Turtles Can Run

After running  the Rock and Roll San Diego half marathon I felt good and knew I could handle marathon training.  Traveling away from Texas would have been the best option for a fall marathon but scheduling another big trip in the fall while the kids are in school is a little tricky so I opted for a local race.  I decided on the Rock and Roll  San Antonio Marathon again because  since the course is not difficult, it is close by and the weather in November CAN be good.

The past couple of months I have been working on building up a good base mileage.  Lots and lots of easy miles.  July was my highest mileage month ever and I felt a little tired by the end of it but no injuries which I am thrilled about.  My body seems to be able to handle the higher mileage as long as I don’t try to run too fast too often.  Now that the race is only three months away I need to start working on my speed a  bit but make sure I back off if I feel an injury coming on.

I will have a better idea of what is possible when we get closer to race day but for training paces purposes here are my  goals.  If  weather conditions are ideal conditions and I am feeling great my  goal is 3:35…my secondary goal is 3:40….third goal is a PB which would be under 3:44 and my having a bad day and the weather sucks goal is sub 4 but with a smile and not a grimace this time.

The thought of training and racing another marathon is both exciting and exhausting.  I am looking forward to the journey and the challenge.  Get ready San Antonio, the Turtle is coming back.

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For almost a year now I have felt out of sorts and thought I might never get back to where I was before the Missoula Marathon, plantar fasciitis,  heel spurs, shin splints, etc.  But in the weeks before the RNR San Diego half marathon I started to feel like my old self and was running further and faster without pain than I had in months.  So when we got on the plane for San Diego Saturday morning I was pretty excited to see what I could pull off on Sunday.  My goal going into the race was 1:45 this would not be a PR but would give me confidence going into fall marathon training that I could meet my goal of running a 3:35-3:40.

As we stepped out of the airport and I felt the cool air (instead of the Texas blanket of heat) I knew race day weather would be perfect  and it would just be a matter of my body holding up.  We went straight to the expo to pick up my packet.  Instead of my name, I had Turtle printed on my bib for good luck.

We had fun walking around and picking up goodies and taking pictures.  Then ate an early dinner  and walked around downtown a bit.  That was it for the day really as I just wanted to chill out and go to bed early.

Race day morning wake up time came  quickly since the race started at 6:15 and I wanted to get on my shuttle by 5.  We had a bit of a hard time finding our way to the shuttle due to closed roads and the shuttle got stuck in the traffic going to the race start and I got to the race with only minutes to spare.  But I couldn’t so straight to my corral because I needed to stop at a porta potty prerace and of course the lines were ridiculous.  The race started while I was still in line, so I had to run to the start when I was done to start with my assigned corral.

Even though I got there when corral  5 was released I was surrounded by people who were running much slower, so I had to keep weaving around people in order to keep the 7:55 pace I needed to run.  With temps in the 60s this pace felt really easy but I made sure to not go to fast early on… I really did not want to bonk.

The miles ticked by.. I made sure I took advantage on the downhills and just maintained my pace on the uphills and flat portions of the course. About 3 miles of the course was on a highway that was extremely slanted.  This was awkward to run on and bothered my ankles.  I kept chugging along but weaved a bit trying to find a more even portion of the road to no avail.  Weaving along a two lane highway 3 or 4 times added distance without getting me closer to the finish line unfortunately.  So even though I was ticking off some pretty fast miles I knew the pace on my watch and the pace for my race would be different.  The last few miles were pretty flat and once I got to mile 10 and realized I would meet my goal if I could just maintain my pace, easier said then done at the end of a race. I was feeling tired and had to really focus on  my pace because my body wanted to slow down.   On the last mile I could feel myself reaching my limit but I just thought of all the tempo runs my husband and I had done and how we really pushed the last mile and that gave me confidence that I could do it and I even managed to sprint to the finish line.  I crossed the finish line with a time of 1:43:38.  I wasn’t sure whether or not that was a PR(it wasn’t_..but it didn’t matter).  I met my goal of 1:45, ran a smart race and finished strong.  All the things I tried unsuccessfully to do on my races this Spring, until now.   So happy and relieved to finally have a good race this year..it has renewed my confidence in my running  ability and I am now ready to ramp up my training and set some new PRs this fall.

Side notes about the race: The water/cytomax stations were well stocked and there was plenty of post race food, beer (I’m not a beer drinker but it was there), goodies and music.

