Further musings on the race and racing

Some thoughts on "racing"

So I did my first real race. And it was good--definitely an experience I'm glad I did! It was an exciting event to be a part of, and mostly I was just happy that my mom got to see me run. Dan sees me come home sweaty from my runs multiple times a week, but my mom hasn't really seen me run since I've only gotten into it in the past year. I was excited to show her what I had been working towards and help her understand the whole scene.

I completely failed to get a picture of me with my mom on
 race day, so you get to see this one again.

But beyond that...I don't know. I haven't really told my whole former-chubster-gets-into-running tale on the blog yet (coming soonish!), so it is a little hard to explain. I had built up running a race as such an EVENT in my mind. That all the sudden I would feel like a real runner and would be part of the ranks of all those effortless track girls. Obviously this didn't happen. Even though I finished, and in what felt like a respectable time, it didn't make me feel more authentic or more like I belonged in the running world. I just felt like...okay, I did my weekly long run with some other people this week. Not anything life changing.

I also expected to get the "racing bug" that everyone talks about. And that didn't really happen either...I came home and was excited to have finished but just kind of moved on to the next thing mentally. I did start tossing the idea of signing up for a 5k around in my mind because I'm interested in testing my speed a bit. I got as far as looking up some local races, but I couldn't commit to the idea of putting money down for one. I just kept returning to the notion of why pay money for this when I get just as much out of running solo. 

That all being said...signing up for the race is 100% what caused me to follow through with my training for the 10k and is what helped me push myself past that 3-4 mile hump. If I hadn't made a public declaration (here and in real life) that I was doing a 10k, I would have felt comfortable slacking on my training or bailing on the race. So I am glad I did it for that reason, and would recommend that others struggling with motivation do the same. I'll probably sign up for another race for the same reason in the future--I'm toying with the idea of a 10 miler in 2013. 

But I discovered that I'm not one of those people that will be looking for a race to do every month--not interested in racing just for the sake of doing a race. Which a little bit surprised me! I'm fairly competitive, and I generally like being able to measure my progress and to evaluate myself against external benchmarks. But somehow running has become more personal than that. Racing too much and constantly trying to beat my times would somehow feeling like I'm tainting it? Turning this truly relaxing and rewarding activity that is all mine into another thing to try and succeed at and that others can use to measure progress. There is something particularly comforting in doing it without external pressures and just for me. 

Thoughts on the MCM 10k

My thoughts can be pretty much summarized in what I said to Dan after the fact: "I don't want to do another race where I'm running the sideshow event to the main race." The 10k is clearly an afterthought on MCM weekend--as it should be, seeing as the marathon had about 4 times as many finishers. But that made being in the 10k kind of sucky. Not enough portapotties, not enough (or really much at all) crowd interest, shitty course, eagerness to clear us out to make way for the marathoners...meh. If I'm going to shell out the cash to run a race (and deal with the crowds of a major race vs. a local one), I'd rather feel like I'm part of the actual event, not just the warm up act. But now I know!

Also, our shirts were hideous. Cotton long sleeves with mock turtleneck. Mock turtleneck! Why. At the least the medals were awesome! 

Workouts

Man, nothing since the 10k. The first couple of days I was stilted by Hurricane Sandy* and the corresponding laziness of being cooped up inside and working from home. And yesterday I started to develop a cold! It seems to be peaking today, so I'm hoping it clears up for the most part by the weekend. I'd like to get a run in. 

*My thoughts are with everyone re: Hurricane Sandy, of course. I feel like that should go without saying, but I also feel like I'm not allowed to mention Sandy without saying that. So, there you go. Hope everyone is safe!

Today's eats

I made that kale/apple/red onion Real Simple recipe (sans bacon) again last night. Just a really tasty side that reheats well! I ate it with a grilled cheese (with pickles) tonight for dinner--that grilled cheese totally hit the spot. Followed by lots of Milk Duds and Whoppers. Best candies ever that little kids seem to hate. Oops. More for me. 

