Digital Wilderness

Thanks to everyone who donated to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure! The Komen organization and myself very much appreciate the support!

The race was this morning. Though it was a bit humid, there was a nice breeze and overall it was a fine morning for a run. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but it was a huge event. TONS of people were there. I think the difference between this and the other 5Ks is that so many more people came to walk this one, whereas the focus for most of the others is running.

I finished in just over 34 minutes. I was disappointed in my time; I was shooting for under 30. I was really excited at the 1 mile marker when the clock showed 8.5 minutes. I thought at that point I could probably finish in 28 minutes and the adrenaline started pumping, but the end of mile 2 kicked my butt. I stopped to walk for a minute and picked it back up again until what I thought was close to the end. I saw the starting line and thought the finish was close by. It wasn’t. I was gassed at that point and had to walk some more. I did stop to talk to some friends going the other way during mile 3 for a minute or two, so I guess I could adjust my time to account for that, but the time still wasn’t what I was hoping for. It’s what I deserved, though, based on my lack of running over the past month and a half.

No matter what I did in the Race for the Cure, it’s not about me, but all about the cause and supporting the survivors. Thanks again to all who donated!

Just wanted to post a reminder about the upcoming Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Please visit my Race for the Cure Page and consider donating to the cause. My goal is to raise $200.

Thanks!

One 5K that’s missing from my list is the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I’ve skipped it the past two years for various reasons, but since I didn’t do the Redlegs Run for Home this year, I’m going to use that as motivation to do the Cincinnati Race for the Cure next month.

Please visit my Race for the Cure Page and consider donating to the cause. My goal is to raise $200.

And I also wanted to included a reminder here about the other causes I mentioned previously as well. Though some of those events have passed, it’s never too late to donate, and the participants will be very appreciative.

Woohoo! Flying Pig 10K Runner 21254 came in at 1:16:45 (unofficial time) 1:16:32 (official)!

Wow, what a morning! It was plenty cloudy and wet out, but the temperature was absolutely perfect! Nice day for a run, eh? Let’s start out with a check of my goals, then I’ll go into more race details.

Goals

• Finish – check!
• Run across both bridges – check!
• Finish in under 1:30:00 – check!

Yes, got them all! I was worried and anxious before the race, thinking I was in over my head, but once I got there and the shotgun went off, I plunged into the experience and just went. The results: I’ve run the most I’ve ever run in my life and did better than I could have expected. It feels good to know I could step up to the place and come out swinging on race day, though I had no precedent for what I was about to do. I came sooooo close to reaching my original time goal of 1:15, missing it by less than two minutes. I did not, however, reach my other original goal of running the first 5K. I stopped to walk twice. I did end up running 28 of the first 30 minutes, though, which isn’t too bad. Overall, I think I walked 13-14 minutes (definitely an area for improvement). In hindsight, if I had remembered where the water stops were, I would have walked less. At two points during the course when I was walking, I was getting ready to start running again, but saw a water stop and kept walking through it. Though I get on myself for taking walk breaks, I can at least say that I didn’t stop moving the whole time!

(In case anyone is curious, there was actually a strategic reason for setting a goal of running across both bridges. One was at the 5K mark and I knew I’d be tired by then and need some motivation to not stop. The other bridge was towards the end and I wanted the extra push to the end.)

My dismal training thus far this year became evident at the 3 mile mark when I felt something I hadn’t felt since my first 5K two years ago – chest pains. Thankfully, though I’m not a running expert by any stretch of the imagination, I have gained enough experience to work through the pain without stopping. I consciously took steady deep breaths, tried not to think about it and sure enough, the pain passed in a few minutes. Also, I was on a bridge at the time, so I kept thinking about my goal and the disappointment I would feel if I did stop to walk. Finished the race without having to deal with any of the dreaded stabbing pains again. Nice to get through that obstacle, and it did boost my spirits.

I have to say that I have even more respect for marathoners, but I’m also beginning to see how they can do it. You just get in the zone – much like when you’re driving and zone out, then wonder how you got from A to B. That happened to me today. I just got lost in thought and next thing I know I was at mile 4.

When I reached the 4 mile mark and saw the time at 48 minutes, I got pumped. Doing some quick math, I figured I was averaging a 12 minute mile. Two miles left meant about 24 more minutes – which would be under my original goal of 1:15! Talk about having an adrenaline rush and lifted spirits! Ultimately, the last two miles took longer than 12 minutes each, but the realization certainly did help me push through to the end.

Another area where lack of training showed was with my stride and pace. As I mentioned previously, I wanted to lengthen my stride while keeping my pace. I didn’t have enough training runs for this to become second nature, though. I did start with longer strides, but quickly regressed to what I’ve been doing and what I’m most comfortable with. A few times throughout the run, I realized I was “shuffling” along and changed up my stride, but eventually fell back to the shortened stride.

Climbing the uphill slope on the last bridge, I was fighting to keep moving. That’s when the crowd started to thicken and the cheering got louder – and I got my last boost. It’s amazing what the cheering can do for you, even if they’re all strangers. I sucked it up and surged forward, lengthening my stride, quickeding my pace and sprinting to the end. I was shocked that I had enough energy left to do this, but it felt absolutely awesome!