We spent a few days in San Diego and loved every minute.   Perfect weather… beautiful flowers, trees, scenery… the beach (we started every morning with a nice walk).. the zoo and safari.. Legoland..Seaworld. All of it was delightful.  I would definitely recommend this as a destination summer race, so much fun!

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We will be heading out to California pretty soon for the Rock N Roll San Diego half marathon and I am actually getting pretty excited and so are the kids.  This will not be my first time in California but it will be my first time racing there and only my second race away from Texas.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate and be cooler than our hot and humid Texas weather.

I am getting excited because I have been putting in some solid training and I can feel my endurance and speed coming back.   My confidence was shot after my spring races, but my training has been going well the past couple of weeks and  I am feeling confident that I can pull a good time at this race as long as I don’t do anything stupid between now and then.  My kids are excited because we will be going to Lego land, the San Diego Safari Park, The Zoo and some other fun places! I will definitely post some pics along with a race report on my awesome experiences out in San Diego

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Third 5K in 3 weeks and fifth race for me this Spring.  I never race this often but my husband and kids have been enjoying the races so I have just gone along for the ride.  Honestly after running the Cap 10K and realizing I was much slower than last Spring I did not want to race again until I got faster but I didn’t want to take away the Spring racing experiences from the kids, so I sucked it up and have gone out week after week and tried my best at these races.

I almost did not do this race but promised my daughter we would run these three 5Ks together.  I almost ran with her instead of running my own race but knew if I did that  I would just be coping out because she would rather pace herself during 5Ks.  I also almost ran a good race today..almost.

Last year I ran the Daisy 5k (now known as the Dukes and Daisies 5K) race and PRed..I ran it in 22 minutes.  I knew running it this year would be a direct comparison on my fitness.  The turn out for the race was really low..around 75 timed runners.  One of my favorite parts about this race is that the ladies get a 3 minute headstart.  Because the race was so small this year though this was a disadvantage.  The lead ladies were not super fast so  I tried to hang on to their pace and went out to fast.    My first mile was a 6:50.. which would have been perfect last year or even on a cooler day but at my current fitness level and the temps today it was too fast and I totally bonked after that.   By mile 2 I  dropped from 3rd to  5th female and slowed down drastically.  I finished in 23:31..no improvement actually slower than last week.

What killed me was the overall female finisher finished slower than I ran the race last year.  If I was in the same shape I was in last year I could have won the woman’s race…ugg..  I don’t think that opportunity will ever come up again since at most races in Austin the female winner is much faster.  After the race I went back on the course to find my daughter and run her to the finish.  I am so proud of her and so happy that she wants to run and challenge herself.  My children have been a huge motivation to do my best and not give up at these races because I want to be good role model for them.  Secretly I have wanted to cry during and after each of these races but knowing the kids would be at the finish line helped me think of the positive and keep things in proper perspective.

Now I have a month to train before running the San Diego Rock N Roll Half Marathon on June 5th.  I am hoping to finally shed these final pounds to get back into peak shape and speed up a bit.

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Yup, we ran another 5k this weekend.  Last week we were told to run our ashes off and this week it was our bunz.  This week’s race was just about the same as last weeks: hot, humid, costumed characters and plenty of treats and fun at the finish line.

I had a good time with my family and chatting with fellow runners before and after the race.  The kids did awesome again.  My husband stayed with my son who just wanted to take it easy today and ran a 31 minute 5K.  I think it is awesome that a 5K at any pace is now easy for him.  My daughter ran on her own and finished in 28:53.  Considering the weather and the fact that she PRed last week, I thought her time was impressive.  As for me and my  race, I tried my best and yet again I came up short  with a 23:17.  I will not make a list of excuses..the plain old truth is I am not as fast as I was last year.  My training is no where near what it was last year and I am not at my racing weight.  I have been running in my comfort zone lately with very few hard workouts.  This is not because I am lazy or because I do not want to challenge myself, it is because I am scared.  I don’t want to be sidelined again, I would rather be running at a moderate pace than not running at all.  So I have put a limit on my speedwork because every time I push it I can feel it in my foot or other parts of my body.  I am hoping over time just being consistent with my running, core work  and diet will help me improve both my weight and speed.  I do realize of course that I need to do some speedwork if I want to get faster but I will be aiming at one at most two hard workouts a week as opposed to the three to four I was doing last Spring.

