Peachtree Road Race 10K Recap

 

It's been a bit of a tradition in our household to run the BolderBoulder each year. The race is the United State's second largest 10K, topping out at about 55,000 runners. The course is fun, the crowd is always awesome and the weather is generally awesome (It's Memorial Day weekend). Well this year since we were all the way in Georgia we decided that there would be no BolderBoulder. Instead I decided to try out the largest 10K in the states--the Peachtree Road Race. Let me tell you, there was some poking and prodding to get me to sign up for this. The Peachtree happens on July 4th, in Atlanta. There are over 60,000 runners--all sweating their way to the finish line! Every time I hear about this race--I hear that it is incredibly fun, but in the back of my mind I keep thinking "Dudes, it's Atlanta, in July--hot and humid...are you nuts!?"

Anyways, this year has been basically a theme of pushing myself to try new things so I figured, "hey, I tried fried okra, and liked that--might as well try this race and see how that goes too." I entered the lottery to get into the race in March, waited anxiously and then in April found out I was in the sub-seeded or second wave. Realizing that I had a good 3 months to prepare for this diddy I set a few goals (finish, finish in the top 100 for women and get a decent time for the amount of time I have to run right now and finish in the top 10 for my age group)


So, fast forward to race day. The hubs and I drove up to Atlanta the night before and stayed at our favorite Bed and Breakfast--the Social Goat. I highly recommend this establishment as a place to stay when visiting Atlanta. It's in the heart of historic Inman Park, steps away from the zoo, a huge park, the baseball stadium, and a number of good bars and restaurants. It's a perfect example of an urban farm (yes, there are animals!)--and the B&B is comfortable and cozy. The owner Kristie and her partner are super nice and knowledgeable about all things Atlanta. Plus, it's close to a MARTA station--good for us on this trip since we needed to trek on down to Lennox mall to the start of the race.

On race morning the hubs and I got up early--5am early, put on my super duper race outfit:

Super Duper Race Outfit

got to the MARTA and traveled with our fellow racers--and about three regular people down to the start.  First stop: the bathrooms. Nice bathrooms, long lines. Something I'll never understand is that I saw a LOT of people in very late corrals in line before me--like a "Y" corral trotting on into the bathroom..it was 6:30 AM--their start wave was predicted at 8:45! Sleep in! Come a little later--poop in the comfort of your home! Maybe they just wanted to be part of the action.

With the bathrooms out of the way I pinned on my number, and got up to my wave. I started feeling a little nervous as the announcer started telling us every minute we had until start time, but I just kept focusing on what I needed to do--stay relaxed at the start--remember what I'd read about the course: down hill the first 3, then a hard hill at four, and rolling through 6.

The gun went off and off we went...within a couple seconds one person dropped a roll of $20 bills on the ground! I mean like probably $200. People started trampling to get the money and while I saw it..I was also afraid of getting stepped on, so unfortunately it was someone elses lucky day!

I got going on the course and just like they said, deep downhill the first three. It felt easy and relaxed, which is good but also I felt like means to also hold steady and remember what is coming ..we got to the 5K and I looked at my watch and was surprised to see that I was at around 19 min for the 5K. In a position for a pretty  good time! I could feel the urge to start to push coming over me--and then I saw it..This hill, I think they actually call it Cardiac Hill. A big descent probably about a quarter of a mile. This was a push that required my good old cue words "Not fast but steady, not fast but steady" all the way up. I felt like I conquered the hill but paid the price on the pace just a bit.

4-6 were good miles, rolling hills--nice pace..

I actually ended up accomplishing all my goals for the race--top 70 for women, top 10 in age group and I got a better time than I expected. In the end I got done and I was thinking to myself I had more to give, but wasn't exactly sure where I was at--so I played it safe and smart the entire way. In my "training" I've really just been hammering out runs--no real structured workouts to gauge where I'm at. Half the time I don't even wear my Garmin, I just go by feel...so I basically guessed a goal time.


Here's what my thoughts on the race itself.
Good organization with water stops, lots of fans, good corral set up and enough bathrooms etc. The course is point to point so it's hard for fans--The hubs missed me at every single point and was racing along in the MARTA to even try to get to the finish line. Basically you have to split up and decide that your fans are going to be at the end or the beginning.  You could station them at the end--and they could push into the course (say mile 5) and then get to mile 6 to see you, but don't think they will be able to see you start and finish. No way--unless you have a bike. We are strongly considering this.

The course is pretty fun. I liked the descent at the beginning and then the rolling hills--also the way it went through Atlanta--and not the crappy parts either. I liked that it was point to point and I actually enjoyed that it was challenging. It kept me engaged the entire time. I thought that was great. 

Maybe I missed it but I saw the mile markers at 2 miles and 5K--NO WHERE ELSE. I literally thought I was finishing when I came upon the HUGE overhead photographer station which apparently is located at mile 6 (not labeled btw)..this resulted in a great picture of me (finally breaking 40 min hooray!) then realizing wtf, I'm not actually done! I was passed the station at that point-- I wish they had gotten that memorable moment. In short--no clearly labeled mile markers makes Cody very confused and unhappy.

Confusing finish area. I *think* there was some sort of corporate party area..this wasn't clearly labeled. We got lots of peaches and ice cream--then left. At the BB everything is clearly labeled--plus you get a tee shirt AND a lunch bag. ::Shrug:: I really missed the lunch bag this year :(

This guy--Made the race:

Peaches and Sweat!

As I predicted the weather was warm and damp. I was quite moist at the end of the race as was everyone else around me. I cannot imagine how the people in later waves must have felt.  It wasn't horrible though--and 60,000 people must think it's okay..when you go through the numbers--it is a TON of local people. All these Georgians running this race. They obviously haven't gotten the memo about Atlanta in July ;D.

Oh. Afterwards we went to Fox Bros BBQ--it is one of the best BBQ places I have ever been to.

 
The entire trip was really fun! In short. I would recommend and repeat this race! 

Georgia Runnin'!