On a separate but related note – I had prayed the night before and this morning for the rain to stop during the run. I could live with it being cloudy and wet, but I knew being soaked to the bone would not help me. However, it continued to rain as I drove downtown and as everyone gathered at the starting line, so I resigned myself to a wet race. However, a few minutes into the race, it stopped! And it held off for the duration of the race! Praise the Lord! However, I didn’t think to thank Him at that time like I should have. It didn’t occur to me that I had an answered prayer until I was driving home and it started pouring again. Sad…I need to be more focused on my prayers and results.

Well, I’m certainly enjoying the runners high right now, but I think it’s about time for a nap. Overall, this was quite and experience and I learned a lot about myself and what I’m capable of. Though I wasn’t really planning to go any more races this year, I just might reconsider that…

T-17 hours and counting. 8am tomorrow the pigs will start flying. Definitely can’t stay out late tonight since it’s so bright and early in the morning. Weather isn’t looking too good…thunderstorms and showers throughout the night, and throughout the race. The temperature looks just about right – mid 60s – but hopefully being wet won’t put a damper on the event (pun intended )

I checked out the route earlier. I’ve done three 5Ks so far, and they’ve all been basically the same – around the ballparks and along the Cincy riverfront. The 10K will be a welcome change of scenery. The course loops from the Cincy riverfront around the ballparks, across the bridge into Covington, continues to Newport, then back across the bridge into Cincy.

Having had disappointing training, I’ve revised my goals. Now, I’m shooting to finish in under 1hr 30 minutes and to run over both bridges without stopping. The rest is up in the air. I do think I’ve gotten in a little over my head, but I’m really hoping to surprise myself. If I don’t meet my expectations, I’ll kick my butt like I usually do and should end up doing better on the next one.

Wish me luck!

Uh, oh, the Flying Pig is only 18 days away – and I am NO WHERE NEAR ready for the 10k. I’m not even back up to where I left off last year! In June 2007, I ran the entire Redlegs’ 5k distance, finishing in just over 30 minutes, both personal bests (distance and time). So far this year, I’ve run 12 minutes before taking a walk break, with a total session run time of 22 minutes – a long way from where I was. If the weather holds up (gets and stays at least in the 60s, especially later in the evening), I should be able to get back to where I was, but then there’s the second 5k to get through…

Up until now, I hadn’t set a goal for the 10k, other than to sign up for it and show up on race day. Maybe I would have been better at training if I had set a goal. Or maybe not. There are tons of excuses I could use, but that won’t get me any closer to where I want to be. I just gotta keep my eye on the prize and do better from here on out.

That being said, it’s time I set myself a goal so I have something to strive for – and kick my butt over when I don’t reach it. So, here goes: run 5k distance without stopping for a walk and to finish in under 1hr 15 minutes. Given that this is my first 10k, I don’t have much to set a time goal on other than doubling my 5k time and adding some additional minutes. Hmm, good thing about these goals is they can feed off each other – if I stop for a walk in the first 5k, then I’ll have to run more and faster in the second half to reach the time goal. Yeah, I like it, this should work.

There is one positive from the runs I have done – I’ve been working on changing my stride and pace. I realized that soon into my run, my stride was getting really short, almost like a walk. The first four minutes of my recent runs, I’ve gone all out, really focusing on lengthening my stride while keeping my previous pace. When I start to get tired, I’m working on keeping the longer stride while slowing my pace. I don’t know if this is good running technique or not, but this should do more to improve my stamina and muscles than shuffling along.

18 days and counting…

Ready or not, I’m committed now – I just registered for the Flying Pig 10K!

As I mentioned in my goals, I wanted to do three 5Ks or one 10K this year. I decided there’s no time like the present to start reaching for that goal, and I might as well shoot for the moon while I’m at it! While I have been playing some sports over the winter (and Rock Band – hey, it’s a form of exercise, at least the way I play! ), I haven’t had a good multi-mile run since last fall (I hate running in the cold), so I’m a bit out of shape and will need to get on the training if I’m going to run the distance. The good thing is that I’ve maintained my weight since last year, so I’ll be able to pick right back up where I left off. The extra incentive of now being financially invested should help motivate me to start running sooner rather than later… I’m still working on the specific goals for the 10K, such as time to finish, how much I’m going to allow myself to walk, etc., but the big step of signing up for it is now done at least.

I have two marathoner-friends that may stoop down to my level and run it with me…anyone else care to join us?

Oink, oink!

My second Redlegs Run for Home 5K Race was this morning.

Unofficial Time: 30:19 [UPDATE: Official Time - 30:19]

So close! My goal was to run it in less than 30 minutes, but my time was close enough to make me happy, and it is a personal best. This time is also 3 minutes faster than the Flying Pig 5K a month ago and beats my time from last year. Considering I didn’t train as much as I should have during the past month, I’m very happy with the results!

