Just wrapped up August with a PR in the quarter marathon. I had been trying to break 1 hour as my "ambitious" goal and beat my time from 4 years ago as a "doable" go. I was able to get both of these goals which surprised me. It had been hot that day as well as humid. I pushed myself pretty hard, found out I was in zone 5 heart rate about 44% of the race! But the more I looked into that, I feel it was because I ran about a 9 minute pace for 6.5 miles in hot and humid weather. This has given me some hope that I can continue to improve.
I'm going to start doing some more trail running in September. I have a race coming up that is partly on trails and partly road. But most of it is pretty hilly terrain (it is a 20k).
Then in October, I'm going to try to run a fast half marathon again. Not sure how I will do, but I'm hoping better than I have in the past. November, I will get to do a race I've wanted to do for a while (half marathon close to where I grew up). I'm also doing a Thanksgiving race later in the month, and a few other random 5ks scattered throughout the fall. I'm trying to take it easier right now as I anticipate something a bit longer for 2019. Will get into that at a later time, depending on what I decide.
The summer has been pretty good. I tried to get 100 miles each month. I did fail in July because we went on vacation and ended up walking 60+ miles that week at Disney. So I really wasn't feeling running every morning of that week in addition to the walking. So I got 80 miles for July. August should close out at 100 and June was 100. I did a family race and a 5k in June, another 5k in July, and one that got rained out in August (I did complete 2.5 miles of it though). I also ran a mile race in early August (placed 1st in my age group, but there were only a few of us). I was proud of my new mile record of 8:10.8. I say 8:10.8 because my previous record was actually 8:11 so that extra two-tenths matters. I'd really like to get a sub 8 mile time but might need to wait for cooler weather to try for this.
I've also been running a lot slower for long runs to work on keeping my heart rate in optimal zones more often. That's about it for now. It's been a nice break with few goals.
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Monday, June 11, 2018
6 year runniversary
So it's been 6 years since I decided to start the couch to 5k program. June 12, 2012. First workout. 30 seconds running. 1 minute walking. And repeat many times over for 30 minutes total. Wow, that sounded hard at that place in my life. I had done workout dvds but never anything sustained like this. Signed up for first 5k ... August of 2012. So I had to do the training.
Little did I know I'd really like this thing and be contemplating which 50k might be a good one for my first 6 years later. Still in the process of answering that question...
I found a great article written by another runner: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/on-the-run/Happy-Runniversary-to-me.html
Basically we are never experts. There is always a new goal. It's still pretty exciting to think about where I'm going next.
So in this time I've run likely 60+ races. Some were great and others where I struggled. I've purchased many pairs of shoes, burning through each in approximately 300-400 miles. Met a lot of running friends who inspired me in their own way. Maybe I helped them in some way too.
I've learned about pacing. I've learned about heart rate training. I've learned about how road and trail races are way not the same.
But I want to see how I feel running an ultra. I want to see if challenging terrain might be a new step I'll enjoy.
So 6 years has been good so far. I'm hoping to have many years ahead of me running whatever feels right.
Little did I know I'd really like this thing and be contemplating which 50k might be a good one for my first 6 years later. Still in the process of answering that question...
I found a great article written by another runner: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/on-the-run/Happy-Runniversary-to-me.html
Basically we are never experts. There is always a new goal. It's still pretty exciting to think about where I'm going next.
So in this time I've run likely 60+ races. Some were great and others where I struggled. I've purchased many pairs of shoes, burning through each in approximately 300-400 miles. Met a lot of running friends who inspired me in their own way. Maybe I helped them in some way too.
I've learned about pacing. I've learned about heart rate training. I've learned about how road and trail races are way not the same.
But I want to see how I feel running an ultra. I want to see if challenging terrain might be a new step I'll enjoy.
So 6 years has been good so far. I'm hoping to have many years ahead of me running whatever feels right.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
What I've done since February until now (almost June)
Well I've been busy.
I'll have to look back at my training calendar to actually remember all of it. I've gotten very lax in posting.
February after my PR at the winter half I finished out my training for the marathon in April. I completed my training without much of a problem. I ran my 20 miler for a virtual race/charity for National Down Syndrome Society supporting a friend of mine. I wanted to make it a meaningful run. My 20 miler is usually meaningful because it is a lot of miles, but I wanted to make it more than that for this training cycle.