Greetings from Georgia! It's been a busy last week since we first took off for the Peach State. We rented a house, have gotten to know our new town--including tasting "local" food such as barbeque, skillet apples, and fried fish, and we even took a tiny road trip up to Atlanta! Oh, and I also started my new job, found a local running store and group, and did some exploring on my feet.

So, what's it been like so far? well--the barbecue is good: exhibit A: here I am tearing into some ribs on our first night in town. Yum, yum! Note to self though: the barbecue is good but it's also filling. This is not a place you can eat at every night, especially when they serve sides like delicious skillet apples.

Atlanta is not too far away and it's pretty neat. We took a quick trip there to pick up our car, and then we went to Zoo Atlanta. Zoo Atlanta was Zoo Awesome in a few ways. My favorite things were the gorilla exhibit, and the panda exhibit.

The panda exhibit had four pandas--a mom, dad, baby, and juvenile. Here's the dad, Zing Zing. He was super awesome, he came right up to the window and was checking us out, then he got up for a closer look--and I died from panda over load!

So now you know a little bit about what I've seen and eaten since arriving in Georgia, but what about running!? Well running has been--interesting to say the least. Here are the good things:
1) I've been able to get in three good runs. Two nearby my work. I work in an area that is pretty conducive to the running. It's nice, safe and there are quite a few areas to run in--including the ability to connect onto this really long running path that goes for about 10 MILES from my work!

2) I was able to connect with a group from the local running store for one morning run. More social runners! They were all really nice and also there were quite a few that were running in the pace that was good for me, which was nice.

I'm hoping to be able to meet up with some of the people from this running group for a long run Saturday morning as well.

3) I've located a few running paths that are close to our new home--and they literally go for 15-20 miles. They are pretty scenic, and you can also ride a bike alongside for bike-runs. We also found a neat park that is HUGE that has some running trails all through it--I guess the trails add up to about 10-12 miles--which is again not too shabby.

The bad:

1) My goal was to run 5 days this week. It will most likely be 4

2) Remember the path I told you about? Well it has varying levels of safety and security. This is an issue that is going to be anywhere you are--even Colorado, but I guess it really can be an issue here. I have been expressly told "DO NOT RUN AT NIGHT--EVER." I have also been told that parts of this path can be dangerous. Which makes me kind of sad...keep reading for more information on this topic.

3) This town is low on the bike and pedestrian lanes. As in, you could get swiped off the road. So, you could *possibly* run in the evening--on the side of the populated roads--but again that's dangerous. ::Insert another sad face here:::







3) These two factors make me sad for two specific reasons: After work I'd like to be able to come home, throw on my shoes and go for a run. But--it's in the evening. Thus making the bike path a dangerous option (no one wants to be robbed you know) and the roads dangerous (don't wanna be hit by a bus either). It's made getting to know the running options a bit difficult in the first week.

4) Finally, did anyone know that Georgia can have huge thunderstorms that last for hours and have the potential to morph into a tornado? I didn't know that. This actually happened this week and resulted in tornadoes that destroyed a lot of areas of the South and South East.

The way that I feel right now is that I know that running is important to me for a number of reasons, and it's a bit frustrating to have not been able to get in runs the way I want--and some of these things feel like excuses to me. However at the same time, I try to remember that this is also a time of pretty big transition in a number of ways, and I am working to manage ALL the changes. It's difficult to not harp on myself and get mired in negative self-talk because I haven't reached my weekly running goal. In the same vein, when negative self-talk arises, I remind myself of exactly all the changes that are going on, the positive things I have accomplished in running and in other areas, and to be kind to myself regarding my runs. I have tried to analyze the issues with the runs and look at what the controllables and un-controllables are for each one--and see if there are things I can change to increase my ability to get in more quality runs--and then see what is really an excuse and what I can change.

Here's what I came up with:
My solution to a lot of these issues is a multi-pronged approach (because I won't be defeated):
1) Running in the early morning, with a group--that actually worked out really well--and I also like being done with the run in the morning. It solves about 90% of these problems.
2) Finding a gym
3) Running near my work
4) Working to get to know my town better to try to find safer routes. They must be somewhere!

What I can say about this week and running is that it has been a week of trial and error. I know it's something that I have to work to settle into. New place, new home, new schedule. I have found that what I want to do is keep up my old running schedule because it provides comfort and familiarity, but it's difficult when I feel a bit displaced right now--nothing feels quite like "Home" yet! It's hard to be patient, and to know that I'll be settled in eventually--sooner than it sometimes feels and that there are a lot of things I can do to be able to still work towards my immediate, short and long term goals.

So hard...to say goodbye...

Busy day!! The blog time line is a bit messed up, and I keep wanting to use a ridiculous time machine analogy. I'm not sure if that works or not (imagine me sitting here scratching my head and trying really hard not to go off and find pictures of Michael J. Fox right now) or if it's just cheesy.
To bring it to the present TODAY we are heading off to Georgia! Next week is my first week of work, and we are going a bit early to get set up and find a house. It's of course a beautiful morning outside and as I sit here, I'm feeling sad to leave but excited to see what's ahead.

I think I'm feeling a mixture of two songs so I'll leave you with those:




A little bit of Florence---you know, the dog days are over and it's time to run towards the future...preferably I'll have amazing red hair and blue people with drums following me.

I'm also feeling a little bit old school:



Nothing like Boyz To Men saying it's hard to say goodbye. It is hard to say goodbye! I'll miss Colorado, my friends and my family..and the good times that made us laugh.

I will miss Colorado, but it will still be here. It always has and it will always be my home, and everything I have done here has gotten me ready to go to Georgia and experience it has to offer.

So, here we go--time get moving and see what Georgia has to offer!

Extra! Extra!

I come to this blog post bearing news! As is been pretty evident, the blog has been quiet over the last month, with nary more than the race recap. In order to get you all caught up, we'll go back to the beginning of October, so step into to my time machine and off we go!

