Portland Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon

Yesterday was the inaugural Portland Rock 'N' Roll Half Marathon. I signed up for it a year ago on the first day of registration. A co-worker told me if you sign up then the cost was only 55 bucks! What a deal! As I put in my last post, I've been really slacking on my running lately so I didn't expect to do very well, was just hoping to finish in around 3 hours.

The race experience started when they sent out a notice that the I5 bridge was closed the morning of the race. So instead of dealing with bad traffic in the morning I stayed with my friend Jody in Portland. Race morning I got up and drove to the start line, there were a few sprinkles coming down which I didn't expect because I thought it was supposed to be sunny for the race. As we waited to start the sprinkles kept coming down, nothing to big but enough to realize it wasn't going to be a nice sunny day like I expected.

At about 8:20am my corral finally crossed the start line and we were off! I was excited to get going but did my usual reminder to myself to not start out too fast. We started off running the regular streets in downtown Portland, but around mile 1.5 we crossed over the Hawthorne bridge to the east side of Portland. It was exciting to have a race on that ran through the east side since most stay on the west side.

When I'm running I like to have little goals to get to, whether it's getting to the next mile marker, or the next water station, or where my supporters are cheering me on, either way I like having something to run towards. So for this race I wrote all the water stops on my wrist, right next to my breathe tattoo, so. Could have some more milestones to look forward to.

Things were going well around mile 4 or so. I'll admit, I had stopped to walk a couple times for short periods but was keeping a good pace when all of a sudden I could feel my toes on my left foot start to feel restricted and tight. I kept running and figured it would go away and I could just run through it but this time I couldn't. So I stopped, took off my shoes and adjusted my socks (which are 5 toed socks). After the brief stop I was better and back on track.

Miles 3.5 through 5.5 were on Hawthorne which was a long, slow, gradual, sneak up on you hill. Oh it was painful. I knew my friend Jody was going to be cheering me on a little after mile 5, so I had something to look forward too. I saw Jody, did some high five-ing, and was on my way. As a sidenote: I know you only see the people you know who are cheering you on for a few seconds during the race, but those seconds really matter. It is something the runner really looks forward to. As a supporter you never know how much those brief few seconds of support can help the runner. For me, it gives me the perfect pick me up and dose of adrenaline I need, no matter how much pain I was in a few seconds before, seeing your supporters makes all that go away for a bit.

After I saw Jody I continued on, and about a mile later I felt the same restriction in my left foot again. I stopped again, fixed my sock again, and hoped this would be the last time.

Around mile 7.5 we turned on to Burnside, which meant we were over halfway there, and most of the rest of the race had a bit of downhill to it. :) I knew I was going to see Jody again around mile 8.5, so I kept my focus there. It was about this time that I could feel my ITB starting to act up. On the up and down hills I was having to limp a bit as to not flare my knee up even more. When I saw Jody it was at the very bottom of a hill and I was limping pretty badly. I saw her and wanted to get a quick picture with her. She was so great, standing out in the rain to cheer everyone on. Thank you Jody, it meant so much! So we got our picture taken and I was off for the rest of the race.

After I saw Jody I knew there was about 4.5 miles left and my goal was to finish it in just over an hour, to finish the whole race in less than 3 hours. Once I got to 9 miles I just focused on keeping my pace to less than 15 min per mile. Which was easy when running but there were some walk breaks in there, so I wanted to make sure I kept up a good pace when I did let myself walk for a minute or two.

In the last few miles of a race I look for those small milestones more than ever, next miles marker, next water stop, next band station, etc. Miles 9-12 were just that. Looking for anything I could to just keep going. I fully admit it helped that there was a slight downhill for a majority of these miles. My knee was in quite a bit of pain at this point, but I knew it would be over soon.

Around mile 11.5 I got stopped at a couple intersections for cars to go through. After the second time I was thinking about the stoppage when I felt a pop in my left foot. My left pinky toe had blistered and popped! So much for anti-blister socks! After the initial pop it didn't hurt, so I just kept on going.