Grilled cheese and pickles. Sandwich of champions.

MCM 10k Recap!

First race--check! It was a great experience. Starting on race day AM--

My mom and I rode the metro in from Virginia. It actually wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, crowds-wise--I think the marathon people all got there earlier. We got off at the Smithsonian metro stop and followed the crowds to the mall. There I made a beeline for the portapotties, but sill was greeted with huge lines. My mom guessed around 750 people, and I think that sounds right. Not enough of them!

Waiting...

I was still in line when the official start happened but close to the front, so I decided to stick it out. Others started to abandon, but I knew I would be in a later corral anyway so I wasn't concerned. I finally got in there and came out to them shouting over the megaphones "one minute until we take away the timing mats!" I shoved my stuff into my mom's arms and started sprinting toward the start. And I made it! [Sidenote--this was only at 8:15 AM and the race started at 7:55. I really didn't think it would close down that fast, especially since they could see how long the portapotty lines were!]

And then I started running. One unexpected perk of literally sprinting to make the cutoff was that it was initially pretty uncrowded. Not too much weaving to be able to pass people. I came around the mall after the first half mile and saw my mom! After that she hopped on the metro to meet me at the end, so I was happy that she was able to see me run at least a little bit, even toward the beginning.

After the mall, the rest of the course was a lot of this:

So much highway

Never having done a road race before, I'm not sure if this was typical? They did break it up with groups of marines along the course! They were very friendly and eager to give high fives. But there weren't a ton of spectators beyond that--some groups of cow people (not sure what their cause was, but they all had cowbells) and occasionally a few others. I had been dreading the turning/weaving in Crystal City (I tend to prefer to run straight) but that ended up being my favorite part of the course because there were spectators and music! Shout out to Lululemon for having a great crowd.

I might be selling the course short--I honestly don't remember a ton of it beyond the highway ramps and bridges, but the map shows me there might be more I'm forgetting. I was focused on running and weaving. After the first 1.5 miles I started to catch up to the bigger group of people and had to do a bit more weaving than I had expected (seeing as I am slow and usually the one being passed, not doing the passing. I ended up with an extra .14 mile, according to my watch). I was really surprised how many walkers there were at the race. Lots of people walking in honor of someone, etc. Definitely a meaningful race for a lot of people.

I wish I could give a mile by mile play by play, but it honestly all kind of blends together a few days out. With about 1.5 mile remaining, I realized that beating 1:10 (my A+ goal!) was feasible and got my head in the game. I wouldn't let it feel easy--that was when I really started to feel like I was participating in a race, not just a regular long run. It was exciting!

And finally, I came to Rosslyn. All of my "on the course" proofed photos look like this:

where I'm slightly looking up. I'm nearly positive that is because they were all taken right at the end (notice the crowds in the background) before the massive hill that leads up to the monument. I'm just so clearly thinking "you have got to be fucking kidding me" in all of them. But I did it! And I finished.

I honestly thought I would cry when it was over, but I held it together. (I'll do a second post on my takeaways/thoughts on doing my first race). The closest I came was when I got teary as the marine placed the medal around my neck and told me congratulations.

[Side note: people that know me in real life know that I'm not much of a military worshipper. Don't get me wrong, I'm immensely grateful for what they do and how they serve our country, but I sometimes think that the constant adulation they receive is a little much, especially when compared to others (e.g. paramedics, doctors, firefighters) that also save lives. That being said, I was truly touched by the significance of this race for many people--so many people running in memory of someone. There was a moment at the beginning of the race when we were all waiting for the portapotties and the race was starting. It was loud and jovial and then the Marines starting singing the National Anthem. A hush fell over the crowd, and I had this moment of...ohh, I get it. Awe and gratitude and a sense of being part of something.]

I want to buy this photo if they can remove crazy pink lady.

Bam. I did it.

