Madison Mini-Marathon and arbitrary numbers

Yesterday I laced up for the Madison Mini-Marathon.  I'm not very good at tapering.  Really, there is no tapering that exists for me.  I get to the long run and then just stop running any distance over 5 miles.  It's more of a drop off.  I try to help this by doing my long run only about 2 weeks out from the race, but how much it actually helps is debatable.

After the 10 mile long run on a Sunday two weeks ago, I've only ran a 5k race, two 4 mile runs, and then a 6 mile run this past Wednesday.  I kept up with the yoga and did some biking, but made myself do no exercise whatsoever on Friday.

Yesterday morning, I got up and got on the scale and clocked in at my heaviest.  Ugh, I thought.  Recently, I've been thinking some about this number on the scale and my difficulty in letting it go.  I've gotten better at not dwelling on the number, but I still have to mentally justify that number each time I step on the scale.  Even though I feel healthy and fit, I still struggle with just letting the scale be what it is. 

Race starts at 7am, and I was supposed to meet Barry at 6am at his place to ride downtown together.  I set the alarm for 5:15, and slowly rolled out of bed.  I spent a good 10 minutes dousing myself in sunscreen, trying my best to reach my back without any help.  After digging around for running clothes, I made a cup of tea and only had about half of it before I went out the door with a granola bar in hand.  At 6:02, I was in my car on Barry's driveway.  Barry was running later than me, so I munched on my granola bar and sipped water to make sure I was well hydrated.  We got downtown about 6:25am and parked at a metered spot, deciding to risk a ticket.  Thankfully, it was easy to find a parking spot downtown despite how close it was to race start.

I don't own a running watch.  People ask sometimes how do I know how fast I'm going.  I tell that that I usually just listen to my body.  I aim to push in training and my body tells me when it's too much.  So when I formulate race strategies, it's more of a mental game and throughout the race, it's a constant loop in my head of "remember the miles to go".  For this race, I debated starting with the 2:00 group or the 2:10 group.  Since I was in Corral G, only the 2:10 pacers were in my corral, so I decided to start a bit behind them and to aim to chase down the 2:00 pacers.  Barry had plans of dropping out of the race or to walk for large chunks of the second half.  I wasn't sure what he was going to do, but I knew that running with him is always a bad idea for me.  He's like the watch that I don't need when I want to stay tuned in to how my body is feeling.  I resolve to ignore where he is when the gun goes off.

The race starts and my legs feel fatigued already, but I catch up to the 2:00 pacers pretty quickly.  At this point, I know I'm running sub-9:00 min miles to have caught up to 2:00 pacers about 2 miles in.  But I'm feeling good despite a nagging fatigue in my legs, so I maintain pace and run with the 2:00 group for a while.  I get a little bit ahead of them in anticipation of the water stops, but somewhere around mile 4, I'm feeling really good and I get pretty far ahead of the 2:00 group.  I know they're behind me, but I'm not sure where.  I walk through every water stop.  At this point, I'm resolving to not let the 2:00 group pass me until mile 8.  We get to mile 8, and my pace has slowed.  I know the distance between me and the 2:00 group is shortening when I hear spectators cheer the 2:00 pacers just as we exit the Arboretum.

Right before mile 9 marker is Cemetery Hill.  This was a daunting, daunting hill.  We went up at a sharp incline, leveled for a bit, and then went up some more.  A lot, a lot of people around me were walking at this point and I aim to just make it up the hill.  The hill took a lot out of me and not too long after, the 2:00 pacers pass me.  I keep them in sight though, and slowly recover enough to catch up to them again.  By mile 11, when we turned onto Lakeshore Path, I'm shadowing the 2:00 pacers, and there is hardly anyone around them.  Either everyone's found their legs and managing to stay well ahead of them, or they're lost the 2:00 group.  I know I've got a little bit of a cushion having started behind the 2:00 pacers, but I have no idea how much.  Knowing I'm near the end and almost done keeps my speed up.  When we get to the Memorial Union, I hear the pacers say to each other how they try to tell those in their group to hurry up ahead of them to guarantee a sub-2:00.  I wasn't expecting to have any speed left in me, but when we round that final corner, I catch up to and pass the 2:00 pacers.  I hear them say they've got 40 seconds to cross the finish and make sub-2:00 and they are right on target with their time.  The finish is downhill and I sped down that faster than I had imagined possible at that point.  I felt good despite the blister that I knew had formed around mile 10. 