Up next ..The Daisy 5K.  Three races in three weeks, that is a record for me.  Just my daughter and I will be running this one.  She wanted to take on the 3 in 3.  My son has made great progress with his running this Spring but said he is done for the season .  The Daisy will be my last 5k until the fall which will hopefully be full of PRs!

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The ASH Dash 5K is a small race (about 700 people)  held on the Austin State Hospital grounds and the proceeds from the race benefit the children and adult receiving treatment for mental illness.  Very family friendly event with the Easter Bunny making and an appearance and an Easter egg hunt after the event.

Just as we did last race, I ran my own race and my husband ran with the kids.  Have I mentioned how awesome he is?

Honestly, I did not feel great going into this race.  Nothing was really hurting me but my energy level was low and I was not feeling fast.  My 2 attempts at racing this season have been so slow that I consider them to be failures.   I tried to think positive thoughts for this race but really didn’t expect to PR.  Even though I didn’t expect to I still  went out at  close to my PR pace.  Couldn’t even hold that for a mile..finished the first mile in 7:11.  And it only went down hill from there, I tried to run fast but only managed a 7:22.  The race is a two loop course so around this point I had to start running around them.  Why do they always walk in big packs??  Anyhow my third mile was a slooow 7:40.  Recovered a little for a sprint to the finish .19  at a 7:08 pace.  Finish time 23:33.  I was very disappointed with my race time, I didn’t think I would PR but I didn’t think I would be that slow.

There was no time to  mope about my failure as my children would be coming through the finish line and I need to set a good example for them, so I put on a smile and encouraged them in their performances.  My daughter PRed with a 28:11!!    My son didn’t fare so well, I think he went out too quickly and the heat got to him.  I could see he was disappointed, I was able to encourage him with my own experiences.  After realizing that not every race is not a PR for me either he felt better.

Post race there were lots of goodies and an Easter Egg hunt for kids of all ages.  This was great for my kids who are 10 and 11  now and to old for most egg hunts.  My son even won one of the Easter baskets.  Even though I didn’t think I placed in my AG, I checked the times and it turned out I had.  I won second in my AG  and received a little golden bunny trophy.  That really turned the race from a negative experience to a positive.

Overall a good race: flat course, fun activities after the race, cute trophies and tees. The only negatives today were the weather warm and humid (which has nothing to do with the race itself) and having to weave around the walkers on the second loop.  We may do it again next year as my daughter really wanted one of those golden bunnies…she got really close (4th in her AG).  I think she wants to try for it next year and maybe by next year I will be in good enough shape to PR and win myself another bunny

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When my kids heard about the Blue Bell Fun Run had free ice cream at the finish line they immediately wanted to run it.  I signed them up for the 5K and I decided to give the 10K distance another go since it was the same price.  I have been feeling much stronger over the past couple of weeks and really thought that would be able to put up a better number.   Two things I didn’t account for were weather and misjudging the elevation chart they provided.

We had to wake up super early and drive 2 hours to Brenham.  There were more people at the race than I thought there would be and the biggest crowd they’ve ever had.  They had a kid’s 1 mile race, a 5K, a 10K and a 10K relay.  Each race had it’s own start line so I left my husband and kids and headed off for the 10K start.  I knew the weather was bad, warm and humid, but I was still gonna try to beat my Cap 10K time.

First couple miles went according to plan which was to keep the pace under 7:40 (7:36,7:35).  Mile 3 had a lot of elevation gain and the heat was getting to me, I only managed a 8:01.  This really bummed me out but I knew I had to press on I tried to speed up but was really stuck in the weeds 8:13 for mile 4.  Mile 5 was an easier mile it had more elevation loss than gain and I was able to pick the pace back up a bit 7:48.  I was feeling good going into to mile 6 thinking that I could come back, I caught up with somebody that passed me in mile 3 and that gave me confidence.  Then I saw the final hill it was steep and it was long.  I tried my best to charge up but could feel myself fading, the guy I caught back up to said “Don’t quit on me now, you caught up to me and passed me, keep going.”  That was the kick in the butt I needed.  I picked my pace up and finished that mile in an 8:09 which may sound slow but on a hill like that feeling the way I did it was fast.  I sprinted out the last .33 at a 7:12 pace..luckily this part was downhill.  My time was 20 seconds slower than the Cap 10K.