Chip time

Coming in to the race, I knew it was only my first, so I didn't really need to set any goals. Finishing and not getting picked up by the course-clearing truck would be an accomplishment. But a little part of me knew I had a bit more in me than that. So I told my mom on the metro ride there: "I'll be happy if I finish in under 1:20, but I think I might be able to go for under 1:10." To which she just told me to have fun and finish. But I beat my goal! I'm so happy with that time. 11:09 average pace (although 10:55 when you account for my phone's distance measurement of 6.34 miles, not 6.2). Here are my splits:

mi	Pace (min/mi)	Elevation (ft)
1	10:59	11
2	11:00	-36
3	11:10	21
4	10:46	55
5	10:55	-68
6	10:57	25
7	10:14	42

I feel like I ran a solid race--relatively even splits! So proud to wear that medal:

Lots more to come on my thoughts on finishing my first race, whether I've got the "racing bug", and what my new running plan is. But for now I'm enjoying thinking of myself as a 10k finisher!

A series of unfortunate events (and a weekly workout summary)

The most unfortunate

Sooo long story short, Dan broke his arm. It happened on Tuesday and is a bad break. He's recooping okay (and being a good patient!), and we will know more about what the next few months will bring at his doctor's appointment tomorrow. So I've been mostly helping him (my job offers the flexibility to work from home) and have not been thinking about blog posts!

Smaller issues

I broke my laptop cord (Dan has an extra laptop that I'm borrowing for the time being!), I'm stressed about grad school apps, the apartment is a mess, and I feel like there are a bunch of nagging tasks over my head. All of this is immensely stressing me out, and I seem to be reverting to my old coping mechanisms (well, aside from drinking at least)--eating like crap and basically curling into a fetal position stress ball to ignore the things that are stressing me out (although the stress fetal position is taking the form of "watching shit tons of Law & Order" recently). The avoid, eat my feelings, and ruminate with inaction coping method. Bad!

So this week I'm hoping to reclaim things a bit. Tackle one grad school task and one nagging task (including the cleaning) per night. Just one small one. I think I can handle that.

Weekly workout summary - October 21, 2012

At the very least I've gotten in a few runs this week, though I'm regretting not having worked out today-- I think that wold have made me feel a little less stressed right now!

Monday: 45 min pilates/random internet workout videos in the apartment.

Tuesday: 4 mile run @ 10:51 min/mile average pace. Thank goodness I was relatively quick on this--I came home to Dan having broken his arm (and being unable to move/get to his phone). I felt so terrible!

Wednesday: Rest day/caring for Dan!

Thursday: Dan insisted I get out and go for a run (the man knows how to keep me sane :) ). 4 miles in 10:53 min/mile average pace. Unintentionally quick--probably just anxious to get home!

Friday: Rest day.

Saturday: 7 miles @ 11:40 min/mile average pace. I did my long run close to home this week (not on the bike path), which made for some good hilly challenges. I felt pretty good about this run--not super tired at the end and relatively even paced throughout. I feel ready for next weekend's 10k!

Sunday: Skipped cross training. Ah, well, it happens. 

Total weekly mileage: 15 miles. My highest to date! Next week will be lower in an attempt to give my legs an easy week before the 10k. And in an attempt to give myself some more time to get things done!

Keeping this quick--hopefully I get back in the regular picture-taking and posting habits soon!

About that Happiness Project

Happiness Project
The Happiness Project  month on finding focus at work is going...okay. Just okay. Definitely not stellar--the end of last week was a disaster. But when it works, it works! I am focused at work, am finding my flow, etc.  But I haven't gotten it to work consistently yet.

I had additional goals this week--use the Pomodoro method to take breaks and go outside for a walk or do push ups for a break. The original idea was the have prescheduled breaks to look forward to, as opposed to just taking them when I want--which is good in theory. I'm realizing though that I probably tried to take on too many mini-goals for the month and still need to work on mastering the goals I started with. And honestly, the break thing is not really what I need--I'm still struggling with finding my focus to begin with--planned interruption doesn't seem like a good fit right now.