For a while training for the marathon went on as normal. I felt great. Taper was great. Then something weird happened. Leading up to my third marathon I felt unsure about wanting to do it. I ended up doing it on my own not the day of the marathon I signed up for. Somewhat long story behind that involving thunderstorms and an existential crisis.
So I'll go with the shorter version. The week leading up to the race, others were talking about the possibility of rain. I become annoyed when the weather is discussed because it starts that fear feeling about the worst possible weather. As the race got closer, it became more evident that we would likely have a downpour and/or lightning the day of the race. I started to get really angry that I had trained for months for the day of the race to get here and it to be a dangerous situation like this. I had previously run a race last spring as you might remember (if you've been reading this for a while) that resulted in a black flag situation, lightning and mass chaos. I didn't want that again. I didn't want to run 26.2 miles in that. After much changing my mind and being wishy washy, I asked for a sign about 3am day of the race that I shouldn't do it. I don't know if I actually believe in signs. I probably just wanted confirmation of my already made decision. But the lightning, loud thunder and downpour immediately following that question in my mind answered it for me.
I would find absolutely zero joy in running in rain and thunderstorms for 26.2 miles. I had no desire to be stranded on a bike path which is where the race was held with virtually nowhere to go if this happened and the race was cancelled. So I said no. And I was mad at myself. But I had to say no because my heart wasn't in it.
Instead of going into my complicated thoughts I had that day... about why I run and if I even care about doing this distance again, to why I was here on Earth, and other 3am thoughts... I will just say it was the right choice for me.
You see, running this distance, even if you've already done it 2 times before is still quite daunting. And it's even more daunting thinking about horrible weather and being stranded in lightning on a bike path 13-ish miles out in the middle of it all.
On April 20 about 5 days later I decided to run from my house to a few cities nearby and making the distance 26.2 so that I could claim I had run a 3rd marathon. And so I did. And it was amazing. Weather was perfect, I had very little doubt in my mind and it was exactly what I needed. I had a weird calm that day and executed my plan perfectly. I had little or no wall until about mile 23. Then it was the smallest wall ever. Like a child's wall made up of building blocks that you just push over. My pace slowed but that was it. Probably because I was running home. I knew there was all kinds of food at my house. A friend was even kind enough to come out with me on her bike and follow me for 4-5 hours on her bike. She was absolutely incredible to do this for me. She even brought me water and snacks. This is why I love other runners, we will do the most amazing stuff to support each other.
And this is another reason why I need to volunteer at more races. Because other people are there for me, I need to try harder to be there for them.
Following this little adventure, I was set to run the 5k in my city's spring series of races again. Usually I would opt for the half marathon, but after doing the marathon and knowing this was coming up again I thought 5k was a good choice. I ended up doing better than expected. Seems that running a lot of miles for weeks somehow helps you run faster. Whatever the reason, I was pretty excited for this and really enjoyed the time with my out of town friends and the party afterward.
Next was a trail race. I would be doing a 12k in the hills of Athens, Ohio. I have been wanting to go back to the trails for a while. This was the perfect choice, as the day turned out to be very hot. I probably could have handled the 25k but the 12k was maybe mentally better for me. I ended up falling and hitting my head during the race. You really have to watch your footing on these trail runs. I know what happened, I started to daydream and lost my focus. I can even remember my exact train of thought when I fell. I thought I saw the elusive Thunderbunny that the trail was named after. I started to think about whether there was actually a Thunderbunny or not, and if so what this bunny would look like. Then I placed my foot just the wrong way on the trail, tripping forward and downhill against a rock, root, or who knows what. There was the knowledge of eating dirt, followed by checking if anything had actually been damaged except for my pride. I wasn't bleeding somehow, no teeth missing, just some dirt. My body instinctively rolled up in an odd way to protect myself. So I got up and kept going. A group of runners just ahead of me had heard me fall, and gave me a baby wipe. I figured if I didn't see stars or feel that bad, might as well keep going. Finished it up and then took it a little easy the rest of the day. I did stop at a few scenic place on the way home that I couldn't resist. I enjoyed it a lot and will be back to that trail, but maybe not running it. I definitely found the area interesting. I also love how welcoming trail runners are. They will help you if you fall and generally are great people. Not that road racers are bad people. They are also generally very kind. But road racing is so much more competitive. And no one usually falls.