Once I got to mile 12 I got excited. I knew the Steel bridge was coming up, which meant there was by about .75 of a mile after the bridge. After watching my pace I knew I would get in under the 3 hour mark, just how much under was the question. The downhill of the last few miles was really putting a strain on my knee but I knew I didn't have far to go. When there was only about .75 miles to go I really wanted to stop and walk just for a minute or two, but I was almost there, I wasn't going to let myself down. So slowly but surely I ran the next .5 of the race, trying to just do anything to not make myself stop. I saw a sign that said "don't walk now, people are watching", which is EXACTLY how I felt! With about .25 miles to go I just wanted to be done, I could see the finish line, and I wanted to finish strong so I picked up the pace. Not a sprint, but a good fast pace, and I crossed the finish line!!! Yea me!!!

I ended up finishing the race in 2 hours, 53 min and 11 seconds. Just under 4 minutes off my PR. I am very happy with the time considering I didn't train much at all. Then there is a small part of me that says if I didn't have to stop and fix my socks twice, or take a picture with Jody, I might have beaten my PR. But I would rather not have injured myself more, and have a fun pic with my friend who sacrificed her morning to cheer me and others on, than getting a PR. I was very very happy with my time, the race, even the weather! Rather have a consistent sprinkle than the heat any day!

And now my sixth half marathon is done! One more half to go, the Vancouver Half Marathon in June, then the full marathon in October. After this last race I am feeling pretty good about how I will fair in both. Can't wait to get out there again!


Days till Marathon: 139
Total training miles: 190.25

Slacker

Well it's been a month since the Corvallis Half, and the night before the Portland Rock 'n Roll Half. All the time in between has been difficult...really really difficult to stay motivated.

Week 1 after Corvallis:
No motivation, told myself I would only give myself a week off. I should have known better.

Week 2 after Corvallis:
3.5 miles
4.75 miles

Week 3 after Corvallis:
Felt like I was getting back into it, and back into a regular training schedule:
5 miles
8.5 miles

Week 4 after Corvallis:
Got lazy at the beginning of the week, and had horrible headache at the end of the week. Tried to run on Sunday and could only get 2 miles done before my head hurt too much that I had to stop
2miles

Week 5 after Corvallis:
On Wednesday I had my first personal training session. I ridiculously thought i would get my run in after my session...yea right. Got a great workout in, but was tired. I should have ran that day because I was so sore on Thursday and Friday I couldn't get a run in either!

So after a month of horrible, or more so non existent, training I am getting up at dawn tomorrow to run the Portland Rock 'n Roll half marathon. I will finish, maybe not a great time, but I will finish.

After basically a month off I need to tell myself that was the last time I can do that. Until October I have to focus, focus on the 26.2 miles.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a good start!

Days till Marathon: 141
Total training miles: 177.15

Corvallis Half Marathon

It was a week to go until my first half marathon of the year. I was excited because I felt like I have been really training hard, and in better shape for this half marathon, than any other one I’ve done. I did a great 11.5 miles on Sunday, and was ready for my weekly training. Monday I was still tired from my long run on Sunday, so I decided to give myself the day off. Went to bed Monday night and looked forward to my Tuesday run. Woke up on Tuesday and could barely breathe! My back hurt when I woke up and figured I had just slept funny, but by the time I got to work I could barely breathe. It was like my ribs were bruised. It was the weirdest thing. I already had plans to go out on Tuesday, so I figured another night of sleep would make them all better. Nope! Those damn things hurt until Friday. I almost went to the gym on Wednesday, but I didn’t want to hurt them more than they already did, so I opted to stay home. It was a smart choice I think. I’m pretty sure my body is sending me every possible signal that I shouldn’t be a runner, and I am doing as best as I can to avoid each and every one of them.

On Friday my stomach/ribs felt good enough to try a short run, in preparation for the race on Sunday. I went to the gym, ready to get a good run in. My breathing was ok, not too much pain, but then, around mile 2 I could feel my ITB's starting to act up. Talk about f'ing frustrating! I've been training for months with my knees cooperating and not bothering me, but noooooo, they have to act up the run before a race. Again, frustrating!