First stop--Rock n' Roll half marathon, or the beginning of the month. I had applied for a variety of jobs, ranging from research assistant positions to mental health positions to a really good opportunity doing sport psychology mental skills with different types of companies. Along with hard running training there was also hard career networking going on. At the beginning of the month I landed an interview for a position teaching mental skills at a specific company!

Imagine me doing a little happy dance, but also doing a fair amount of preparation to kick some butt. I traveled to San Jose, raced, then turned around and traveled to the interview, did my very best, and came home and waited to see what might happen.....

A week went by and life was continuing on. During this time I was also still running AND still recovering from the Stage Five Clinger cold. I had a couple mediocre practices and was recovering from the half marathon. Finally, in the evening after a good workout--one in which I finally felt awesome, and was having a great time with my teammates--I returned to my car to a message: one that told me the good news that I also got the job! I sat in the car, feeling a mixture of emotions: happy, sad, scared...a lot of choices now weighed on me and my husband!

The next day, I found out more about the job, including a huge factor: this job required a move. We wouldn't know where exactly unless and until I received an offer. I listened on the phone as they made the offer...and said where we would be going...Georgia. Wow. Speaking of a change. My husband and I had to weigh many options...In one hand...we love Colorado, the lifestyle, our friends, and family. My husband is in school...We didn't know anything about Georgia except it was in the South! On the other hand, an amazing job and opportunity, in a new place--a new adventure.

We needed time to talk it over and make the decision....To make this story simple, after much discussion, and weighing as many options as we could, we decided that we should take a leap of faith and move to Georgia!

So. There you have it! We are making a very big and very exciting change in our lives! Within the past month we have already begun transitioning, telling our friends, saying goodbye, packing up and getting ready for this new adventure. All the while I have also been running!

The next few blog posts will help catch up the blog on our move--and how I have kept up on running while making the transition! It's an exciting time so hopefully you find these next few blogs interesting!

Long overdue--Race Review--San Jose Rock n' Roll half!

Wow, it's been busy month with no blog updates! For the record, I have been busy--which also for the record means that means there has been blog fodder, I've just been both choosy about posting as well as--too busy to post!

On October 1st-3rd my race support-AKA my husband and I traveled out to San Jose, CA for the Rock n' Roll half marathon. I'd been seriously looking forward to this race, and had a goal in mind to run a 1:20-1:21 half. I had been feeling pretty good, prepared and excited to go. The course was flat and fast, a bunch of my teammates were going as well as my coach who was ready to help pace a small group of us to around this time. It seemed like a perfect storm for good runnin.'

Well sometimes when you predict a perfect storm you get one--but not what you had envisioned you know?

A week before the race I also went up to Breckenridge, with the team for a weekend of running and bonding. It was a pretty fun weekend, but by the end..something wasn't right. I came home and my throat had that scratchy feeling, I had a headache, aches, pains--and a pit in my stomach. The pit that told my brain.."You might be sick." By Monday I knew it was true and I was rushing to the doctor. It turned out I had a pretty nasty cold..and all I could do was rest, rest, rest and try to get better (Check 1 in the minus box)

I ran less--no working out, nothing extra (no weights or plyos) and tried to get better..but the cold started rearing it's ugly head at night, making sleeping hard (check 2 in the minus box).

The husband and I talked about our options--including not going, but I still wanted to race--and I thought I could run through the cold. So Saturday came and off we flew to San Jose--and by then I was at least a bit better. In my mind I was still telling myself that my goal time of 1:20-1:21 was realistic.

We arrived in San Jose, I did the pre-race routine and run with my team--and felt okay, as ready as I could...and still telling myself my goal was realistic.

Sunday came, the race started and I ran the first 3-4 miles at the 1:20 pace (6:15). Right away the race felt really fast, and really hard. Generally speaking I know how to settle in, run a little slower at the beginning and pick it up in the later miles. Right from the start it felt HARD. I felt disjointed, that it was struggle and out of control. The concept of "Settling in" was non-existent. Not only that, usually where my music helps me get in the groove (literally) it was distracting me. By mile 5 I was actually asking myself if I should stop..which is just odd. Even stranger was that at the 5 K I had run 19 min, which isn't horrible and on pace, and at 10K I was 39 min, which again is on pace, but it felt as though I was doing HORRIBLE.

The upside was until about mile 7, I was running with another teammate and she was helping a lot, I knew we both had similar goals and unfortunately we were both struggling--which sucks but at least we were together. I thank her for her support in the slog.

By 8.5 miles I knew something was just off--and I actually STOPPED. I had to pull over, and have a personal talk with myself. I honestly had to re-evaluate what was going on...and let go of my goal. It absolutely sucked to have to stop to do that...and I'll be honest here--I've never done that before, so I'm not sure how I would do this again without stopping--but it cost me a lot of TIME in the race--so I've spent some time asking myself and thinking about how to re-evaluate mid-race, if this happens again.

I started running again, and rolled into the finish at my new pace of 6:30-40. I ended up officially running a 1:27--but take out my stop and I ran a 1:25.

As I finished I also realized my feet were hurting. A lot. After the finish, I took off my shoes to find three huge blister covering my feet.

I hobbled over to the "medical tent" ( I use this term lightly as the "medical help" I received included a dry paper towel--they weren't prepared for blisters--at a huge road race--go RnR).


I sat down, and immediately got a migraine. I think the term "For the Win," is probably appropriate here.

I have had migraines since I was a kid and it's always a possibility that I will get one but I rarely get one at or during races--given that so much was going wrong, including the inability to concentrate and settle in, the "distracting" component of the music and the fact that I got the headache about 5 min after finishing I honestly feel the migraine was right there--and I feel so, so lucky I didn't get it DURING the race. I would have freaked out. I also think that the migraine in combination with the cold obviously pretty much hampered my ability to perform at my best.