Following this race I had a few weeks break until a very hilly and tough half marathon that I did with a family member. It was her first half and I wanted to be there for her. She did really great and I was proud of her. I did this race a few years back (May 2016) and it was good to share the love (or do I mean the pain) of this tough course with someone else. It was extremely hot again (as is usually the case for this race) and the hills are never very forgiving to one's body. This time there were no locusts on the path falling from trees. But there was roadkill. But also great spectators and a very friendly city.
So that brings me to now. Summer is here and I have no actual goals. I still want to see if I can do better on my half marathon time which will require some more speed training. I also want to continue training in heart rate zone 2 which has helped me make some speed gains. I have already signed up for a few more races but not planning a marathon or longer for a while. I'm not saying never again because I know I can never promise myself that. And I want to get more trail running in. Because it is a totally different experience that connects you with a natural environment. I love running in cities but also on trails. Maybe I need both.
I'll have to look back at my training calendar to actually remember all of it. I've gotten very lax in posting.
February after my PR at the winter half I finished out my training for the marathon in April. I completed my training without much of a problem. I ran my 20 miler for a virtual race/charity for National Down Syndrome Society supporting a friend of mine. I wanted to make it a meaningful run. My 20 miler is usually meaningful because it is a lot of miles, but I wanted to make it more than that for this training cycle.
For a while training for the marathon went on as normal. I felt great. Taper was great. Then something weird happened. Leading up to my third marathon I felt unsure about wanting to do it. I ended up doing it on my own not the day of the marathon I signed up for. Somewhat long story behind that involving thunderstorms and an existential crisis.
So I'll go with the shorter version. The week leading up to the race, others were talking about the possibility of rain. I become annoyed when the weather is discussed because it starts that fear feeling about the worst possible weather. As the race got closer, it became more evident that we would likely have a downpour and/or lightning the day of the race. I started to get really angry that I had trained for months for the day of the race to get here and it to be a dangerous situation like this. I had previously run a race last spring as you might remember (if you've been reading this for a while) that resulted in a black flag situation, lightning and mass chaos. I didn't want that again. I didn't want to run 26.2 miles in that. After much changing my mind and being wishy washy, I asked for a sign about 3am day of the race that I shouldn't do it. I don't know if I actually believe in signs. I probably just wanted confirmation of my already made decision. But the lightning, loud thunder and downpour immediately following that question in my mind answered it for me.
I would find absolutely zero joy in running in rain and thunderstorms for 26.2 miles. I had no desire to be stranded on a bike path which is where the race was held with virtually nowhere to go if this happened and the race was cancelled. So I said no. And I was mad at myself. But I had to say no because my heart wasn't in it.
Instead of going into my complicated thoughts I had that day... about why I run and if I even care about doing this distance again, to why I was here on Earth, and other 3am thoughts... I will just say it was the right choice for me.
You see, running this distance, even if you've already done it 2 times before is still quite daunting. And it's even more daunting thinking about horrible weather and being stranded in lightning on a bike path 13-ish miles out in the middle of it all.
On April 20 about 5 days later I decided to run from my house to a few cities nearby and making the distance 26.2 so that I could claim I had run a 3rd marathon. And so I did. And it was amazing. Weather was perfect, I had very little doubt in my mind and it was exactly what I needed. I had a weird calm that day and executed my plan perfectly. I had little or no wall until about mile 23. Then it was the smallest wall ever. Like a child's wall made up of building blocks that you just push over. My pace slowed but that was it. Probably because I was running home. I knew there was all kinds of food at my house. A friend was even kind enough to come out with me on her bike and follow me for 4-5 hours on her bike. She was absolutely incredible to do this for me. She even brought me water and snacks. This is why I love other runners, we will do the most amazing stuff to support each other.
And this is another reason why I need to volunteer at more races. Because other people are there for me, I need to try harder to be there for them.
Following this little adventure, I was set to run the 5k in my city's spring series of races again. Usually I would opt for the half marathon, but after doing the marathon and knowing this was coming up again I thought 5k was a good choice. I ended up doing better than expected. Seems that running a lot of miles for weeks somehow helps you run faster. Whatever the reason, I was pretty excited for this and really enjoyed the time with my out of town friends and the party afterward.