Race day finally came and it was a beautiful day in Corvallis! Minor per-race mishap when I lost my license but thankfully one of the volunteers picked it up and had it safe for me to pick up at the end of the race. Once that worry was gone I could focus on how to run the race. It was at last years race where I ran my personal best half marathon time, at 2 hours 47 min 20 seconds. This year I had trained harder and was in better shape, so I was really hoping to better my time. After a few more anxious per-race moments it was time to run!

The race started and I felt really good. I was paying attention to my watch to make sure I wasn't starting out to fast, kept to my pace and just enjoyed the run. I remembered that last year I stopped to walk a bit around the 4 mile mark, this year I didn't take a short walk break until 8 miles in. Also, from miles 4-6 there is one long gradual hill followed by small rolling hills for a while. Last year, because of my knees, I walked all the hills, just didn't think my knees would be able to withstand the  incline. This year I pushed myself through the hills though, which was a mini victory in itself. :)

My brother lives along the course route and he was going to cheer me on by his house, between mile 8-9. I was crushing along and I have to admit, I thought he was going to miss me. I had passed where I expected to see him and he wasn't there, so I figured he overslept for was there and had already gone. Next thing I knew, I turned the corner, and there he was! He smiled and waved and I weren't over for a quick second to say hi, I mean I was running a race, no long hellos allowed :). One of his roommates, whom I had never met, came with him which I though was really nice of him. I told Geoffrey I would see him in about an hour at the finish, and waved goodbye.

This is where the last few miles got hard. There were 4 miles to go, and by this time the sun was out and it was hot! I know, hot in April in Corvallis, but it really was! the last four miles were tough, but I just kept remembering how tough they were last year too, and that in comparison it was easy.

Since it was such a beautiful day out, lots of people were out cheering the runners on, which is always nice. It was fun to run down 26th street (fraternity row) and remember all the good times (and let's face it, bad times) I had there. I was getting closer, only about two miles to go and you pass the Memorial Union which was literally my home away from home for 4 years. And just when you can see the stadium and you think the finish is so close you can taste it, you take a right turn and you still have another mile to go. Possibly the cruelest mile on the course, just because you think you are so close to the finish but realize you still have another mile to go.

The whole course is beautiful, it has to be, it's in Corvallis, there's no other choice. It like a 3 hour run through memory lane for me, and it's wonderful. But the best part of the race is the finish line. As you finish the last mile you run through Reser stadium parking lot and run down the players tunnel onto the football field, you race to the 50 yard line where your name is called, you are on the jumbo ton, and most importantly...you are finished!

Unfortunately my brother had a bit of trouble getting to the finish on time, so I finished about 10 min before he could get there. But once he was there I gave Nima good ole sweaty hug, and thanked him for cheering me on.

I was a bit disappointed when I finished because according to the time I was keeping on my watch I though I was about a minute behind my time from last year. Which had me fairly down for a little bit confiding how much better prepared I was this year. But when I came home and checked the official times I was happy to see that I was actually faster this year...by a whole 4 seconds!! :)

I'm happy I ran the Corvallis half again this year, and I'll probably sign up for it again next year. It's out of the way, and takes some time to get there, but it really is gorgeous and I just love that place. When I left Corvallis, a little piece of my heart stayed there. :)

The good: I felt fine the next day! I tiny bit sore, but not at all what I expected. My training really worked!
The bad: Good grief did I get burnt! I didn't even think to put on sunscreen and my back got scorched!
The funny: my favorite sign: "Awesome job random dude that I don't know"

Total training miles: 153.4

April Update

Last week I felt like I was able to get back into more of a groove with my running and training. Felt good to be back in the habit! Had to get my serious training hat back on since I half a half marathon on April 15th!

