I'm not entirely to the off-season, I still have one more Mother's Day 5K to go, but I'm nearly there. I've had a really busy running season this year with 8 races between November and May. I ran my first two 1/2 Marathon, and ran both much faster than I anticipated. I also stepped up and did two trail runs. I had a goal of running races longer than 10Ks and am happy to report that I completed both a 12K (Sabino Sunset Run), and an 8 mile trail run (Arizona Trail Run). Overall I'm happy with my running and glad to know that I can really step up my game when I want to.
I also figured out the gear:
I finally found a pair of shoes I want to wear until I die: Brooks Cascadia 6
My favorite hands down running bottoms: anything from skirtsports. Love their stuff
Finally found a sports bra that works!: Moving Comfort Fiona
Found a hydration belt: my Nathan belt is wonderful and I can't imagine running with out it
Major accomplishments:
-getting in the long runs. I always had an excuse not to do them until I trained for the HM. Then I discovered that I like long, slow runs. I haven't been doing as many of them recently, but I'm blaming it on the heat and the dissertation. I look forward to incorporating long runs into my weekly training plans.
-completing 2 Half Marathon, one just under 2 hours and one just over 2 hours. Really, I'm amazed with myself.
-getting comfortable running at least 20, and generally 25+ miles a week. I like that, I'm going to keep it up.
Things I skimped on and wish I hadn't:
-interval and speed work. I tried to do it, I really did, but I have some sort of mental block to actually doing the work outs. I like them when I do them but avoided them if possible. I need to get over this
Goals for next season (Fall -Spring):
-regular speed work
-keep the long runs
-more trail running
-no race goals yet, but they'll come soon
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Race Report: Cinco de Mayo 10K
On Sunday (May 6), Luke and I ran the Cinco de Mayo 10K. It's a beautiful out and back through Star Pass resort in western Tucson. The route is full of rolling hills with about 250 ft elevation gain over all. This is one of my favorite races in Tucson because of the atmosphere and b/c they always give the best (gender-specific!) tech t-shirts. I love my t-shirt from last year and I can see this year's is also going to get a ton of wear.
Like most races, it started at 7am. Because it's Tucson, we were already feeling hot by the start.
Luke and I started out together and kept pace for the first 2 miles, and then I needed to slow down to recover a bit. He ran on ahead and I kept a nice and easy pace through the 3.1 mile turn around. After the midway point I was really dragging. I hadn't eaten enough for breakfast and my legs felt heavy and tired. I had plenty of water, but I needed some sugar and thought "it's only a 10K! I don't need nutrition!" right, unless you only have a few pieces of pineapple for breakfast, and then those sports beans really come in handy.
I had started up one of the hills and locked into my little-engine-that-could mode, when a woman in her 50s jogged up behind me, put her hand on my back and said, "Isn't that easier? You can do this. You can run much faster than this. Go get 'em!" And... I did. Something about her gentle hand on my back and her100% positive enthusiastic support made something click. All of a sudden my brain said, "she's right! you CAN go faster than you are! You won't keel over and die, I promise!" Then my legs kicked in, and I took off flying. I wasn't keeping pace while running, but I"m betting I was doing about 11:30 min miles when she met me. Considering I ran the entire course in 1h2min22sec, I'm pretty sure I ran those last 2 or so miles at near a 9 min mile pace. I was still pretty beat when I had the final incline up to the finish line, but I finished strong and confident. I've never had anyone support me in a race in that way and clearly that is the style of encouragement that works for me. A gentle hand saying: I'm with you, we can do this, let's go faster. (works much better than the coach-style of "you can run faster, come and catch me!" which I don't respond well to at all).
At the end of the race there is a mariachi band and breakfast burritos. Luke finished in 54 min and met me at the finish. Not interested in food, I did scarf down the slushie he was holding. Note to self - a slushie post-race is more refreshing than anything else in the world. Cooled me down and got me the sugars I needed right away! We weren't hungry so we grabbed our burritos to go and ate them when we got home.
One more race after this one and then I'm done for the season. By next Sunday, I will have run 8 races since November - I think I'm entitled to a break :)
Course: Cinco de Mayo 10K
time: 1h2min22sec
Like most races, it started at 7am. Because it's Tucson, we were already feeling hot by the start.
Luke and I started out together and kept pace for the first 2 miles, and then I needed to slow down to recover a bit. He ran on ahead and I kept a nice and easy pace through the 3.1 mile turn around. After the midway point I was really dragging. I hadn't eaten enough for breakfast and my legs felt heavy and tired. I had plenty of water, but I needed some sugar and thought "it's only a 10K! I don't need nutrition!" right, unless you only have a few pieces of pineapple for breakfast, and then those sports beans really come in handy.