Next was a trail race. I would be doing a 12k in the hills of Athens, Ohio. I have been wanting to go back to the trails for a while. This was the perfect choice, as the day turned out to be very hot. I probably could have handled the 25k but the 12k was maybe mentally better for me. I ended up falling and hitting my head during the race. You really have to watch your footing on these trail runs. I know what happened, I started to daydream and lost my focus. I can even remember my exact train of thought when I fell. I thought I saw the elusive Thunderbunny that the trail was named after. I started to think about whether there was actually a Thunderbunny or not, and if so what this bunny would look like. Then I placed my foot just the wrong way on the trail, tripping forward and downhill against a rock, root, or who knows what. There was the knowledge of eating dirt, followed by checking if anything had actually been damaged except for my pride. I wasn't bleeding somehow, no teeth missing, just some dirt. My body instinctively rolled up in an odd way to protect myself. So I got up and kept going. A group of runners just ahead of me had heard me fall, and gave me a baby wipe. I figured if I didn't see stars or feel that bad, might as well keep going. Finished it up and then took it a little easy the rest of the day. I did stop at a few scenic place on the way home that I couldn't resist. I enjoyed it a lot and will be back to that trail, but maybe not running it. I definitely found the area interesting. I also love how welcoming trail runners are. They will help you if you fall and generally are great people. Not that road racers are bad people. They are also generally very kind. But road racing is so much more competitive. And no one usually falls.
Following this race I had a few weeks break until a very hilly and tough half marathon that I did with a family member. It was her first half and I wanted to be there for her. She did really great and I was proud of her. I did this race a few years back (May 2016) and it was good to share the love (or do I mean the pain) of this tough course with someone else. It was extremely hot again (as is usually the case for this race) and the hills are never very forgiving to one's body. This time there were no locusts on the path falling from trees. But there was roadkill. But also great spectators and a very friendly city.
So that brings me to now. Summer is here and I have no actual goals. I still want to see if I can do better on my half marathon time which will require some more speed training. I also want to continue training in heart rate zone 2 which has helped me make some speed gains. I have already signed up for a few more races but not planning a marathon or longer for a while. I'm not saying never again because I know I can never promise myself that. And I want to get more trail running in. Because it is a totally different experience that connects you with a natural environment. I love running in cities but also on trails. Maybe I need both.
Friday, February 23, 2018
My Garmin said I had 1:59:43 so it counts...
My last half marathon I had to pretty much abandon any thought of getting a PR. The ice and cold temperatures pretty much put an end to that. But that didn't mean I couldn't try to do better on my next attempt.
In between these two half marathons I had a chance to run a local sports team themed 5k that finished in the hockey arena. I hadn't really known what I would feel like doing at this one. But the course was short last year, so I planned on seeing if I could get close to what I got last year. I didn't count my time as a PR when it was only 2.88 but it was one of my best runs from last year. So this year I heard post race that they had corrected the course to make it a true 5k. Not knowing that before the race, I looked at my time, was pleased but just thought "oh it's a short course so it's not technically a PR". But after I heard they corrected the race distance, I decided to count it as a new 5k PR. I started thinking that I really hadn't felt that horrible during this shorter race and that maybe I could try once again to do better at my half coming up.
I've been not doing a whole lot of speedwork lately as I've been training for the marathon. This means I've been running about an 11mm pace. Which feels good to me. It just amounts to "time on my feet" which is really an important thing for marathon training. So I kind of just skipped over speedwork even thought technically it is on my plan. (Luckily I don't have a coach so I won't get shamed from anyone for this). I just don't want to do it when it's snowing or on the treadmill. It feels unsafe. Yeah, that's my excuse. So, I have been doing the heart rate training approach on and off for a while. I look at how long I was actually able to stay in HR zone 2 and see what my pace was for being in that zone. It's never that impressive but as I saw it improving, I felt like something was happening. Other had told me about this approach "slow down during your long runs if you want to improve" which seems counterproductive but actually works. I know I talked about this before. So anyway, the point is, I didn't really do any speedwork. I didn't know how ready I would even be to try to run this thing fast. All I knew was I held a good pace for the last 5k and that was good enough for me. This was a super relaxed race. There was very little buzz about it. I told no one what I was doing. I even reserved the right to change my mind at the last minute.
The day of the half marathon it was chilly (35-40) but not really cold. It was one of those days I had a hard time picking out what to wear. I didn't want to get too hot but I also didn't want to freeze at the start. After that was done, I thought about the fact that this course was a 1 mile loop. That means don't bring water, don't bring a belt unless I have to store something. And maybe I should avoid having to store anything because it's just extra weight. Found a place in a windbreaker vest that I could put a few gu packets and my key.