Honestly it sucks to go and want to do your best, and then things just start going wrong, but I also feel as though I learned some pretty valuable lessons:

1) Goals are flexible for a reason--seriously don't be afraid (or stubborn) about re-evaluating them! I hardly ever get sick, and I didn't understand how much things like lack of sleep and "illness" can sap it out of you when you try to race. I know it sounds naive, but when I get sick it's strep or flu--where it totally knocks me out completely and I didn't really know how to readjust. I thought I could just push through. Um. No, I actually couldn't. If I had been more realistic and also kinder to myself, and said, "hey new goals are run strong, and run 1:25, and have fun," I think it would have been a lot more realistic and also fun.

2) Remember the good: I imagined a different outcome, but some stuff went wrong and that didn't happen. I still ran a 1:27 (1:25!) and I got 3rd in my age group...and I would be willing to guess I'm in pretty good shape. That's how I'm looking at it!

3) Learn to be present and non-judgmental: Okay so I'm working on this one! A lot of times when I'm running if I'm not feeling it--even if it's just hard, or I'm tired or sore, I will totally start saying things like, "Why's it so HARD!?" "Why am I so SLOW!?" "What's going on!?" And then inevitably start pushing harder and harder and harder--forcing the run. This also happened in the race. Sometimes, that pace is just what your body needs to go--for whatever reason--and this concept of telling myself that this is where I'm at today, and it's okay...and then for instance looking at the scenery or enjoying that place or even just going with it and not beating myself up=super hard. This also refers to an ability to re-evaluate goals. In closing, flexibility, and releasing the Type A!


So, there you have it a bit of a blog update with a Rock n, Roll San Jose, with lessons learned.

What races have you done lately?

Has everything gone as you envisioned or have you had to re-evaluate?

How did you do it if you did have to re-evaluate?

Where does motivation "come from?"

Recently a faithful reader suggested that I put a "button" on the blog so that if you had a question, you could email me with your question, and I could answer it or blog about it. I've never made a button before, but after doing some googling, I figured out the html code and walla! If you take a quick glance to your far right--there is now a cute envelope "Button" that you can click and you can email me! Pretty nifty huh.

A little while after I put up the cool envelope, my very first blog email arrived! It was pretty exciting. Kind of like when you get a package in the mail--but more virtual. So maybe a little less thrilling than a real package.
(source)

Anyways, the question this lovely reader had was a training and motivation question.
They found that they have two modes: Training and not training. When they know they have a race coming up, they are motivated and focused, but when the race is over, they have found it's hard to get out there and get their runs done. They wanted to know "How do you stay motivated when you aren't training for something specific?"

I would say this is a pretty common question. But, perhaps another question to ask is,
"What is motivation?"

Motivation is an area that is highly researched. A quick search on my college library of the term "motivation," puts out over 60,000 journal article results! I narrowed down the results to sports and motivation and got it down to a more reasonable 571 journal articles, but as you can see--if you want to know more about this subject there is a lot of research out there and ongoing.

Self-Determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000) proposes that motivation can be intrinsic or extrinsic in nature. Intrinsic motivation can be described as coming solely from within and is not affected by any external rewards. It's really just the pure internal joy you get from the activity. Intrinsic motivation comes in three forms:

1) Motivation to know (The joy you get from learning)
2) Motivation to surpass YOURSELF (Motivation to run a little further than you did the day before)
3) Motivation for aesthetic and sensory pleasure (Running on a new trail or route) (Vallerand, 2004).
I like to think of intrinsic motivation as your personal motivation-it's like the little core of light inside...You know how E.T. had that little beam of light that showed his heart--and it glowed with love? That's what I think of when I think of intrinsic motivation. I know it's weird but it really helps me make the distinction.

When a person is extrinsically motivated they derive their motivation from an external source. It's not just the pure pleasure driving them (Vallerand, 2004). If you get out and run because you are looking for the "rewards," that is external motivation. Fame is external, but so is weight loss or getting first place in your age group. I think of extrinsic motivation as anything that really is not the little glowing light. It's all the things outside me that push me and get me going to run--but it's NOT the little light.

Extrinsic motivation can be a tricky thing because it can end up reading as pressure and actually drive down motivation and performance....BUT! When an athlete perceives it in another way--extrinsic motivation can have a positive motivation on performance. See how it's kind of confusing? I thought so too at first.

Extrinsic motivation has been found to be self-determined or non-self-determined (Mageau & Vallerand, 2003).
Translation: If the person has accepted that those external reasons for doing the activity are their own.. then that extrinsic motivation is self-determined--and that's good..basically--It's their choice!

Non self-determined motivation happens when an athlete feels pressure or guilt to do the activity. This can happen because of a coach, or they feel internal guilt ("Gah, why am I missing so many workouts!!?" "I HAVE to workout" )

What you want is to foster the little intrinsic motivation "light" and that self-determined external motivation.

So. Now that I've *hopefully* gotten you thinking about what motivation is (but possibly confused you!)..
We are back to the
"HOW do I stay motivated when I don't have a race to focus my training on?"

Remember a few seconds ago where you read that it's important to foster your intrinsic motivation and your self-determined extrinsic motivation? No--well I just said it again to remind you and I put it in the bold :)

When you get done with your training, and the race is done...how do you continue?

Here are some suggestions:
1) Take a break: Yep. I said it. One way to look at training is a cycle, and within that cycle you have periods in which you build up the intensity both in terms of mileage and in workouts--then you enter a race phase--and then you wind down, and you rest. Rest is good. It's good for your body and your soul. If you have spent 12-16 weeks (or longer) preparing for a big race--take some down time and don't run. Do other things and enjoy the time off! Full on rest and recovery
(source)

helps prevent injury and burnout and it's an important part of the training cycle.
I'm not sure why, but in my own personal experience taking downtime has allowed me to rest and recover--but also remember my little light as to why I love running. It helps to miss it.

2) Explore your intrinsic motivation: Run for fun. Training for a race is an extrinsic motivator. When you aren't training--it's kinda down to the nitty gritty, asking yourself "WHY am I running?" Which can be kinda scary--if you love racing but hate just running--you might have to really work at some of these--and that can be HARD. But not training allows you to figure out what you love about the sport.
So--use this time to go out, and explore a new place--without the confines of "I gotta get in this much mileage!!" Or "I have to run this pace!" If a run is short but gorgeous, and you cleared your mind after a long day at work...well then. Good job.