So with that in mind, and as I'm finding that certain things becoming more important than others, I'm going to focus on these goals for the rest of the month:

• Planning my next day the night before. Before I leave work, I take stock of the day and what I have coming up tomorrow. This is definitely helpful for getting focused immediately at work the next day, and generally helps me clear my mind of anxiety before leaving the office.
• Getting something done by 10 am. This is absolutely key. If I get something done before then I feel accomplished and set a focused tone for the day. If I let myself get distracted after breakfast it is hard for me to refocus until after lunch. 
• Setting an intention for the day. This was one I didn't even include originally in my list of goals for the HP, but I'm realizing just how important it is. I literally create a post-it note every morning and set out my reason for working hard that day (...because apparently just doing my job is not sufficient incentive for me. I suck). But really, I find this so helpful--when I get distracted, I can look at my post-it and remind myself why I'm working. For the most part they tend to be related to things I want to do after work, and that's okay. Whatever gets me through the day at this point--we can work on super lofty career ambitions later.

I took pictures of several different examples of these and tried embarrassingly hard to
make a collage on one of those photo collage sites. I failed. So you get only one. 

So I'm going to track those habits for the remainder of the month, with an added one:

• Get something done by 2 pm (after lunch). I tend to eat lunch around 12:30, done by 1 pm, and I have a hard time refocusing again after that. I'm going to try to use the morning strategy again in the afternoon. 

I will also continue to use the internet blocking program. I haven't found that to be particularly motivating, but it does serve as a reminder (and makes me feel sufficiently guilty about getting off track). 

Workout
Meh. It was raining when I got home from work today and I wimped out on running outside. Coupled with the fact my apartment gym (which is my only gym currently) has a whopping total of 3 treadmills, one of which is broke right now...and yeah. The run didn't happen. I ended up doing about 40 minutes of various workout videos--a couple of pilates ones, a dumbbell one for arms, and then topped it off with some exercises of my own. So let's call it a cross-training/strength day.

I'm determined to still get in 3 runs this week though--and luckily tomorrow's 0% chance of rain is cooperating.

Eats
Two meals to share today! Lunch was pretty simple, but I remembered to take a picture:

Except it was sideways.

Mixed greens with avocado and edamame--I always try to get the toppings chunks to show up on top of the salad for photos but when I adjust one piece the other one falls through the lettuce. Oh well. With a side of leftover pizza, which was the actually filling part of the meal.

But dinner was the real star of the show today. I followed this recipe from Real Simple, though halving it, because that is a lot of food. I had made it once before and knew it was tasty. I probably could have cooked my kale a little longer to give my jaw a break, but it was really good and garnered lots of leftovers. I also roasted up some butternut squash because I needed to use it up so I threw some in there too.

Topped with pesto and toasted walnuts!

Weekly Workout Summary - October 14, 2012

Weekly workout summary

I'm going to make this quick! I spent a fair amount of my Sunday watching the Bills game in DC with my friend Jess (we won, woohoo!). Lots of fun, but means I'm shorter on time than I usually am on Sundays!

I battled some knee pain after my long run last week, so this week only included two runs. I still tried to stay active on my usual days though!

Monday: 3.5 miles @ 11:05 min/mile pace. Battled some knee pain here but mentally/cardiovascularly felt good.

Tuesday: Rest day.

Wednesday: Should have been a run day, was a failed cross-training day instead. Mostly just did strength training.

Thursday: Skipped yoga for fear it would be tough on my knee--did about 30 min of pilates at home using some random web videos. I should start doing these on Tuesday (and go back to yoga on Thursday)--they were easy enough to do at home quickly before starting dinner, but not so tough that it would defeat the purpose of having an easier day.

Friday: Rest day.