Wednesday, April 4th: 4 miles
Saturday, April 7th: 3 miles
Sunday, April 8th: 11.5 miles

My long run was really good this week! Ran at about a 13:30 pace, but ran the whole thing and felt mostly good the whole way too. I stopped only to refill my water bottle, but I figure that's about the same length I would stop at a water station on a race path so I'm not beating myself up about it. :)

A few thoughts:
A) I joke about how slow I am, and I know its all about getting the mileage in, not how fast I'm doing it, but good grief I think a snail could be at me. In a perfect world I would be happy with 10 min miles, but realistically I would at least like to get to 12. Hope it happens one day...at this pace the freaking walkers can beat me.
B) I have my first half marathon of the year coming up on Sunday, the 2nd annual Corvallis half marathon. I ran it last year and ran my PR time on that course. M in better shape this year and with better training, so I hope I can get a new PR, if even only by a few seconds.
C) I use Nike+ to keep track of my running. Since I started running again in the summer of 09, I have run over 650 miles. With my most recent long run, I finally hit the blue stage! Silly things,I know, but I'm excited about it. Only purple and black stages after this. Just a short 900+ miles to purple group. :)
D)Apparently I have caught half marathon fever. I have the Corvallis half this weekend, then Portland Rock n Roll on May 20th, and I think I am going to sign up for two more this week. I think I am going to sign up for the Vancouver USA half on June 17th and the Lackamas Half on July 22. I figure it's good motivation to really keep me to my training plan. Plus it means more shiny medals :). And the best part, gives me something else to be mad at Mirranda about, this is totally her fault.

Two more training runs this week, then half marathon on Sunday! Wish me luck!

Days till marathon: 181
Total training miles: 140.3

April 2

Todays training plan was to run 5 miles at a 13:32 pace. Since I had a little falling off the wagon lately with my training, I've made a decision. Until the half marathon in May, the one I origionally set this plan up for, I'm just going to focus on the mileage and not the pace. I'd rather make sure I get the miles in than do it in a certain time.

Since I just did my long run yesterday I was worried about tired legs and getting through the 5 miles. Around mile 3 I could really feel the fatigue setting in, but I powered through and finished the 5 miles in about 1 hour and 10 min. :)

I'm taking tomorrow off, but I'll be back at it on Wednesday.

Days till marathon: 188
Total training miles: 121.8 miles

Running out of a funk

Well, I've been in quite a funk lately...work wise and running wise. Late February through March I just couldn't seem to get in a groove with keeping my training schedule up. Between dog-sitting, being sick and having way too much going on at work, I just couldn't get in a rhythm. Part of me is mad at myself for not following my training plan exactly, and another part of me knows that I needed a bit of the mental rest. So there is nothing I can do to change it now, just have to move on and move forward. I promise myself to be better at posting updates too. Even if no one else reads this, the point was for me to have a history of my marathon training and it doesn't do any good if I only post once a week. So even if they are short, there will be more frequent posts!

Here's an recap on my most recent runs:

March 18th: Shamrock Run, 9.3 miles
After last years miserable Shamrock Run I told myself I wouldn't sign up for it again. It was freezing, crowded, pouring rain, etc. Mirranda had said the same thing after last year, but apparently we both forgot about that and proceeded to sign up for the 15k again this year. This year it was much better! Mirranda and I went with a friend we work with, Joe and it was a really good time. The race was supposed to begin at 745 but was delayed because of an Amtrak train, they didn't want us to have to stop for it during the run. So I think we finally got started around 815. And let me just say, I HATE the start of races. Even though I always start at the back I swear the first mile is just people plowing past me, fast as hell. I know I'm slow, but that first mile of a race is torture. So the race is going along well...the at about mile 2 we had to stop for the Amtrak! After all that waiting all us slow people still had to wait. I did laugh at the guy who had to stop for the train first who turned to everyone and said "I just want you all to remember I was ahead of you" :-). Things were going well till about mile 3.5 when the hills started. Oh Terwilliger. An evil, evil person made those hills. So I walked up most of the VERY steep hills. And of course, during the hills is when we got wind, rain, sleet and a bit of snow. The good part about the hills, is that once they are done, the last 3 miles are all down hill. Downhill can be just as bad on the knees as uphill, but overall it is easier. I finished the race in 1 hour 59 min and 30 seconds. I was hoping for under 2 hours and 5 mil, so I was happy about my time. The huge shiny medal was worth it, it always is :-).