1:58:47 was my final time.  Sub-2:00 was a PR that I've been chasing for about 2 years now.  I'm happy to have gotten there, but the thrill of achieving a PR is not what it used to be.  I noticed this after the Full Moon 5k.  It was a great PR, but it was mostly just another race.  We attach more importance to reaching a sub-2:00 time, but the difference between a 1:59 and a 2:02 is the same as 2:02 and 2:05.  It's just the difference between a good race day and a bad race day.  Ultimately, I'm still just a 2:00 half marathoner.  

But numbers are useful for lines in the sand and setting a goal.  I'd like to run sub-2:00's consistently and see times closer to a 1:55.  

Two 5k's and extolling the benefits of yoga

This would be my third season of running.  It's been a little over two years since my very first race in April of 2012 at Black Earth.  I've actually raced a lot less this year.  A year ago, by the beginning of August, I had already ran 12 races.  This year, only 3.

It was hard to find local, affordable, yet chipped races in Southern California.  But here in Madison, there are an abundance of them.  Knowing a couple of regular runners and racers in Madison certainly makes a difference in the number of races I enter.  It's the social knowledge of which races are worth entering and which ones are not.

Running of the Swiss 5k
After the LA Marathon in the beginning of March, I've significantly reduced the number of miles.  I've kept running, but rather than running hard and pushing for longer and longer distances, I've just gotten on the treadmill with the goal of enjoying my run.  I hovered at about 3-6 miles maybe twice a week for a couple of months.  When I got back to Madison late May, I had plans to get back into the swing of races, and I thought the Running of the Swiss 5k in New Glarus would be perfect.

I wasn't expecting to set any records, but I wasn't quite expecting how difficult a time I would have with this race.  The lush greenness of Wisconsin was not treating my throat and lungs well.  About a mile in, those floating particles of pollen had found their way into my throat and into a cough that forced me to stop and walk.  About 2 minutes later, I started jogging again, keeping it nice and light so I wouldn't be breathing too hard.

In the end I finished 28:35.  I was ecstatic.  I was hoping for a 28:35 but I had given up any hope of that once I started walking.  I kind of couldn't believe that I managed that even with walking for 2 minutes in the middle there.

Following this race, I signed for a couple of races for the fall.  I thought there would be a few more races I'd run, but the next race was the Movin' Shoes 5k that happened last night.

Movin' Shoes Full Moon 5k
I ran this race last year, and it is definitely my favorite 5k despite the hill at the end.  It's a chipped finish, small field, gorgeous views of Monona Bay and the Capitol on the course, and friendly, friendly people.  There's also a pretty nice prize raffle at the end.

Though my running had still been very spotty throughout June and July (at best 12 miles/week), I started ramping up the miles in the last week or so because of the half marathon next Saturday.  I did 10 miles this past Sunday and it felt good.  Throughout June and July, I had gone on some bike rides and been doing A LOT of yoga.  I knew that the 5k should be under 30 minutes, but nearly all of my running had been on the treadmill and every runner warns about how non-equivalent the two are.  Moreover, I'm currently carrying about 5 lbs more than I was last year.

Last night, I set a PR by over a minute with a 25:18.  That's an 8:09/mile pace which I'm ecstatic about.  I like to measure my running by comparing with what I was capable of doing when I was 15.  At 15, I couldn't go sub-8:00 on one mile for the life of me.  The first mile of my 5k last night was 7:50, 16:02 at mile 2.  So much for trying to not go out too fast.   

This leads me to speculate.  I've ran less all year than I have last year and I'm 5lbs heavier than I was last year.  I shouldn't be setting 5k PRs.  The only thing that I can point to that I've really done differently is more biking and A LOT more yoga.

I started a regular yoga practice last summer, and pretty quickly I noticed the benefits.  Yoga was keeping me strong even if my mileage wasn't quite up to par.  Less miles logged in training, but setting a PR nonetheless at Quad Cities Half Marathon.  What took me a bit longer to notice was that yoga got rid of my hip pain.  My hips had started bothering me after some long runs, especially if I didn't sleep in the exact right way after.  These days, I don't feel it anymore.