Honestly I was upset when I finished, I really thought my time was going to be better for this race.   I took a few minutes to reflect on the race and asked myself did I do my best out there today and the answer was yes.   So I stopped beating myself up   and knew that I would keep working to find my speed again.

After the race I met up with my family they were already enjoying some post race ice cream.    My son was super excited because he beat his sister to the finish line.  He said the clock said 48 minutes but that had to be wrong because he felt like he was running his 1 mile pace.  He was right the clock was set up for the 10K start and not the 5K start.  He actually ran a 28:54 which was a huge PR for him.  He was able to do this despite the fact that some guy pushed him to the ground  early in the race.  His knees got scraped up but he just got back up and kept running.  The kid has pure grit.  My daughter also did well on this hilly course, she ran a 29:37 which is her best time this Spring.  My awesome husband ran between the two of them and took pictures.

After cleaning up and changing out of my sweaty clothes I looked at the 10K results and saw that despite my slow time I placed 3rd in my AG out of 166 and was the 11th woman in out of 533.  This cheered me up quite a bit and made me feel good about my performance instead of disappointed.

We drove around a while looking for wildflowers but there has been very little rain this year so the fields weren’t covered in flowers like they were last year when we drove through this area on our way to Houston.  The countryside was still very pretty.  We ended our trip to Brenham with a walk around the little  downtown area and lunch at a little sandwich shop.  Overall a great day, even though I had a rough race today, we might do it again next year.

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First race back since the injury and I of course have to pick a 10K.  Why did I pick a 10K?…I’ve only run one before (Texas Round up 2009) and that was such an awful experience I never ran the the distance again until now.

All week long I have been unusually calm  about the upcoming race and anytime I started feeling anxious I focused on positive thinking and that actually worked.  Several people asked me what my goal was and for once I didn’t have an real answer.  I usually base my goal time on a recent race and I didn’t have one. I thought maybe somewhere around 47 or 48, so that was the answer I gave, but my real goals for today were to race again,  give it my best,  not give in when it got hard and finish strong.

The Cap 10K is a huge race… 20K runners.  Luckily I got a purple bib so I was pretty close to the start.  Still had to do a lot of weaving and dodging but less than I would have if I was further back.

My plan was to run at around 7:45 pace for the first three miles and then try to speed up after the major hills were done.  First  and second miles  had some hills but I ran them both in 7:44.  The third mile was tough and the hill really killed my pace 7:59.  I knew the rest of the course was going to be easier  so I still felt confident in being able to pull off a descent time.  Hit a downhill portion of the course and was starting to gain some speed.  Then my shoe came untied.  This has never happened to me during a race and rarely happens during a training run..I really didn’t want to stop.  So I ignored it for a quarter of a mile but was being so cautious that my pace was slowing, so I made my way to the sidewalk and tied it.  Then tried to make up some time, finished mile 4 in 7:55.  Mile 5 and 6 were uneventful and not as fast as they should have been,  7:42 and 8:04.  When I hit mile six I took off and sprinted to the finish line .33 miles at a 7:01 pace.  Total time 49:25, bittersweet PR.  A little bitter because I was a faster  last year and sweet because  a 5 + minute PR is still a 5+ PR.

Trying to sprint to the finish and smile for my family at the same time. Looks more like a grimace.

Post race I felt good about my performance.  What I could do last year is irrelevant,  what I can do now and how I can improve it is all that matters.  I knew I gave my all today and I can’t ask anymore of myself than that.

As the hours passed by and I thought about the race,   I realized that I was running at  half marathon effort most of the time and that with a couple of gus I think I could have finished a half marathon at this pace today.  So the next time I run a 10K, I need to see if I can find that gear that is faster than a half marathon but slower than a 5K.

Okay, enough of the serious heavy stuff.   One of the he cool  things about this race is that people dress up for the race and the best costume I saw today was this guy.  A fellow turtle..I am very happy to report that today I was the faster turtle

My kid's favorite costumes today...They love Mario Cart!

Lots of post race snacks...Even my favorite post race drink..Chocolate Milk.