Got to the race early, took the usual picture with my running group, headed to the start. Chatted with another runner who was hoping for a good outcome. She provided some encouragement. I just didn't say too much about a goal. I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I always knew it was possible to work on running 9 minute miles for this but wasn't sure if this was the time to try. Mainly just didn't want to get inside my head with all that anxiety and stuff.
Got started out and felt pleasantly fine running a faster pace. Somehow I was able to keep this pace for over half the run. Around mile 7-8 it started to get really hard. It was more just thinking about the fact that I was running faster than usual. I knew I probably should look at my watch just to make sure I was still good on pace, but every time I did I had that feeling that I wouldn't be able to keep this pace up. Around that time I was thinking "I actually feel ok, this is ok." but then I started to think "Listen, you're only about half way. Anything can happen. Don't do what you did last time and just lose it at the end."
There were some other things said to myself at the time but mostly just cursing the fact that this was hard and various negativity. I already knew that would happen so I tried to go to my happy place. I tried to look at what other people were wearing, others' ideas for running accessories, who was cheering us on, different stuff I saw.. thoughts about world peace, etc. I say this in jest, but I've had some random things pop into my head while running and then I get fixated on it for a while. Maybe just how a word is pronounced, the origins of the word, etc. Or other randomness. I saw a few people I knew, said hi and hoped they didn't think I was rude because I'm sure my face was dead serious. The last time I really put a good effort into this I had my previous PR about a year ago. I had about 2:06 and what happened was I started really fast and then ended with a disappointing finish. A friend of mine tried to help me, but I was tapped out by that point.
There were some other things said to myself at the time but mostly just cursing the fact that this was hard and various negativity. I already knew that would happen so I tried to go to my happy place. I tried to look at what other people were wearing, others' ideas for running accessories, who was cheering us on, different stuff I saw.. thoughts about world peace, etc. I say this in jest, but I've had some random things pop into my head while running and then I get fixated on it for a while. Maybe just how a word is pronounced, the origins of the word, etc. Or other randomness. I saw a few people I knew, said hi and hoped they didn't think I was rude because I'm sure my face was dead serious. The last time I really put a good effort into this I had my previous PR about a year ago. I had about 2:06 and what happened was I started really fast and then ended with a disappointing finish. A friend of mine tried to help me, but I was tapped out by that point.
I know you're not really "supposed" to bank time. I've heard this so many times. But yet I still did this strategy for this race. If there was one thing I would work on for the future, it is this. Maybe I'd work on keeping a steady 9mm instead of doing this: 8:48, 8:43, 8:49, 8:53, 9:00, 9:10, 8:58, 9:25, 9:19, 9:35, 9:34, 9:31, 9:03, 9:07 (last fraction of a mile). If you add that all up it was 13.44 miles and 2:02:45. However, my Garmin told me that when I reached the half marathon point, I was at 1:59:43 So I'm counting it as a sub 2 hour. But I definitely think I can try again and hopefully do better. Maybe get more of a "legit" sub 2. That's why I titled it this way. In Garmin we trust.
Looking at my splits, it's pretty clear that the banking time strategy could be risky. A friend of mine once said "Just get the pace and hope you can hang on" meaning in a way it didn't matter how I did it as long as I finished well overall. Another friend told me to start at 9:30 and try to gradually get faster. The only problem I can see with this is the following: this is not how my body seems to want to work. As soon as I settle into 9:30 that is kind of what I have made up my mind to do. It's almost like I can't get faster once I set that pace. Negative splitting has not been easy for me lately. I used to do really well with it, back in my early running. I'm not sure what happened. You'd think if you were running for about 6 years you would get better with your racing strategy but that is clearly not the case!
Looking at my splits above, I appear to have kind of hit a mini wall at miles 8-11. Maybe that was the "you probably can't do this so maybe just slow down" thoughts in my head at the time. Always angel vs devil language. Then I had these thoughts about "but what if you could!" and "just try because whatever you get, it has to be a PR". Luckily, there were a lot of fast people running this race, so I just tried to keep up with them when I found a person who was a pretty good (unintentional) pacer for me. Especially at the end, there is this one runner, if I ever saw her again I'd thank her for setting a good pace.
So what's next is just to continue training for this spring marathon which will be marathon #3 for me. I still want to do it and I am going to aim a little higher than I thought I could accomplish. Just a few more super long runs and I should be where I need to be training wise. I'm a little bummed that all it wants to do is rain this week after we got a break from super cold and/or snow/ice but I guess you can't predict the weather. I have enjoyed not sweating to death or wanting to go lay down in someone's yard with the sprinklers on since I've been training in the winter. Last time I had an 19 mile run I remember having that thought. It was 80 degrees and so many tempting yards to rest in. But jumping over crusty snow for 17 miles isn't exactly fun either. After hearing about the predicted downpour this weekend I'm not sure how I feel. But somehow it will work out. It's all about just time on my feet.