It's not yoga specifically that helps with my running, but I believe instead the strength training and the stretching.  I may be carrying more weight, but I'd like to think that the extra weight is due to muscle gain.    

I'm still expecting a 2:10 half marathon next Saturday.  One thing I learned at Quad Cities last year is that while strength training may keep my muscles moving to the end, it doesn't help with the cardiovascular training I need to keep the same pace past mile 10.  

2013 Race Favorites

I meant to write this around the New Years since it seemed a fitting way to recap 2013.  But alas, here we are in March.

I set a few PRs in 2013.  Some by default, and some by training. I set a half marathon PR in March, and then set a new half marathon PR six months later in September.  I set a 10k PR as part of a 50k relay, along with a 5k PR.  These were by effort.  That is, these are instances of measurable improvement.  In comparison, I also set a 1 mile PR and a marathon PR by default since they were the first of these races that I've ran.

There were a few races in 2013 that were quite memorable and enjoyable for me.  Of course, because experiences are biased by default, you should take my pick of favorites with a grain of salt.  Had the weather been different that day, had I better trained, etc, I might have picked a different set of favorites.

In the category of half marathons, the Quad Cities half marathon is my favorite of 2013 for the unique experience of running across a suspension bridge, a very scenic course, cheap race entry and the ease of logistics.  The Get Lucky half marathon comes in second for its awesome swag and ease of logistics.  There aren't too many races where you can easily find parking just a five minute walk away when it's 50 minutes before the start.  Third is a toss-up between Fort Atkinson and Madison Mini-Marathon.  The Madison Mini drops a bit because of the course change that sends you up some not fun hills at mile 10, which also makes the last bit not as interesting.  However, the beginning of the race is still quite lovely as it hits all the highlights of Madison.  Fort Atkinson, on the other hand, has a quaint small town feel.  I love that the field of runners is so small and the race entry is so cheap.  I also particularly enjoy the AYCE pancake breakfast at the end and its flat course.  Last, of course, is the Haunted Hustle.  That one, I'm never doing again.

I only ran one marathon in 2013, and even if I were in the vicinity, I don't know that I'd do again in 2014.  I still remember the hills of Cincy, but I also remember the very well organized race.  I suspect it's one that I'll come back to in the future, just not immediately.

I ran three 5ks in 2013.  My favorite is definitely the Full Moon 5k.  I mean yes, I did PR so that may be why I think of it as fondly as I do, but I also remember the amazing view of the Capitol building at night as we rounded Monona Bay.  The glittering reflection of the Madison skyline in the water is mesmerizing.  I'd run it again just for that.  Neither the Arboretum Sprint nor the Valentine's 5k made a strong impression on me.  Those are take it or leave it for me.  The same goes for Syttende Mai and Crazy Legs.

The last 2013 race that I'm sad to be missing in 2014 is the Mad City 50/100k.  This is also a small race, but I enjoy it for the opportunity to run my favorite path in Madison, as well as the chance to run among runners of all speeds.  In most other races, I'm corralled or grouped with other runners of relatively the same speed as me, but in this event, I get passed by the faster elite runners AND I get to see the slower runners steadily plodding along, and both of them inspiring me to keep pushing for my best.  I also really like watching each of the relay teams support their teammates and the general camaraderie as we wait for our own teammates to finish. 

I have yet to make plans for 2014 races mostly because I'm not all that certain where I'll be for the second half of the year, but I'm looking at some of the races mentioned above if I happen to be in Madison.

LA Marathon

4:53:15. 

I can't complain.  It was 65 at the start, 79 by the time I was at mile 21.  I was SEVERELY undertrained.  I did a 19 miler two weeks ago and didn't touch my running shoes again until Friday before the race.  The 3 mile run on Friday was rough.  The 19 miler was supposed to be the 20 miles, but I had to stop at 19 because I felt like I had strained my groin.  So I stopped and stretched and things seemed to be okay.  But on Friday, I was feeling it again.

Sure enough, mile 8, that groin started acting up enough that I was certain I had strained it.  It hurt, but thankfully, not bad enough that I couldn't keep going at a slower pace.

