field of vision and handed me a certificate and medal along with a sticker that he told me to take to the sponsor tent to pick up a pair of free socks. I thought he was just being nice since I know him and work there because, before the start of the race they made an announcement that if your race bib had a sponsor logo sticker on it you could go get a free piece of merchandise.

 

I gave Adam a high five and then turned around and gave the guy that finished behind me, and had tried to stay with me, a high five too. He asked what my finish time was and said he saw maybe 25min15sec on the clock when he finished. I began to clean off a small spot on the bottom of my bib number and stuck on the sticker Adam had given me, when the gal I had paced in the race came up to me to say good job as well. When she did, I congratulated her too and noticed she was also carrying a paper certificate. When she walked away I looked down at the things I was holding in my hands and read the paper which to my complete surprise read second female over all! Yay! I had no idea! I was just climbing people during the whole race and I felt pretty comfortable and relaxed. Not my usual stressed-outness that I get. I am rather proud of myself that I didn't allow anyone to out pace and pass me over the net distance.

 

I forgot to stop my watch after the race but, my race time was something under 25min I think. Not fast but ok for where I am in my training now. The purpose of running the race in my training plan is to get used to the racing mindset again and to establish a baseline race time to gauge future training runs on. I found myself thinking about the fact that there wasn't much difference in my race practice training run and the actual race. This makes me think I would definitely benefit from doing a  little speed work. But, at the same time, with my ultimate marathon goal being to break 3hours35minutes in order to qualify for the Boston Marathon, the race pace for that is 8min miles- which I'm not too far off of now. There is a big difference between 3.1 and 26.2 miles but I will build endurance over my time training.

 Here's some footage on the USNWC's YouTube channel from last years Green River Revival

5K: Week Nine

I extended the 8 week Hal Higdon training plan by a week so that I could run a slightly later race at the USNWC with my staff discount. My body is ready for this taper week before the race on Saturday.

Mon 3mi- It's been warm (in the mid 60's) for the past two days and the trails finally dried out enough to open. I ran the 3mi pink loop, which I believe will be the race rout, and was pleasantly surprised to find it felt rather short and easy. I probably should have stuck closer to the exact race rout posted on the website, but if I did run less than three miles I can't imagine it was much less. I felt like I was running rather slow. My quads and gluts are having a little trouble engaging again. The change in running shoes and form is working different muscles. I'm humbled and reminded I'm still just building mileage. Maybe it's good this race won't be timed. I'm running more slowly and timidly down hill than usual for me which may be causing some excess impact forces, slight runners knee, and tight hamstrings.

Tue 20min XT+strength- I was without a running car today so I took the road bike to the gym which took me about 6 minutes. I got lucky with the traffic light. I did a 15min bike in the gym because I figured the bike to and from the gym would make up for the 5min I didn't do on the stationary bike. I also did the lite weight circuit I've been doing in the gym. It's always nice to leave the gym with my muscles shaking a little. Reminds me that even though I don't feel I'm doing much it's maybe more than I think. I noticed a difference from skipping the weights in the previous week. Need to do more core.

Wed 2mi- Beautiful 70 degree day with a light misty rain. Was likely a brisker pace but It's my last training run before the race and I couldn't resist letting loose just a little bit. The imbalances in my legs seem to be evening out a bit. My mental attempts to monitor my supination is a little exhausting though.

Fri 15min easy- A little frustrated with myself. I should have run at work as soon as I got off but I had some other errands I needed to run and I lost the daylight. I decided I didn't want to run in the dark cold rain so I went to the gym. Running late, I only did 11 min on the very old elliptical machine which has a very unnatural running stride. I should have just run on the treadmill instead.

Sat Race!- I went in undecided about how to run the race. Do I run casually just to see how my body acts in a race scenario? Or am I in it to try win it. I eventually chose something in between. I knew that with an untimed race and a very muddy wet and rainy day anything could happen. I started toward the front of the starting line but tried to go out at my own pace and not get caught in race start adrenaline. I paced one guy and girl that passed me for about a half mile but I managed to kick it in a lot more that I'd anticipated I would, and I passed them and several other people to the finish to be- to my surprise- the second female over all. Yay! I had no idea. I was just climbing people during the whole race.  I am rather proud of myself that I didn't allow anyone to out pace and pass me over the net distance. My race time was something under 25min. Not fast but ok for where I am in my training now. I do feel bad I almost trampled a little guy trying to pass on a tight turn.  The race course was different than I'd expected- more on the service roads than single track trails but I think it made it a little better- easier to pass people. I seem to be better mentally prepared for racing than last year when I ran the Frigid 5k.

I'd like some arch support when not running. I'm trying putting arch supports in a pair of my minimalist racing flats from high school. The arch supports don't seem to be too much since the shoes are flexy. I'm hoping they'll allow my feet to get stronger and move as there supposed to. I like the combination so far but I feel like wearing these for more than one day in a row doesn't work. I wobble a little funny when I walk and have to think about using my feet the right way.

5k: Week Eight

One more week till the race! Very Excited. These are my first and last weekday training runs over race distance. Just after the 5k last year is the place where I fell out of training but, I feel much better this year physically and mentally. I don't have five months filled by a stressful 80hour work week job that doesn't let me live with my husband ahead of me. The year is off to a great start!

Mon 3.25mi- It got too dark after work so instead of running outside I went to the gym and did my 25min bike. No weights in the gym since we were going to try to make it to the rock climbing gym. Because I was in a bit of a hurry (not that I can speed up time by pedaling faster) I don't think the biking was as quality as last week. I don't feel like I used quite the right muscles. Hamstrings tight after.