Monday, January 15, 2018
January running fun
I never look forward to cold weather. You could say I hate winter. I curse snow. I hate driving in it. I hate walking in it . I hate running in it.
But going into 2018, I had two races scheduled for January. And they were both very cold.
The first one was on New Year's Day. It was 8 degrees. I remember thinking it couldn't possibly be any colder for a race. I was wrong. My second race was -2. That's right. Negative Two!
Several years ago I had run a 7.5 mile race in 4 degree weather and thought about how cold that was. I didn't think I would have the opportunity (or rather bad fortune) to have another race that cold.
But one should never underestimate Ohio in the winter.
My first race was a 5k. Well, it actually was 3 miles. They said it was a 5k, but it wasn't. But that's ok because I was ready to be inside. And it was New Year's Day. This kind of sets my tone for the whole year. So I never miss running on New Year's Day. No matter what I did the night before.
My second race of January was a half marathon. In the days leading up to the race, it kept being extremely cold and snowing nearly every day (as well as ice). I was wishing... "ok, let's get this out of our system... please, Ohio weather?" and thought maybe when it's time for the race, it will be better.
But the day came and sure enough it was -2. The night before, I was thinking it would be maybe 0 or even as high as 5-10 degrees. But, like I said before, Ohio winters are unpredictable. I prepared an outfit that covered everything so that not an inch of skin would be exposed except for my eyes. I'm not a fan of sunglasses while running, though. I never have been for some reason. I put out my hat, fleece hood with built in balaclava, neck warmer, hand warmers, double layer of gloves, 2 shirts, 2 pants, 2 layers of socks, and a down jacket. Also I wore my trail shoes with velcro ankle covers that are often worn on the trails to prevent debris from going in one's shoes. I was worried about the previous week's 5 inches of snow possibly trying to get in and flood my shoes, making them more wet and uncomfortable. I had heard that some of the path had not been plowed and was preparing for that. Luckily, the race director provided us with updates on the condition of the trail, so I knew what to expect. I brought my own water and my belt, and put a dash of alcohol in to keep it from freezing. Usually I have had luck with that when the temps are below about 20 degrees F. I wasn't convinced the race water wouldn't freeze.
I had missed my previous week's long run, which was supposed to be 11 miles. I had the flu and had to pass on that run. So I was behind already with my training plan for the next marathon I'm doing in April. So this was going to happen. Even if I was fighting myself internally. I had skipped a few races ever. This was not going to be one of them.
When I got there, we did packet pickup that day because it was the only time to do packet pickup. Mainly the reason was that the weather was so bad the previous day that it was cancelled due to dangerous amounts of snow and ice. So I get there, go stand in line to get my number. I go back to the car after pickup. I'm thinking about how bad this must be for the race volunteers, and they deserve credit for coming here on a day like this when they are not even running. At least when you run, you generate heat. So, they were awesome to have showed up.
Sat in the car for a little while, emerged to do a last check of what facilities I needed before the start. Got to the start and already felt like my toes were going to fall off with frostbite. The run got underway. The trail had a mixture of ice and snow. I expected this, but didn't wear yaktracks only because there was a good bit of exposed pavement and sometimes when you wear those, your stride is different. You can injure yourself if you're using them on pavement. So I had my trail shoes, which worked out mostly pretty well.
The first mile or two I was thinking that I would really lose my toes. The main thought in my mind was how I would explain to people that I lost my toes to frostbite because I thought it was a good idea to run in sub zero temperatures. "Well, my dear grandchild, you see, one day I decided to run in the extreme cold and that's why this happened." The dominant thought stayed in this mindset... mixed with some other colorful language (basically variants of how much I hate Ohio and can't wait to move to California). I kept thinking about turning around, and then it occurred to me that 13.1 miles on the treadmill would totally suck, and I had to just power through. I visualized the monotony of staring at my basement wall for over 2 hours.