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Cap 10K race weekend began today with the Junior ‘Dillo.  It is a  1-mile timed run for kids ages 15 and under. The course is a loop on Auditorium Shores and Riverside Drive.  There are seven age group divisions, each with their own separate start time. Over 1000 kids participated in today’s event.  It was awesome to see so many kids out there running.   I love watching kids run, they really make it look fun and exciting.

When I told my kids about this race they were liked it for several reasons.  It was timed, they only run with kids their own age and it was only a mile long.  Now that they are getting a little older the usual 1K kids runs aren’t as fun for them because they aren’t usually chip timed (they really like to know their times, so they can improve on them) and mostly younger kids run them.  As far as the distance, they like running 5Ks but not too often…because as my daughter said and her brother concurred  “they are exhausting”, so 1 mile was just right for them today.

Woke up early and drove downtown.  Of course we got their much earlier than we needed to..I always plan things this way..just in case.  As we waited the kids goofed around and spoke briefly about what they thought they could do in today’s race..My daughter thought she could run around a 9 minute mile and my son thought maybe a 9:30.  I said those were good goals and I knew they could accomplish them.  Eventually the races started.  We watched the 3  races that came before my daughter’s race,  then it was go time for the 11 year olds.  There were a lot of kids in this age group, so she had plenty of competition and plenty of kids to keep her at a good pace.  She heading out and then disappeared out of sight,   I was surprised to see her flying down the hill to the finish  so soon.  She finished in 8 minutes and 12 seconds.  The fastest mile she has ever run. This was much faster than I thought she would run today and she really surprised herself as well.  She told me that the post race bananas motivated her to finish fast, just like in her first 5K! After two years it is still the bananas after the races that motivate her

My son’s age group was next.  He was so cute heading out.  I love the focused look he gets when he is running fast.  He must have been really determined to run a strong mile today because he finished in 8 minutes and 38 seconds, almost a whole minute faster then he thought he could do.  How awesome is that?!   After telling him how great he did, he said to me,  “I was sprinting almost the whole time!! It was hard but I kept telling myself it is only a mile. Keep going!”

I guess all of the  2-3 mile runs we’ve been doing really paid off, because both of them said that 1 mile felt really short.    They really enjoyed this race and said they were glad I signed  them up for it.  My son said the next time he does a mile race he wants to run it in 8 minutes flat.  I really love how when he accomplishes one goal,  it gives him the confidence to set more challenging goals for himself.  My kids taught me some great lessons out there today..they had positive attitudes, set realistic goals, and pushed hard to meet them.  I plan on doing the same at the Cap 10K tomorrow.

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“Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don’t so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head.” – Joe Henderson

Race day is coming up soon and I really need to summon up the tough turtle within.  She has been absent for a while, acting like a soft shell.  Here are some things that have helped me be mentally tough in the past and that I am incorporating in my training again to toughen up.

Setting Goals. Having a goal to work towards keeps me going.  When I want to skip a workout, am exhausted and/or want to throw in the towel, I just remember what I am working for and push through.

Training Hard. I push my body to the max on intervals, tempo runs and hills. To make sure I am pushing as hard as I can I often wear a heart rate monitor. Seeing my heart rate let’s me know whether I am pushing as hard as I can or if it is just mental fatigue telling me to stop. Succeeding at these workouts gives me confidence and puts me in a positive state of mind about what I am capable of come race day.

Running  Alone. Okay this one may seem a like a weird one because I recommend running with other people.  In fact I think running with faster runners can help you reach a higher level in your running.   But when I am trying to prepare myself mentally it is not good for me because when running with someone else I tend to rely on them for pacing.   I really don’t have to think, I just try to keep up.  This may help me run faster during that run but it really doesn’t help me when the going gets tough and I am on my own in a race.  Pushing and getting through a 20 miler or a long tempo on my own however gives me the confidence to know that I can do it again on race day.  So, I am not saying do every run on your own.  If you are not racing with your training partner or partners though I just think it is a good idea to try to do some of the tough workouts solo.

Visualizing Success. I am anxious by nature, so this is a tough one for me.  As race day approaches, instead of worrying about how I am going to do and failing to meet my goals, I work on being positive and trusting the training I’ve done to help get me through.  I picture myself running with good form, relaxed and strong all the way to the finish line.

In closing, I would like to share a simple yet powerful  quote I came across this week that got me through my hard workouts  and  that I plan on using as my mantra during next week’s race: “Don’t let fatigue make a coward of you.”~Steve Prefontaine

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