Tue 25min bike+strength- Ran 3.25mi after work to the local park and back. Found myself getting frustrated with Wayne. The purpose of our runs is different. I'm trying to run this weekly plan and build form and go easy when i'm supposed to vs. he runs once or twice a week whenever he "can" and each run is a speed challenge. When I go slower than he wants he starts jumping over bushes and weaving back and forth through trees like football or military drills. Makes me feel inadequate because i'm not ready to go that fast. I have to take a deep breath and remind myself not to push the pace too much so early into my year of training so that I won't get injured. Some days i'm better at running my own pace than others.

Wed 2mi- Small loop around Mt Holly's main streets with Wayne. I think the shorter distance allowed me to not mind the faster pace but I also tried to keep my own pace more.

Fri 3.25mi- Ran to Tuckaseegee Park on my own again. The run has made my quads more sore than I'd expect both times. there's a half mile of steady downhill on the way there and then steady uphill on the way back. I think that's what affects my legs most on this rout. I'm ready to run on softer surfaces. I'm a little tired of having mud and puddles in the grass everywhere.

Sat 60min- Ran a nice long stretch of the Carolina Thread Trail. It was quite muddy in spots which is why the USNWC's trails are still closed due to all the rain and snow we've had over the last few weeks. The race next week is on wooded trails and I decided I should run trails today to prepare for race conditions. My form in my new shoes is, I believe, better but my body is adjusting. My knees are a little sore after the run. need to do more core and stabilizer exercises.

I stayed up pretty late the last three nights this week and don't think my body's recovering as well. I do need to be better about getting sleep and hydration especially in the days leading up to the race.

I'm also rather frustrated with having a second week in a row where I'm changing up the plan. Maybe not quite as much of a change since I'm still doing all the planned mileage but I don't know how it will affect me one week before the race.

5k: Week Four

This week was a lot less physically stressful than last week but it felt almost twice as long.

Mon 2.25mi run- Wayne's Oma passed away Sunday night so we drove up to Virginia to say our goodbyes
and give support to Opa and the rest of the family. There was no wireless internet to figure out where exactly I should run so I just ran out and back for 20 min. Again my hamstrings feel pretty tight but I found myself wondering if the higher elevation may have contributed to my perceiving the effort as more difficult.

Tue 20min cross train+strength- I used the stationary bike in the gym again. I like that it gives me steady resistance for the full duration of exercise. When I ride my bicycle outside I feel like I cheat because I can coast and the resistance decreases when going downhill even when I change gears. I did the same general weights I've been doing but started adding in some of the squats and lunges from the Iron Strength workout I'd like to transition to.

Wed 1.5mi run- A mile and a half seems like an effortless little recovery run now. I'm still focusing on form and can't quite figure out how to get my quads to engage like I feel they should. My gluts are nice and sore from yesterday but I find myself getting concerned and frustrated because my running form isn't what I feel it should be. I'm worried i'll get injured because of muscular imbalances.

Fri 2.25mi run-an easy run around the Whitewater Center channel. Hamstrings where tight, gluts and especially quads not engaging. I did have rather bad nutrition today. Chocolate chip cookies for breakfast and a rather sweet carb loaded trail mix for lunch- more than likely a blood sugar crash causing weak muscles and lazy emotions. I did start to realize that my weak core and hips are likely the cause of my leg muscle imbalance.

Sat 45min run- A nice run all in the woods at the USNWC. We started the run around 5:30pm so it was quite dark and hard to see by the time we finished. I pushed the pace a little in hope of engaging the right muscles in my legs. It partly worked but I see now that I definitely need to jump on doing more glut, hip, and core exercises on Tuesdays and long run day. I also did 15(set of 5x3) heel dips as a preventative maintenance for my achilles tendons- a remedy I found in the "Tendons" section of this Running Times article.

I was watching the way my shadow moved while running one day this week, and was struck with a memory of Michelle Jenneke getting a lot of press during the Olympics for her warm up dance and realized weak hips may be a weakness factor I should start working on first. So...I found a simple transitional workout!

Hopefully this will get me closer to being comfortable with doing the more dynamic Iron Strength workout I'm striving for.

The Plan

The training plans that I have decided to use can be found at HalHigdon.com. I will be doing a series of training plans that slowly build my mileage and endurance up to the full marathon distance.

5k Novice: 8 weeks after which I'll be running the Color Me Green 5K on March 14th.
10k Novice: 8 weeks after which I'll be running the first of this years River Jam Races on May 14th.
Half Marathon Novice 1: 12 weeks after which I'll run the Wild Vine Trail Half on Sept. 26th
Full Marathon: The plan I choose for this race will have to be evaluated once I complete the training for the half marathon. It could be a Novice plan, perhaps the Personal Best plan, or if i'm feeling really good I could go straight for Boston Bound. I have not yet chosen a particular marathon to run. The choices seem a little overwhelming and far away at the moment. I could visit family in Florida and run at Disney World, or I could stay close to Charlotte, or we could pick some place to take a vacation and I'll run a race there- with a few very relaxing recovery days planed in after the race.

I love working at the US National Whitewater Center because it hosts so many races and promotes such an active outdoor lifestyle!
I also plan to run the Shot in the Dark night run and perhaps the Dirty Dozen obstacle race just as extra workouts in my training plan.

Just a silly little graphic about training plans that I found