I came to the 3.5 mile turnaround (some people were running 3.5, some 8 miles, and some crazy ones like me running 13.1). I considered turning around. But then I thought "just make it to the 8 mile turn around and see how you feel"... Variants of the thought "Well, if you do 8 now, that's only 5ish to do on the treadmill" So I kept going. Some feeling was starting to return to my toes and I decided I wasn't going to lose them to frostbite after all.
The trail was really beautiful. It was a sunny day with a lot of snow on the trees and surrounding grass and fields. The water was frozen solid in most places. If I wasn't so cold, I would have taken more time to enjoy the scenery. But as it was, every time I slowed down, the cold started to overtake me so I realized I had to at least keep a decent pace. But I couldn't run my fastest. Every so often patch of ice would pop up, or there was ice hiding under the snow that I previously thought was safe and I'd skid for a second. Luckily, I did not fall (although I came close a few times). I kept the pace a steady 11 minute mile for most of it (walking some nearly impassable icy sections). This seemed to keep me warm enough but also keep me from falling.
Approached the 8 mile turn around and surprisingly I didn't want to turn around. I had gotten past that point where I felt I wouldn't make it. I had made it this far, I might as well continue to the half marathon turn around. And I knew I could get a taco and body armour drink at the finish. I wouldn't want to go home and run an additional 5 miles after eating a taco and drinking a large drink. At that point, I'd be in relaxation mode. My clothes would be wet and cold and I'd be out of the mood. So, might as well go all the way now. I knew that after I crossed the big bridge over the highway, that I was almost at the turn around, and sure enough, it came quicker than I thought.
Once I got to that point, I just settled in and carefully navigated the rest of the icy route. I had been listening to a book on tape the whole time, and that seemed to help me for this long run. I've listened to all sorts of intriguing books while running.
Finishing the run felt amazing. I could see the end point coming about a half mile away. There's nothing like completing something like this... a half marathon in the dead of winter on an ice and snow covered trail when it's -2 degrees F at race start. It makes you feel like you could pretty much run in any conditions. And I'm starting to realize I can. Except for a lightning storm or tornado. Better not try that. But rain, ok... snow... sure... -2 degrees... yeah, I can do it.
A few weeks previous I had the same fears when a friend had asked who wanted to undertake a 10 mile run together. This turned out to be a day of constant downpour. Not only was it a downpour, it was a 37 degree day with a downpour. I almost didn't do it. But something told me I just had to try it. It was even dark when we started. I arrived at her house thinking how this was a terrible idea. But I did it anyway. I had arrived, might as well do it. It went by faster than I expected. And I'm thinking of doing it again next week. Time to get past my limitations and realize they are just artificial barriers.
But going into 2018, I had two races scheduled for January. And they were both very cold.
The first one was on New Year's Day. It was 8 degrees. I remember thinking it couldn't possibly be any colder for a race. I was wrong. My second race was -2. That's right. Negative Two!
Several years ago I had run a 7.5 mile race in 4 degree weather and thought about how cold that was. I didn't think I would have the opportunity (or rather bad fortune) to have another race that cold.
But one should never underestimate Ohio in the winter.
My first race was a 5k. Well, it actually was 3 miles. They said it was a 5k, but it wasn't. But that's ok because I was ready to be inside. And it was New Year's Day. This kind of sets my tone for the whole year. So I never miss running on New Year's Day. No matter what I did the night before.
My second race of January was a half marathon. In the days leading up to the race, it kept being extremely cold and snowing nearly every day (as well as ice). I was wishing... "ok, let's get this out of our system... please, Ohio weather?" and thought maybe when it's time for the race, it will be better.
But the day came and sure enough it was -2. The night before, I was thinking it would be maybe 0 or even as high as 5-10 degrees. But, like I said before, Ohio winters are unpredictable. I prepared an outfit that covered everything so that not an inch of skin would be exposed except for my eyes. I'm not a fan of sunglasses while running, though. I never have been for some reason. I put out my hat, fleece hood with built in balaclava, neck warmer, hand warmers, double layer of gloves, 2 shirts, 2 pants, 2 layers of socks, and a down jacket. Also I wore my trail shoes with velcro ankle covers that are often worn on the trails to prevent debris from going in one's shoes. I was worried about the previous week's 5 inches of snow possibly trying to get in and flood my shoes, making them more wet and uncomfortable. I had heard that some of the path had not been plowed and was preparing for that. Luckily, the race director provided us with updates on the condition of the trail, so I knew what to expect. I brought my own water and my belt, and put a dash of alcohol in to keep it from freezing. Usually I have had luck with that when the temps are below about 20 degrees F. I wasn't convinced the race water wouldn't freeze.