My bowels were also giving me issues around mile 12, so I finally hopped in a porta potty at mile 15 marker.  There weren't enough water stations and I felt dehydrated for much of the race.  I'm pretty sure I'm sunburnt despite a generous application of sunblock and a hat. 

So given all those issues, being just 5 minutes slower than my very first marathon where I was better trained and ran in a cool cloudy 65 degrees throughout condition, this is a win in my book.  I even managed to average a 9:27 my last mile again. 

About the LA marathon itself: I'm glad that I did it since it was the very first one that I'd seen that inspired me to want to run a marathon, but I'm probably never running it again.  To the organizers' credit, with a field of 25,000, the course didn't seem overly crowded.  You were always running with people, yet you still always had room to run.  It also didn't take us overly long to get to the start.  I was expecting to wait nearly half an hour before I'd get to the start line, but I was there in less than 3 minutes.  I also appreciated the number of spectators that came out and supported us along the course.  BUT, it's still a field of 25,000, which made the logistics of this race a nightmare.  It took nearly an hour for my friend's parents to get through the traffic for the race just to pick us up.  The finish line was over 20 miles from the start, but there were no shuttles back to the start where I had parked my car.  The medal at the end was just okay, and the food at the finish line left MUCH to be desired.  With an early bird entry fee of $150 and given that LA is HOT, I much rather pass.  There are so many better races out there.  Flying Pig being one of them.

Quad Cities Half Marathon

Final time: 2:02:12 (PR)
10k split: 56:00

A lot of this marathon reminded me of the Flying Pig.  There was a marathon and a half marathon event that started out on the same course before the half marathoners turned off somewhere before mile 9.  There was also a relay component for the marathon.  They had a Pump N' Run event, and a shorter 5k event.  The course also traversed more than one state and ran across a couple of bridges and interstates.

We drove down Saturday afternoon and picked up my race packet.  Like the Flying Pig, swag included a poster of the Quad Cities marathon, but I declined the poster.  I was trying to give my Flying Pig one away to my sister even.  The shirt didn't feel like a dri-fit shirt, though the label claims otherwise.  It was soft, and made for a nice sleep shirt.  We also got a Quad Cities bandana. I chose a blue and green one to match the colors of the marathon.

All races except the kid's race started at 7:30am on Sunday in Moline, IL.  Our hotel was only a 5 minute drive away and AWAY from the race which meant very little traffic.  It was 42 degrees at the start, though expected to warm up to 50s mid morning and low 60s by noon.  I chose a sleeveless singlet to wear along with some capris, though I suspected I'd be too warm.  I got to the start shortly before 7am and was cold standing around, so I ducked inside a building until about 7:15am.  Then I lined up with the other runners and was surrounded by body heat.

It was crowded at the start.  Unlike Flying Pig which was strictly corralled, the Quad Cities allowed runners to line up according to what their perceived pace was.  Though there were pacers with signs, I felt they were spaced much too closely together.  The 2:10 pacer was really close to the 2:00 pacer, and I was planning to start between the two.  In the end, I chose to line up with the 2:10 pacer.  I find that starting with the 2:10 group and chasing the 2:00 group has worked well for me.  I crossed the start line with 1:20 on the clock.

Madison Mini-Marathon 2013

Bottle opener medal

Remember how I had all these plans to train for this half marathon?  Remember how I said I was going to do some speed training, some hill workouts?  Despite our lovely cool summer, I didn't train.  Instead, life decisions happened and I forgot about the running.  Well, I didn't forget so much as running and training just wasn't on my mind and as such, I forgot about the countdown toward the Mini-Marathon.  Instead, I stressed about moving and making life decisions.

So, I didn't have much expectations going in.  My legs were feeling much more fatigued than usual and I knew that was going to be an issue going in.  I had done some speed training on the treadmill this summer and hit some nice PRs in the shorter distance races, but I didn't put the time in to do any long distances.  I knew that I was likely to peter out by mile 8.

Capitol Mile

The Capitol Mile is put on by the Wisconsin Track Club.  You run 1.75 loops around the square for a net downhill course. They run 7 different "heats": Elite Women's, Elite Men's, Girls Youth, Boys Youth, Open Women's, Open Men's, and Masters. 