I had started up one of the hills and locked into my little-engine-that-could mode, when a woman in her 50s jogged up behind me, put her hand on my back and said, "Isn't that easier? You can do this. You can run much faster than this. Go get 'em!" And... I did. Something about her gentle hand on my back and her100% positive enthusiastic support made something click. All of a sudden my brain said, "she's right! you CAN go faster than you are! You won't keel over and die, I promise!" Then my legs kicked in, and I took off flying. I wasn't keeping pace while running, but I"m betting I was doing about 11:30 min miles when she met me. Considering I ran the entire course in 1h2min22sec, I'm pretty sure I ran those last 2 or so miles at near a 9 min mile pace. I was still pretty beat when I had the final incline up to the finish line, but I finished strong and confident. I've never had anyone support me in a race in that way and clearly that is the style of encouragement that works for me. A gentle hand saying: I'm with you, we can do this, let's go faster. (works much better than the coach-style of "you can run faster, come and catch me!" which I don't respond well to at all).
At the end of the race there is a mariachi band and breakfast burritos. Luke finished in 54 min and met me at the finish. Not interested in food, I did scarf down the slushie he was holding. Note to self - a slushie post-race is more refreshing than anything else in the world. Cooled me down and got me the sugars I needed right away! We weren't hungry so we grabbed our burritos to go and ate them when we got home.
One more race after this one and then I'm done for the season. By next Sunday, I will have run 8 races since November - I think I'm entitled to a break :)
Course: Cinco de Mayo 10K
time: 1h2min22sec
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
A Tale of 2 Runs
It's heating up in the Old Pueblo and one of the ways I beat the heat, especially if I decide I'd rather snuggle in bed than drag myself out for a pre-7am run, is by going to the gym. Lately I've been sticking to XT and elliptical at the gym, but with a 10K coming up on Sunday I know I need to get in the actual miles.
Monday, I missed my am run slot (coffee and breakfast did me in), and it was in the high 80s with full sun by 9:30am. Rather than run in the afternoon before I went to the climbing gym, I headed into the air conditioned gym at the U and hopped on a treadmill. I did my normal 4.5 mile run and it felt like one of the hardest, most boring runs I've ever done. I struggled to keep an 11 minute mile pace for the first 2 miles and then dropped down to a 12 min pace for a mile and a half. By the last mile I was running 4 min and walking for 1 just to get through the damn work out. On top of that, I had lower abdominal cramping for the entire 53minute duration. agony.
Tuesday, I said "screw the treadmill, I'll just go and be hot outside." When I left, it was 89F, breeze and the sun was just going down. I did the same distance (4.5 mi) keeping a comfortable average pace of 10:27 sec - my normal warm-weather pace.
So what gives? How am I slower on a treadmill in an air conditioned gym than outside at nearly 90F?
My guess is that when I run outside when the sun is down, I both generate my own wind and take advantage of the breezes that kiss Tucson at sunset. Because the humidity here is so low, the breeze is very effective at wicking sweat away from your body and keeping you cool, even if the ambient temperature is pretty high. I also think that while most people benefit from the treadmill propelling them forward, with the way I run the artificial pace of the TM actually makes it harder and less comfortable for me to run. I can't adjust my stride the way I do when I'm outside. Today's an off day - I've been walking throughout the day and have climbing tonight - but tomorrow I'm going to be back outside, even if the high of the day is predicted to be 97.
Beat the heat tip # 4 - Toss some ice cubes in your water bottles. If using a waist belt, the cooling effect will help keep your over all temp cool, and in a hand-held it'll keep your water cooler longer.
Monday, I missed my am run slot (coffee and breakfast did me in), and it was in the high 80s with full sun by 9:30am. Rather than run in the afternoon before I went to the climbing gym, I headed into the air conditioned gym at the U and hopped on a treadmill. I did my normal 4.5 mile run and it felt like one of the hardest, most boring runs I've ever done. I struggled to keep an 11 minute mile pace for the first 2 miles and then dropped down to a 12 min pace for a mile and a half. By the last mile I was running 4 min and walking for 1 just to get through the damn work out. On top of that, I had lower abdominal cramping for the entire 53minute duration. agony.
Tuesday, I said "screw the treadmill, I'll just go and be hot outside." When I left, it was 89F, breeze and the sun was just going down. I did the same distance (4.5 mi) keeping a comfortable average pace of 10:27 sec - my normal warm-weather pace.
So what gives? How am I slower on a treadmill in an air conditioned gym than outside at nearly 90F?
My guess is that when I run outside when the sun is down, I both generate my own wind and take advantage of the breezes that kiss Tucson at sunset. Because the humidity here is so low, the breeze is very effective at wicking sweat away from your body and keeping you cool, even if the ambient temperature is pretty high. I also think that while most people benefit from the treadmill propelling them forward, with the way I run the artificial pace of the TM actually makes it harder and less comfortable for me to run. I can't adjust my stride the way I do when I'm outside. Today's an off day - I've been walking throughout the day and have climbing tonight - but tomorrow I'm going to be back outside, even if the high of the day is predicted to be 97.
Beat the heat tip # 4 - Toss some ice cubes in your water bottles. If using a waist belt, the cooling effect will help keep your over all temp cool, and in a hand-held it'll keep your water cooler longer.
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