I had missed my previous week's long run, which was supposed to be 11 miles. I had the flu and had to pass on that run. So I was behind already with my training plan for the next marathon I'm doing in April. So this was going to happen. Even if I was fighting myself internally. I had skipped a few races ever. This was not going to be one of them.
When I got there, we did packet pickup that day because it was the only time to do packet pickup. Mainly the reason was that the weather was so bad the previous day that it was cancelled due to dangerous amounts of snow and ice. So I get there, go stand in line to get my number. I go back to the car after pickup. I'm thinking about how bad this must be for the race volunteers, and they deserve credit for coming here on a day like this when they are not even running. At least when you run, you generate heat. So, they were awesome to have showed up.
Sat in the car for a little while, emerged to do a last check of what facilities I needed before the start. Got to the start and already felt like my toes were going to fall off with frostbite. The run got underway. The trail had a mixture of ice and snow. I expected this, but didn't wear yaktracks only because there was a good bit of exposed pavement and sometimes when you wear those, your stride is different. You can injure yourself if you're using them on pavement. So I had my trail shoes, which worked out mostly pretty well.
The first mile or two I was thinking that I would really lose my toes. The main thought in my mind was how I would explain to people that I lost my toes to frostbite because I thought it was a good idea to run in sub zero temperatures. "Well, my dear grandchild, you see, one day I decided to run in the extreme cold and that's why this happened." The dominant thought stayed in this mindset... mixed with some other colorful language (basically variants of how much I hate Ohio and can't wait to move to California). I kept thinking about turning around, and then it occurred to me that 13.1 miles on the treadmill would totally suck, and I had to just power through. I visualized the monotony of staring at my basement wall for over 2 hours.
I came to the 3.5 mile turnaround (some people were running 3.5, some 8 miles, and some crazy ones like me running 13.1). I considered turning around. But then I thought "just make it to the 8 mile turn around and see how you feel"... Variants of the thought "Well, if you do 8 now, that's only 5ish to do on the treadmill" So I kept going. Some feeling was starting to return to my toes and I decided I wasn't going to lose them to frostbite after all.
The trail was really beautiful. It was a sunny day with a lot of snow on the trees and surrounding grass and fields. The water was frozen solid in most places. If I wasn't so cold, I would have taken more time to enjoy the scenery. But as it was, every time I slowed down, the cold started to overtake me so I realized I had to at least keep a decent pace. But I couldn't run my fastest. Every so often patch of ice would pop up, or there was ice hiding under the snow that I previously thought was safe and I'd skid for a second. Luckily, I did not fall (although I came close a few times). I kept the pace a steady 11 minute mile for most of it (walking some nearly impassable icy sections). This seemed to keep me warm enough but also keep me from falling.
Approached the 8 mile turn around and surprisingly I didn't want to turn around. I had gotten past that point where I felt I wouldn't make it. I had made it this far, I might as well continue to the half marathon turn around. And I knew I could get a taco and body armour drink at the finish. I wouldn't want to go home and run an additional 5 miles after eating a taco and drinking a large drink. At that point, I'd be in relaxation mode. My clothes would be wet and cold and I'd be out of the mood. So, might as well go all the way now. I knew that after I crossed the big bridge over the highway, that I was almost at the turn around, and sure enough, it came quicker than I thought.
Once I got to that point, I just settled in and carefully navigated the rest of the icy route. I had been listening to a book on tape the whole time, and that seemed to help me for this long run. I've listened to all sorts of intriguing books while running.
Finishing the run felt amazing. I could see the end point coming about a half mile away. There's nothing like completing something like this... a half marathon in the dead of winter on an ice and snow covered trail when it's -2 degrees F at race start. It makes you feel like you could pretty much run in any conditions. And I'm starting to realize I can. Except for a lightning storm or tornado. Better not try that. But rain, ok... snow... sure... -2 degrees... yeah, I can do it.
A few weeks previous I had the same fears when a friend had asked who wanted to undertake a 10 mile run together. This turned out to be a day of constant downpour. Not only was it a downpour, it was a 37 degree day with a downpour. I almost didn't do it. But something told me I just had to try it. It was even dark when we started. I arrived at her house thinking how this was a terrible idea. But I did it anyway. I had arrived, might as well do it. It went by faster than I expected. And I'm thinking of doing it again next week. Time to get past my limitations and realize they are just artificial barriers.
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