March 27
Regular training: 4 miles

March 29
Regular training: 4.25

April 1
Regular training: 10 miles
My training schedule had me scheduled to run 12 miles, but since I have been slacking I am good with the 10 miles. It was a hard 10 miles. I felt good through about 5 miles, but had a couple struggles to fight through on the last 5. It's really interesting, and I can't quite figure it out, but I run on the treadmill and when I run at 4.3 I am usually fine, no matter how long I am running for. When I go up just one notch to 4.4 I will be ok for a mile or so, then I feel really fatigued. It is literally a difference of like 20 seconds per mile...why my body thinks this is such a big difference I can't understand. Oh well, I'll keep working on it. Overall I fell good about the run today and hope I can use it to propel me back into staying on top of my training...only 2 weeks till the Corvallis Half Marathon!

Days till marathon: 189
Total training miles: 116.8 miles

Quick Update

Long week, so not much to write about, but just a quick update on the last few training runs.

Thursday, March 8: 4.5
Saturday, March 10: 7 miles
Tuesday, March 13: 4.5 miles

Days till marathon: 203
Total training miles: 89.25

Feeling better and back at it!

Well, I am finally starting to feel better...FINALLY! That cold really wiped me out. Today was my first day back running after feeling better. I was a bit worried about going back because, even though it was only a week, you can lose all that running endurance quick. I did my first run in over a week tonight, 3 miles, and felt pretty good. A little tired still, but I think that's just because I am not quite 100% yet. It felt good to be back at the gym running though!

I need to be focused in my runs over the next two weeks. I signed up for the Shamrock 15k and will need all the training I can get in these next two weeks. I'm not concerned at the distance much, but it's a pretty hilly course, so need to prepare for that.

Here's to finishing the rest of this weeks runs, and hopefully feeling 100% health wise too!

Days till marathon: 215
Total training miles: 73.25

Sick Week

After my run last Sunday I could feel a little tickle in my throat and stuffiness in my nose. I knew I was getting sick but I was hoping that it would just be a quick cold, maybe a day or two. I woke up Monday morning and felt like shit. I ended up working half days on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. This cold kicked the crap out of me. Very stuffy nose, then to my head, then back down to my throat, where it is finishing its stay currently.

It was really frustrating to be sick for a few different reasons:
1) I didn't have the energy to go running all week. It was all I could do to get to work a few times. I wanted to run, but I knew if I spent energy doing that it would be taking away energy I should be using to get better.
2) I was dog sitting my favorite little doggy, Gabbi, this week. I knew I was going to dog sit for about a month, so I had rearranged my training schedule to accommodate watching her, so I wouldn't have to leave her alone more than when I was at work. So to rearrange all the training and then not be able to train was frustrating.
3) I was sick for a week in October with strep throat. It took me out. Missed a whole week of work. Knowing how sick I was then, not that long ago, it just seemed silly to me to feel so out of it with just a cold. Seemed absolutely ridiculous, but it was true, this thing took every ounce of energy I had this week.
4) I'm a pretty healthy person. I hardly ever get sick. Between the strep throat and this damn cold, plus a few other sickness here and there in the past year, can't ever remember being this sick this often. I hope I've used all my sickness up for a while. That's either the case or I'm getting old, and I'm not ready to del with that so it has to be that I've gotten all my sickness in for a while.

As I told Mirranda, you can tell I felt like crap because I didn't even car how I looked at work this week. Didn't do my hair nice once. Even wore what I call my work pajamas one day (basically chino pants, t-shirt and cardigan). For those that know me, that is not an outfit I wear to work when I feel ok. :)

So the basic message of this post is that I missed a whole friggin week of training. Even today I'm not feeling great yet. Hoping that I'll be all better on Monday and can start the training again. Also hoping taking a week off won't eliminate all the hard work and training I had done before.

Days till marathon: 218
Total training miles: 70.25

Sunday, February 26

Normally I have Sundays off but I moved some trainings around this upcoming week since I am dog sitting. So I ran on Sunday. Did 4 miles at 13:42.

Total training miles: 70.25