3) Continue to set goals: goals don't always have to be based around a race. Goals can be short, medium and long term. Goals can set up your entire training plan (SMART goals) but a goal can also be very simple, "Today I will run 5 minutes longer than I did yesterday." or "today I will run up this hill I've never done before." These are extremely short term--almost immediate goals that are achievable and make the run interesting--and worth celebrating. I still remember the time I decided on a run in San Diego that I was going to run up a giant hill...I worked my way to the top and was rewarded with a gorgeous night view of Pacific Beach and the ocean. I wasn't "training" and usually balked at the hill--turning around, but this night I decided, "Why not?" It was so worth it.

4) Get creative with your workouts:

• Try leaving your watch at home to run for fun--be mindful of the environment, your breathing and tune into your thoughts--and the feeling of the run.
• Try running at a different time--I know this can be hard with schedules, but if you run in the evenings--try a morning or vice versa. The weekend is a great time to try this out.
  
• Continue to challenge yourself--throw in speed or a hill or two into your runs. You aren't "training" so make it up--just don't be a loon and kill yourself--that is my disclaimer (okay--know thyself and what thyself can handle-there)
  

5) Do more than run. Being active is important! If there is another activity you would like to do--and you aren't feeling the run--do it. Cycling, skiing, swimming, soccer, ultimate frisbee, rock climbing, golf..the list goes on and on. It might be tempting to stay on the couch--but ask yourself "What else can I do instead of a run--for 20-30 minutes today?" And do that.

6) Race occasionally: It's okay if you aren't in your tip top shape every time you go to a race. You can use races for all kinds of practice. You can use them for a fun workout, a social occasion, or a way to practice other important skills. Try out a shorter distance. Go to a race with a goal to focus on your pre-race physical and mental routine--and evaluate how that goes. It's tempting to focus on the time as all that matters at races, but it's perfectly acceptable and good practice to focus on the process of the race--and celebrate that, because when you are ready to race again--those skills you practiced will be there for you to call upon.

A race is actually an external motivator. When it's over, the question becomes "Why am I running?" When you aren't training for a race it can actually be a special time. Time to rest and recover, have fun and switch up workouts and do more than focus on running and time goals.

What are some ways you stay motivated when you aren't training for a race?

Performance and Process goals to complete workouts

In the past month I have started running with a local training group and this has represented a bit of a new beginning for me. This group has been really great for me in a lot of ways. I really like the coach, he has a lot of knowledge about distance running and he does a great job of creating a fun and positive environment for the group.
I also am really liking the group members! Running with a group I think has been beneficial for me in a number of ways: 1) working with the group has helped me see where I am at in terms of my peers. I used to run alone a fair amount, and I really wouldn't be able to tell exactly where I was until I was racing, and that seemed to add a bit more pressure to the actual race. Working out with others allows me to see where I am in a practice situation, where the pressure is low; 2) in the same vein working out with the group helps push me. There are people in the group who are the same pace as me and of course faster than me. They all help me get the most from the workouts. I think it's important to have internal motivation, but that extra little healthy competitive push from your peers is great too! 3) Working out in the group lets me practice mental skills on the regular. For instance, I practice composure and focus to maintain the pace I know I need to do in order to complete workouts--rather than get caught up in a competitive moment and go too fast--and then not be able to finish the entire set or worse--the workout! This translates into the composure and focus on pacing at races. I love that I get to practice this now!

The last, and best thing about the group is that they are all really nice people, who are all encouraging and welcoming. I've enjoyed getting to know them in the past month and am looking forward to getting to know them better as time goes on. They all have a lot of knowledge to share on topics running related and not running related and that's been great learning about them.

I also appreciate that the group members can give good ideas for how to handle tough workouts.




This morning we met for a workout that consisted of a 4 Kilometer run at half marathon pace, followed by rest, then 2x 2Kilometers at 10K pace. Admittedly I went into this workout with the mindset of "hold on to the group," and running a specific pace for each repeat. This workout felt pretty difficult and the mentality of "just hold on," was pretty strong. With this type of mentality there really isn't much of a process either. It becomes almost more of an outcome of just finishing.

We completed the first 4K and the first 2K. After the first 2K, during the rest, one of my teammates mentioned that he had set a time goal for the first 2K repeat. Oddly, I hadn't even looked at my watch for the first repeats to see what my total times were, I was completely focused on finishing and what my pace was..the coach asked what my time was and I responded with a brilliant, "huh?" I decided to set a time goal as a performance goal for the final repeat, and see how that felt. My time goal was to finish in 7:30-7:40, with a goal to push the final 500 meters to the finish. We started out, and focusing on the overarching total time as something to shoot for really seemed to help. Suddenly I had more of a purpose it seemed. As I approached the final 500 meters, I reminded myself of my process goal to kick the final 500, and I used some cue words, telling myself "speed's the thing," to push to the finish. This actually worked! I dropped my pace in the final 500, and I made the time! 7:35 for the last 2K. What I really loved was that my teammate made this offhand comment, but it was so incredibly helpful.

Sometimes, it seems easy to get caught up in one way of doing something--or even worse kind of going through the motions. This can be heightened when you work out alone. In a way it can make you a bit inflexible--and can limit you. In this case I really had only thought of MY way of doing things (going by pace) and didn't think any other way was possible. It made me start to slog through the workout. Having other people around doing the workout with me not only provided that automatic social support (it's always nice to hear someone say, "good job," or "keep going!" and return the favor), but also when someone in the group--even in the offhand mentions a different perspective of how to get through a tough workout it really can change the outcome. In this particular workout, I never would have thought about focusing on a simple, short term performance goal, coupled with another simple process goal, but I'm so glad my workout partner had that idea and shared it!



What are some of the ways you get through tough workouts?


Do you workout alone or with a group?

What do you see are the benefits of your style of working out?