My running partner wasn’t able to make it (she volunteered to help out at the event instead), so I was on my own this time. I knew that in order to reach my goal, I was going to have to push myself hard, harder than I have previously. My pace for the Flying Pig 5K was slow, since my goal then was only to run the entire distance and I knew I needed to conserve my energy to do that. Having a time goal this go-round meant that I couldn’t take a leisurely jog, but needed to up the pace right from the start. I did just that, finishing mile 1 in 10 minutes, 30 seconds faster than the first Flying Pig mile. Mile 2 was what gave me problems previously, and the same was the case today. I started struggling some, but pushed through it and had a pleasant surprise waiting for me at the mile 2 sign – I had run it in 9 minutes!!! Wow, I couldn’t believe that! Talk about a shot of adrenaline. My second mile at the Flying Pig was around 11 minutes, I think. I don’t know how I managed to do so much better, but at that point I realized the goal was in sight.

A few tenths into mile 3, I took a walk break. This was actually a planned break. I could have kept going, but based on my slow last miles at previous runs, I thought taking a little break would help me refuel for the end. There were a couple of people that were running my pace who went on ahead, and I noticed that even though I was walking, I really wasn’t losing much ground or time. Interesting observation, especially since I ended up passing them later. Taking a walk break may actually help, at least until I get my stamina up to keep the same pace throughout.

Once again, I had just enough in reserve to sprint some at the end, but not quite enough to get to the finish in under 30 minutes. I didn’t have quite as much energy left this time since I had pushed myself harder earlier on, so my sprinting wasn’t near as fast or long as it was at the end of the Pig. Crossing the finish line in the stadium was once again an awesome experience. I was exhausted, but it was a good exhausted, a hard day’s work exhausted, which is something I was missing at the end of the Pig, since I held back too much then and had a lot of energy left over. Not this time though. Three minutes faster! Woohoo!

I was a little worried about the weather at first – the rain and the heat. It figures that we haven’t had rain in weeks, but on race morning it started coming down pretty good. Thankfully, the rain, which didn’t last too long, stayed south of the river, so it wasn’t a factor. The overcast skies and early start time made for a great 72° start temp, which is perfect!

All in all, it was a great day for a run and I was happy with the results. Next up: I’m thinking about the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in September. After that, it’s time to kick it up a notch and get ready for the Flying Pig 10K next May.

And now it’s nap time…

The Redlegs Run for Home 5K Race is fast approaching! The race is this coming Sunday. My goal this time is to finish in under 30 minutes. This is doable, but it will be tough since I haven’t trained as much as I should have lately. I haven’t had much time after work during the week and it’s been hot, so I haven’t been able to improve my mile time much since the Flying Pig 5K earlier this month. I’ve been wanting to run in the morning, but the snooze button has won each time I’ve tried to get up early. The experience from my previous two 5Ks will definitely help, as well as the confidence I have from meeting my goals in both of them. My running partner has marathon experience, so she’ll be able to push me hard to reach this goal.

Wish me luck!

Woohoo! I did it! I reached my goal of running the entire 5K! Runner 24421 finished in a time of approximately 33:35. Not exactly a fast time, but that wasn’t my goal. My goal was to run the whole thing with no walking, and that was accomplished. Man, I’m feeling so good right now. I can’t help but give a shout of joy and exuberance!

Going into the race, I knew I needed to keep my own pace and from the start I did. Shortly after the start, I found someone who was going my pace and followed until about the 1 mile marker. She then stopped to walk and I was on my own. Mile 2 was the toughest for me, as the course was still going away from the finish, I was getting closer to my limit of endurance and I had to keep my own pace. Once I reached mile 2 marker, however, I knew I had it licked. That was a remarkable feeling to have. The last mile flew by and I even had enough energy at the end to sprint. That end-of-run adrenaline rush is a think of beauty! After finishing, I was feeling great and wasn’t completely exhausted like last time. I’m actually feeling like another run right now! I think I probably could have quickened my pace and still done okay. Something to work on…

I was pondering about the things that were different this time, the things that allowed me to run the entire distance, rather than stopping and walking as I had done before. Three things come to mind.

First, I had a better breakfast. Bananas and fruit this time – toast and milk last time. Take my advice and never have toast and milk before a run. That’s all I had around the house then, and I knew I needed to eat, but it would have been better to stop somewhere before the race. This time, I made sure I was stocked up on better food and drink and it definitely helped.

Second, I had music this time around. My Shuffle kept me company and kept my mind off of running for portions of the route. Boomin’ by tobyMac got the energy pumping at the start.

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Lastly, I had more confidence coming into the event. The 28-minute continuous run I had a few weeks ago was a huge confidence booster, and I knew at that point that I had it in me. Confidence is a huge factor when it comes to keeping yourself going at those moments when you want to stop.

Thanks to Jeremy for coming out and doing the 5K with me!

Next up? I’m thinking about doing the Redlegs 5K again and getting my time under 30mins. After that… My brother is trying to talk me into doing the half-marathon in NashVegas next year. Yeah, we’ll have to see about that…

Time for a nap and then I’m going out to celebrate. Woohoo!

[UPDATE: Officials times were posted. I came in at 33:30.]