Saturday: Awesome, new PDR-setting long run! 7 miles @ 11:45 min/mi average pace.

Sunday: I went to yoga in the park this AM! Took a nice 75 min yoga class at 9 am this morning. It was a new instructor for me (though from the same studio I normally go to), and it was a more strength-style class, as opposed to more vinyasa flow like I'm used to. Think lots of chair holds, planks, lunge holds, etc. It did a good job of keeping us warm in the slightly nippy weather. But it was awesome to be outside--we practice to the left of these fountains:

Good way to start the day.

The best part was that my knee was actually feeling BETTER after yoga. I didn't push myself too hard, but the stiffness that was there in my knee beforehand ended up disappearing by the end of class. Unexpected but I'll take it!

Total weekly mileage: 10.5

My goals for this week workout-wise are just to get through the week injury free and with some miles under my belt. I am really starting to get a sense of how soon the race is--I just want to be able to run it!

Low key weekend

Low key weekend so far

Weekend so far has been good! Dan hasn't been feeling well so it has been low key, but we've still be enjoying ourselves. Last night we stayed in and watched Beetlejuice, which is an incredibly odd movie. It was one of Dan's childhood favorites (or rather one of his sister's, so he just watched it a lot) and I had never seen it. It really is incredibly weird--not just regular Tim Burton weird, but also just kind of oddly paced and using random music. But still fun/funny!

Such an odd ending.
Image source

Today I did my long run (report below) and then we went to lunch and checked out the new Target! I am way too excited for the Target. The grand opening is tomorrow (obviously I will be going again), but they did a soft open earlier this week. It is a really nice store and they had a lot of "new store discounts," which really serve to entice me to buy things I don't need, which is pretty much the entire purpose of Target.

Then I hit Trader Joe's solo because Dan needed to rest, poor guy. This was a mistake though. I had just received the new "Fearless Flyer" that they send out in the mail and decided that I needed ALL THE PUMPKIN. Seriously. I left with way too much, but that's how it always goes with Trader Joe's (and why I don't do my weekly shopping there--well that, and Wegmans is awesome).

Workout

Long run today! I hadn't run since Monday due to the knee pain, so I was looking forward to this. I covered 7 miles today--another new personal distance record [PDR--spelled out at Dan's recommendation :)]. The weather was FANTASTIC. Seriously like 20 degrees cooler than last week--cold at the beginning but I warmed up! I got to break out the long sleeves again:

Don't mind the messy bathroom. I was trying to
show off the thumb holes but just look odd!

I ran the whole thing in 1:22:15--for an average pace of 11:45 min/mile. Not bad! The knee held up for the most part--I'd describe it as discomfort, not true pain (I had told myself if I felt anything like true pain or shooting that I would quit). It'll depend on how I'm feeling, but right now I'm thinking that I can just resume a normal running schedule. The significant amount of rest didn't really make it feel much better, and running on it didn't make it feel worse. So who knows.

I am mad at myself about one thing though--a girl approached me while I was running to chat (about the tights I was wearing) and we talked for about a mile. She ended up moving past because she was faster than me.But I didn't end up getting her contact info! No I wasn't trying to hit on her, but I did want to friend hit on her (that still sounds creepy). I have been trying to make fitness friends in the area! Oh well, hopefully I'll see her out the trail again, and if Beth sees this, shoot me an email!

Post run car thumbs up (that is cut off):

I don't normally wear a headband when I run, but I thought it could
double as an ear warmer in a pinch today! (Unnecessary)

Beer reviews

I've tried a couple beers in the last few days (insert usual caveat that I am no beer expert, just interested in documenting what I like)--

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale (bottle): Drinking this right now actually! Almost done. I like this a fair amount. Definitely more of a dessert beer, not something to be consumed with food. The pumpkin spice is strong, and it has a good amount of sweetness. But I don't know...I actually don't love this?! In years past, I've been somewhat fixated on pumpkin beer, but this year it isn't really hitting the spot for me--not beer-y enough. Is it possible that my palette has matured beyond pumpkin beers? But still, this is a very solid pumpkin beer--strong pumpkin pie taste with a nice amount of sweetness. The flavor is really there--I'd say this sets the pumpkin beer standard, if that's your thing. Woah, and surprisingly strong, just looked up the ABV (8.0%). You don't really taste that!