Race Review: Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half-Marathon

On Saturday I raced in the Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half-Marathon. This race is one of my favorite races for a number of reasons. I like the course. It's a net downhill and it starts and ends in pretty places. The course itself runs along a frontage road along Clear Creek which is also creates nice scenery and because of the net downhill there is an opportunity to get a relatively fast time despite the fact that you are starting at an elevation of approximately 8500 feet and ending at an elevation of approximately 7000 feet.

This year was also fun because some of my friends came up and also did the race, which is always a fun time. My friend Lauren who is awesome came, and she brought her friends Emily, who I've done a couple runs with and her other friend LeeAnn who is also really nice and is training for a marathon. Emily's boyfriend ran, and Lauren's boyfriend Tim and LeeAnn's husband Ken and of course my husband Trent were all on the cheer squad. So this wasn't one of those lonely races where you just show up, do everything alone and then sadly come home. This was basically a small party. It was awesome.

Trent and I got up early to drive the hour and a half up to Georgetown. We had time to make one quick stop in Idaho Springs for a bathroom and coffee stop at Starbucks. I'd like to give a shout out to this Starbucks and their nice, clean, single stall bathroom. I think you contributed to a great race.

The race started at 8AM sharp, and we arrived about 7:10--which was plenty of time to do a 2 mile warm up, pin on my number, and start to feel appropriately nervous (Read: I kept telling Trent, "I'm about to throw up," to which he responded with eye-rolls and asking why given that distance running is not an adrenaline sport). During the warm up I also practiced some mental skills, mainly self-talk, telling myself I was ready, reminding myself to be controlled at the start, and that I knew the course and what to do. I saw Lauren and Emily and we finished our warm up together. It was interesting because I told them I'm always afraid the gun will go off and I'll just be standing there! Like I forgot how to run (external self-talk) and Emily said she was afraid she'd just run out and run 10 min miles or something. Even though we both had these external negative self-talk moments, we both ended the conversations positively by saying that this had actually never happened. I always started running when the gun went off, and Emily had always started at right pace for her--so we refuted our negative thoughts.

I had some pretty specific goals for this race:

1) Start near the front--okay so you probably won't see my little face in the "Start" promo picture but you know, a few rows back...

2) Time goal: 1:23-1:25=6:20-6:30 mile pace

3) Be controlled and conservative in the first 3 miles--in a half marathon you can make up time, but your can't get the first few miles back so if you blow those out you really risk the rest of your race

4) Finish strong in the final mile. The final mile of this race has consistently been hard for me (as in I've been pretty sure I was going to die and I dropped the pace so I wanted to do better here)

We all lined up together to start--and as for Goal #1--being in the group of people actually helped a lot. Lauren, Emily, LeeAnn, Emily's boyfriend--we kind of made such a big group it was easy to be like, "Hey we're here...and we're in the front.." Goal accomplished.

The gun went off and off I went...for the first mile I ran about a 6:35-6:40. You a loop around the outskirts of Georgetown and it's a wee bit hilly so again conservation is the key here. Ironically enough at 1.5 miles I saw a girl laying on the side of the road grabbing her leg and screaming in pain--clearly with some sort of cramp. She was way in front of me and I can only think she had been running pretty fast. Remember what I said about running conservative in the first three miles? Thank goodness we were still near the ambulance.

I was feeling pretty good and having a fun time, the first two miles are cool because you loop back through the start and everyone is cheering for you--including the cheer squad.

As we left Georgetown I was starting to get my groove. My "mental plan or routine," that I had set my mind to was simply consistency counts, control, and positive self-talk. I had some cue words to work with and I really locked into those.

For miles 3-5, it seemed pretty consistent that I was about 6:20-6:30 pace which was right on. This part of the course rolls a fair amount. It has some nice longer downhills combined with some flats and even some shorter gradual uphills.

I hit the halfway (10K) mark at around 41 minutes which I was comfortable with. Actually, I was pretty happy with it, considering it's a better time than I ran at the BolderBoulder--and it's in a race heehee. This course is sort of interesting because if you are locked into checking your Garmin consistently, the mile markers and the Garmin don't match up. For instance my 10K mark was about 30-45 seconds before the course had marked the 10K. This was consistent up until mile 10, where both my Garmin and the mile marker were right on. The only thing I can think of is I was cris-crossing the course--and the mile markers are placed as if you ran the course from point to point--NOT crossing the road etc. etc.

Right at 10K I also whipped out my mid-race snack. Raisins and some water. I choked down the raisins because I had to but all I can say is, they were pretty dry and thank goodness the water was there to help wash them down. I'm glad I ate them though because by about Mile 8, I definitely felt that little push!

Mile 7-8 are run on a little dirt path right down by Clear Creek. I think this is a really fun part of the race. It's kind of like cross-country here. The creek is right beside you, it's nice and wooded and shady, I really just like this part of the course. Interestingly here I was also firmly running in the 6:20's.

Mile 9-10 are the hardest parts of the race it seems. It was here that I sort of started thinking, "wow, I'm about ready to be done," and I had to keep following that up with "you're getting work done," and "you can do it. You're running your goal, don't stop now!" It was also about here that I met up with another lady. Until this point I had been mostly running with guys and also these guys had been pretty content to run with me or simply let me pass without too much of a fight...however as I started to move up closer to the faster women--they are all competitive, and they all worked like me to get to the front--let's just say these ladies aren't going down without a fight. For the rest of the race I was going to be running close by this lady...back to the race. Despite the fact that Mile 9 and 10 felt hard, I somehow managed to drop approximately 6:15's here--which I suppose is why they felt a little harder than my cruise pace of 6:20-6:25!