I hemmed and hawed about running this race.  I was downtown at Barrique's working when Barry stopped by around 3:30 asking if I was going to run my division of Open Women's at 4:15.  I had all my running gear in the car with me, but I couldn't decide if I felt like running a mile.  At 3:50, I decided to do it.  I grabbed my stuff, quickly changed and met him down at registration.  Because I hadn't decided to run this, I didn't plan my food intake particularly well.  I ate lunch at about 3pm, and I certainly felt it midway through the race.

There were only 7 of us in the Open Women's division.  It was incredibly small and somewhat amusing at the start when none of us wanted to be right at the starting line, asking each other if they want to be ahead.  This is very different than the Boys Youth group all jostling each other at the start line.

The last time I ran a mile and just a mile was back in high school when I was 15.  The fastest I've ever ran it then was at 8:00.  So I had no idea how to pace myself during this race.  I figured one mile, no big deal, I'll just go all out.  About 200 meters in, I'm running third in the pack and thinking to myself, "holy shit, I'm not this fast."  I pull back.  I turn a few corners and I'm climbing the hill back toward where we started.  Halfway up this hill, I hit the 1/2 mile marker and someone shouts 3:22.  Whoa, still way too fast.  And sure enough, I feel myself lose all gas at this point and some of that lunch shifting itself upwards.  The second half mile, people are passing me left and right, but I've little choice in the matter and nothing left to sprint with at the end.  I come in last.  Still, I finished it at 7:30 for a PR. 

Movin' Shoes Full Moon 5k

"Hot" black shirt.

 We were blessed with a cold spell this last week.  Temperatures dropped to the 70s during the day, and it was often cool enough at night to wish for a light jacket.  These was amazing temperatures for mid-July races.

The Full Moon 5k is put on by the Madison running shoe store, Movin' Shoes.  I've bought the last 4 pairs of running shoes there.  The shoe store puts on a number of races throughout the year including a Frosty 5k and a Elver Park 5k, but this is the first of their races that I've been to.  The race is limited to a field of 500 runners, which is plenty so that I was never alone on the course, but I also never felt crowded.  At only $20 race registration with technical shirt, blinking light and chip timing at the finish, this race is a much better choice in my opinion than the Electric Run.

The race starts at 9pm on a Thursday with packet pick-up over at Olin Park, which is actually about 3/4 mile from the start.  Barry and I parked down there, picked up our packets and t-shirts, hid from the storm cloud for about 20 minutes before we had a nice warm-up to the start.  I debated back and forth about a rain jacket.  There was a looming storm cloud that may or may not hit us, but when the rain never quite materialized before the start, I didn't bother.  It was just a bit too warm for a jacket anyway.  I did wear a hat to keep raindrops out of my eyes just in case.

By 9pm, the sun has set in Madison, and it's fairly dark.  Barry warned me of the speed bumps on the course with stories of when he tripped over one and then finished the race with blood dripping from his elbow.  The race directors provided us with blinking lights to attach to our persons, which I appreciated, but this I also left behind with the rain jacket.  It was darker than I had expected but the race directors lighted the course with blinking lights in the parts where street lights were lacking.

The course itself is beautiful.  We start on the west side of Monona Bay and run around it to Brittingham Park, cutting over to John Nolen and then back down to Olin Park for the finish.  Everybody who's ever lived in Madison knows that the drive around Monona Bay has some amazing views of the Madison Capitol and the skyline, especially at night in the summer when the bay glitters with the reflections of the lights.  The course takes us right toward and past this view.  These kinds of courses were designed as a love letter to Madison. 

Mineral Point Historical Run

I meant to write this post about the Mineral Point Historical Run that happened on the Fourth of July earlier, but I got started and then I sort of just forgot. So I'll do my best to recap.

I wasn't feeling the run at all on the morning of the Fourth. I slept late the previous night and got woken up much too early by chirping birds. Only about 3.5 hours of sleep before Barry picked me up at 6:30am. In my hazy not quite awake state, I managed to put on the proper clothes, but forgot to apply sun block or bring a hat. This was a mistake for July. At first I wasn't too worried since it's only a 5 mile run. I figured 50 minutes in the morning sun shouldn't be too bad. Nope, felt that sun beating down on me about 25 minutes into the run, and I started worry about sun burn.