New Belgium Brewery Trippel (bottle): Shared this with Dan on Thursday night (debates require drinking--actually thats a lie, we were watching something else and only tuned in for the second half). I wasn't in love with this, but it was very drinkable. The bottle said it had tastes of coriander, but I must not know what coriander tastes like. Had a nice fruity grassy mix. I wouldn't seek it out again, but wouldn't turn it down at a party!

Harpoon Octoberfest (bottle): Consumed on Thursday. I was really surprised at how much I liked this beer because I can really go either way with Octoberfest beers. It had a nice malty taste balanced by the hops--some spice flavor that I couldn't place but very much enjoyed. Incidentally, other people online seem to really not like how this beer finishes ("astringent" seems to be the word of choice), but I didn't have that complaint at all. I'd get this again!

Eats

Not much too exciting on this front. Tonight Dan and I did our homemade pizza (with premade crust). On half the pizza, I did a mozzarella/ricotta/pesto combo, and on the other half, I used the rest of my kale/apple/red onion saute leftovers and topped it with some brie. This was surprisingly tasty! Definitely a fun way to use up leftovers.

I forgot to take a picture until I was halfway through.

Browsing my phone also reveals a picture of the lunch I had on both Thursday and Friday:

Mixed greens topped with edamame, goat cheese, and sweet potato that was warmed in the microwave. Great combination--I liked how the warmed sweet potato made the greens slightly warm. Then on the side I had my favorite combo--cottage cheese on Triscuits (the thin crisp kind). So tasty.

Annnd right now I think I have some TJ's pumpkin ice cream on the horizon...

An attempt at cross training

Cross-training fail
So tonight would have been my normal run night, but I knew my knee was still nagging me and decided to rest up. This made me grumpy. So I decided to attempt to cross train at my teeny apartment gym. This was largely a bust. I tried to use the bike (there is only one and it is a recumbent style) and noticed the knee pain immediately (when I was bending my knee). Then I tried the elliptical, which started out okay but after moving the knee for about 8 minutes I noticed the pain and got off. And then I just did arm and core weights. Blehhh. I barely got sweaty.

I think the thing that I'm the most frustrated with (besides being nervous about the race) is that it isn't actually THAT painful. Like I said yesterday, it is only mildly painful, more like a bad discomfort. Enough that I know that I shouldn't be running on it (and to be fair it becomes more painful the more I use it), but not enough that it feels like I couldn't just go for a quick jog. But I know I should rest it and risk doing more damage if I run on it while it hurts. I'm really really hoping that I can run by this weekend--I'd love to get my long run in. RICE RICE baby. Man I'm lame.

As a side note: when did I become a person that actually looks forward to their run? Somewhere along the way the transformation happened. Right now, I think it is mostly just feeling anxiety about my first race (and wanting to be able to run to show myself I have nothing to worry about) combined with wanting to enjoy this cooler weather after slogging through DC heat all summer! That being said, I don't think I'm truly a person yet that enjoys their run just for the sake of running. If you told me tomorrow that I could lose 10 pounds, never get less healthy than I am, and life a long life without exercise, I'd probably sit on the couch all day. But I know I need to exercise and running is currently the lesser evil.

A Happiness Project update was promised, but I had an all-day work training today. Which a) means I didn't get to put my HP goals into practice and b) am really burnt out on work and can't bear to think about it anymore tonight!

Workouts
See above. Lame.

Eats
Also lame. Combined leftovers--cornbread quiche from the weekend and tofu and kale from last night. Another oddly down-home-cookin' looking meal.