Mile 11 drops you down a consistent long hill, and again the pace was about 6:15. It's hard to not start to get excited for the end--it was also here that I was still consistently battling the lady..I'd pass her, it seemed like I dropped her but no--she'd suddenly pass me and run three steps in front of me--NOT dropping me--I'd run on her side (it's three steps why can't we work together?) but no, that didn't seem to work for her either--so I'd let her go and then she'd drop the pace again and I'd pass but not be able to drop her. To say it was frustrating was a bit of an understatement. This is part of racing, and it's an area where I really have to stay focused and practice composure. The temptation I suppose is to 1) either drop the pace off to lose her, but that can be a temporary solution when you still have between 2-4 miles to run (drop the pace too much and those last few minutes will suuckk--you risk them passing you back anyways) or drop the pace off and go slower and let them go--but again you risk your race--it's playing THEIR game. The only thing I could really do here was check the ole' Garmin, and realize I was still on my pace, and whatever she did was out of my control. It sounds so easy to do that. I did it but it wasn't exactly easy to just tune the lady out!

Mile 12--sweet mile 12--you turn this long sweeping corner and come into the town. The town has some rolling hills and in a running delusion they kinda make you want to cry...in the past I've really struggled on this last mile, but in this race--I came around the corner and firmly told myself, "here it is. Last mile. 6 min and 20 seconds. You can do anything for 6 min." I knew this because I've actually recently done some 6 min fartleks and didn't die, so I knew this to be true. I told myself, "6 min fartlek...let's go...you don't have to change anything now..just keep going.."
The next thing I knew it was 3 min to go and I was able to tell myself "3 min to go! You can do anything for 3 min--even work this hill." I felt pretty strong and actually smooth...

In this race you run basically a huge straight away to the finish and then turn a corner run 100 meters and there is the finish. So..that's what I did.

I ended up finishing the race on the gun time of 1:24:01, with my chip time being 1:23:54..That was a 4 minute PR for me! As I crossed the finish line I felt really happy--and really tired. Running is hard.
I ended up getting 7th overall, and 3rd in my age group.

I have a small confession to make..one other reason I really like this race is the trophies. Yep. I'm that person. I'm motivated by the external reward of the trophy.

But see--the trophies are these little gold pans that have a piece of fool's gold with a little carved stone big horn sheep on them. I've been close to winning one the past two years but no dice--finally--FINALLY this year I got one! It was a big moment for me.

Oh, and the lady--she was in front of me. We were running up on another girl and she got that girl too...I passed two guys--but couldn't catch either lady..what a bummer huh? Well. It was kinda a bummer, but in the end I still had a super fun time at the race--I felt like I achieved my goals, I got to run with my friends and I won my little gold pan!

As for a review of the "race." I think this race is pretty well managed overall. Last year I missed the start due to a combination of bad timing on my part and a serious lack of bathrooms on their part. They acknowledged that this was a problem and did a great job of having more bathrooms at the start this year...also as a result I learned a lot of lessons about pre-race routines..so yeah. Lesson learned there :). I think the course itself is really nice. I've heard a few people who don't like it--but I do. I like the downhills, I like the dirt path, I like running by the creek. It's on a frontage road and they completely close it off--it's totally safe and the entire road is yours. I really like that.

The course support is also pretty well done. There is water/powerade at miles 2,4,6, etc. The stations are run by different groups in the Clear Creek School district and you are supposed to pay attention to them--and then vote for your favorite at the end. The only one I remember was the Wrestling team--because they had a banner :/, but the idea is nice!

At the end of the race you go into the high school football field and they always have fresh watermelon, bagels, yogurt, and all the sponsors. This race supports the Clear Creek booster club and really the people who put on the race are so nice and friendly.

There are a couple things that I think the race can improve on: 1) They used to have volunteers walking around with jugs of water as you finished. This year there was a big sponsor--Milk..and they only had milk at the finish--not water volunteers. I really, really missed them, their water and their smiling faces..and their water. I'd bring them back. I didn't want milk. I almost barfed when I saw it.

The other thing is there consistently seems to be some timing or placing issue. They do their best but each time I've done this race I've sort of walked away going--"Was that really my place?" "What was my time?" They usually get it worked out, and each time in the end their times match my times so I've learned to just shrug and go "hey, it's fun," which is good for me.

Overall this is one of the few races I've consistently come back to and I really enjoy it so I definitely give it two thumbs up.

Oh and as a PS Mario Macias who is running awesome right now won the guys race..."Great" you say..well he broke the course record AND the state record with a 1:02:50.

How can working out help fatigue?

As discussed yesterday, I was still pretty sore on Tuesday from Monday's weight lifting adventure.
However that didn't mean that running wasn't in the cards, it just meant that the first few steps included me moaning, "oh, my arse..ouch!" I was wondering how I would feel yesterday, after weight lifting, a 10 mile run on Sunday and then I was also sick all day on Sunday after my run.
I was wondering if I was going to feel my old friend fatigue.

Fatigue is natural, it's part of sport, it's expected...and it's not fun! It's our body's way of telling us we need more rest, food and water--and also sometimes a look inside our mental state.

Rather than focus on my fatigue and muscle soreness on this run--and really emphasize it, I was pretty sure that despite my feeling of being tired and sore I could still make it if I focused on small segments I enjoyed--and used them as motivators.

Beyond these extremely simple tips to push past the fatigue I felt on my run, I chose a route I enjoy, and I ran with my husband who always makes being tired a little more fun!

We ended up going about 8 miles in 60 minutes on a route near our house.

This trail is fun because it goes so many places, you go around a lake, on hard-packed trail, roads, down-hill, up-hill and even single track, you run along a creek, we've seen snapping turtles, I've even seen deer on this trail!

So yeah, about 3 miles in you start hitting the fun single track...
The trail boarders up against private pasture land.



It's cool because you are "at nature," but people live right there...I guess if I really had a bathroom emergency or something, I'd totally stop in and ask one of these neighbors!

We start and finish around this lake.

And then, right at the end we saw a baby robin. I like to think of him as good luck.

There you have it. A scenic run that helped battle fatigue.

That little voice in your head....

Yesterday I went for a 5 mile run on a good out and back in East Boulder.

Throughout this whole process of coming back from the stress fracture, I've actually felt a fair amount of...I guess you could call it anxiety or even pressure to get back to running, "just as I was before." I was pushing and pushing all my runs--even the run/walks. Imagine seeing someone running along at a good clip and then pace walking it out. I think I probably looked pretty awesome...not.
As I started dropping off the walking, I kept telling myself, "gotta be running 7:20-7:30's." I had this voice in my head--we'll just call it "self-talk," putting a lot on my shoulders. If I ran any slower, felt pretty disappointed for some reason..and beyond that I never was quite just "feeling" my runs, everything felt forced and a lot harder than it should! Talk about not having fun : /.

Not only that, I was obsessed with checking Dupree, every 1/4-1/2 mile I was checking pace, and if I wasn't "on" according my standards I felt pretty slow and frustrated.

I would tell myself, 'it's taking so long to get back,' 'why don't you feel good?' 'you're so much slower and it will never be the same!' A lot of worry, self-doubt and negative thoughts, all leading to more and more pressure on the runs, and honestly ending in runs that weren't that fun.

Finally, after a mini-breakdown right before the BB with my coach which ended in an easy 8 min mile run full of talking, and relaxing, I feel better.

I'm putting away Dupree for awhile, and focusing on "feeling," runs more. And that little voice inside my head? Well I'm working on her too...yesterday on the run She told me "You're going slow here! Push it harder or else!"

"Or else what?" I asked? "You'll recover from your race? You'll have energy to run hard tomorrow? One day easier won't kill you. Enjoy the moment, and this trail you love."

And I did. I saw two coyotes, a hawk, ducks and more bunnies than any person really should. Like I said, it is a great trail and it was a great run.

Hello 2011!

What did you do to kick off your 1/1/11?

This morning I joined my parents for a cappuccino and coffee cake at the Boulder Brewing Market close to our house, and then this afternoon when it had warmed up past 20 degrees I went for a lovely 6 mile run with...my husband! He rarely joins for runs--usually coming on the bike or waving me on so it was a nice surprise.

Running on a trail that has about 4 inches of snow on it is definitely an adventure! I felt myself somewhere between running and snowshoeing, all the effort of trudging along but without the benefit of the shoes! It was a gorgeous day. I love the snow. It's finally feeling like winter.

What about you? Was anyone battling a hangover today? Did you ring in the year with fun run? Substitute a run with something else interesting?

6 miles in a snowstorm

Today I ran 6 miles in the first real snow of the season. As I looked outside and made the decision about whether or not to run, I knew I had to get the run done in order to get my total mileage in, but more importantly, I wanted to.

As I trudged out into the snow, started thinking about the second key to mastery in George Leonard's book. It's practice. Leonard points out that many times we use the word 'practice' as a verb. We practice an instrument, or practice a skill like running. We do it to improve ourselves or obtain a goal. If you want to run faster, well you are going to have to practice!

But when you think about 'practice' in terms of mastery, Leonard suggests it is useful to think of it as a noun. It's something you have or you are. I love this conceptualization: "...the word is akin to the Chinese word tao and the Japanese word do, both of which mean, literally road or path. Practice is path upon you travel" (pg.74).

Practice is something that is integral to your life, and you do it for it's own sake, not in order to gain something else. You may gather rewards along this path, and that is fine, but that is not the reason why you are on this journey.

Another secret Leonard tells us:"the people who are masters don't devote themselves to their particular skill just to get better at it. The truth is, they love to practice--and because of this they do get better" (pg. 75).

So, back to snow running. As I was running along, I saw a lady drive past me, and I literally saw her crane her head and laugh! I'm going to assume she didn't get it why I was out there, in the cold running along my path and that she was definitely NOT joining the practice of running (at least in the snow!)

Sometimes, people ask "How can your run so much? It's boring." "How did you get out there and run. In the snow like that!?" Usually my answer is "I just like it," or "I'm just used to it..." Not the best answer to help explain.

The truth is, running is my practice. It's integral to my life and a big part of who I am. I actually love the journey that is running. Sometimes it has up's and down's, and sometimes I am out alone in a snowstorm but that is part of the path. Practicing regularly at running has been there for me so long, it's a part of me--a reliable part that I know really well.

It probably wouldn't have hurt me to skip the run and stay warm inside today, but I think I would have missed the daily journey.

Technical difficulties!

Do you ever have a run where you feel okay but all your techie gear is just getting in your way?
Yesterday was that day! I felt awesome, I'm finally starting to feel like I'm getting some spring back in my step after two long weeks off of downtime, but it also felt like every five feet some gadget was messing up. These things are supposed to make running easier or more enjoyable not annoying!

First, Dupree kept insisting I wanted to run a 3 mile run. No, I wanted to do an open-ended mileage run, thank you. We finally settled on doing a 45:45 timed run. I don't know how we came to this compromise but we did. Throughout the run, Dupree also kept suggesting that I wanted to train with my virtual partner. I didn't. By the end of the run I was convinced that I still needed to consult my instruction booklet to get a better leash on Dupree.

Then, my earphones kept popping out of my ears. First one, then the other. These are new Skull Candy Smokin' buds. They got great reviews on this very issue. What gives, buds, what gives? I finally had to lace the cords up through my sports bra to keep them from pulling out of my ears. This happened on a neighborhood street outside a house. It was quite a show.

And finally, my shoe kept coming untied. This is a regular occurrence, it doesn't even bother me anymore, but I thought I'd mention it on the list of technical difficulties. If the truth is told, it never bothered me, but it has been the source of conversation amongst coaches, parents and teammates as to how it could be that my shoe could come untied so frequently. I've even been accused of tying it purposefully so that it would come UNTIED...who does that?

Anyways, about 2.5 miles into the run things seemed to have ironed themselves out and like I said I felt great. There is something to be said for running a little later in the day when the sun is setting. You start to feel fast and it's easy to lose yourself in the moment and just enjoy the run and how it feels to be running that course at that moment. Ended up running 5.71 miles in about 41 min. Not too shabby :)

Bobolink run

Bobolink by snowgirl25 at Garmin Connect - Details

A great run in Boulder. It's not difficult and you can always get in a nice approximately 7 miles here. It's pretty and just a nice run!