I had been warned that it'd be a hilly course, but I thought it'd be good training. Unfortunately, only about a mile into the race, I started getting cramps. I began walking knowing that that was the only way I could expect to continue, but then I was kind of just done with the race. I just didn't want to run anymore. Eventually, I manage to convince myself to start running again, and I aimed to just pace with the people around me. By this point, there were very very few people around me.

In most races, I'm usually middle of the pack. I've never been far back enough or in races small enough where I needed to actually pay attention to the route markers. The Mineral Point Historical Run had two events, a 2 mile and a 5 mile. The 2 miler had about 150 participants, but the 5 miler only had about 80. I was occasionally in view of a couple of people, but when corners were quickly turned in succession, I had to follow the route markers or I'd be completely off course.

I came in 52:57, which is still under an 11 minute pace, but puts me in 77 out of 80 people. Poor showing, but I can't complain when I walked nearly half of the course. After the race, I went to bbqs and enjoyed good food with little guilt.

The Mineral Point Historical Run is a very small town race. We didn't even have bibs, just our name written on a slip of paper tucked into a ziplock bag, pinned to our shirts. Registration was expensive for what it was with the lack of food at the end, but it benefits the local Chamber of Commerce.

Fort Atkinson Half Marathon

The half marathon distance is probably my favorite distance.  I find that I never quite enjoy a run until I reach about mile 6.  I'm always amazed at what might have felt like a difficult first 6 miles suddenly becomes an enjoyable and easy run when I see that mile 7 marker.  It probably helps that come mile 7, I'm slowly and steadily passing people rather than struggling to keep up with those around me.  The miles start to feel like they're just flying by and I feel much more relaxed.  Barry said that running a half marathon always convinces him that he does not want to ever run a marathon.  For me, running the half marathon is what convinces me that I may want to run a marathon.

I ran the Fort Atkinson Half Marathon Saturday.  This is a small local race technically in its 4th year with a field of only about 350 runners.  I say technically because according to Barry, this used to be a 10k event for many years until they recently upgraded it to a half marathon distance.  There's also a 5k event that's new this year with only about 150 runners.  The half marathon started at 7am, and the 5k started 10 minutes later.  The fairly flat course took us through and around Fort Atkinson.  There were small bunny hills throughout, but I hardly noticed them.  It kept the course interesting without adding any real difficulty though I heard others disagreeing.

Syttende Mai 20 mile 10 mile run

Around the beginning of May, I signed up for the Syttende Mai 20 mile run.  This was before I had run the marathon, and I was ambitious.  There weren't many runs in general that are 20 milers, and I didn't really want to miss it.

But a week after the marathon, I was doubting it.  On a five mile run, something went wonky and my knee was giving me some issues.  Nothing serious, per se, but I noticed it when I had been sitting for a long time and put pressure on the kneecap by crossing my legs.  I started to rethink my choices.

Button to get into festival events.

Come Friday, I email the Stoughton Chamber of Commerce and ask to downgrade to the 10 mile run.  It took me a while to make that decision.  It was hard to determine if the reluctance to take on the 20 mile run was out of deference to the limits of my body and possible injuries or if it was a lack of faith and willingness to take on difficult tasks.  Ultimately, what convinced me was logistics.

The 20 mile and 10 mile run are both point to point.  The 20 mile run starts at the Capitol in Madison and ends in downtown Stoughton.  The 10 mile run starts at the midway point and has the same course.  There's also an untimed 17 mile walk that starts at the Badger Bowl.  The runs and the walk are both part of the Syttende Mai (Seventeenth of May in Norwegian) festival in Stoughton.  There are shuttles before and after the race that runs from Stoughton to Madison.  Since my friend Barry was running the 10 miler, I figured logistically, it'd make more sense to stick with him.

Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati

The Flying Pig Marathon has some really good reviews.  And I can't disagree with what others have to say, but I do really wish my first marathon wasn't on this course. 

Cincinnati folks are big supporters of the Flying Pig marathon.  There were so many people out on the course with entertainment.  Random strangers were standing on the side of the road, in front of their businesses or their houses handing out bottles of water, gummy bears, bananas, paper towels, etc.  There was constantly someone around cheering you on.  There are water stops at EVERY mile.  I had to skip a few to avoid taking in too much fluids.  I also liked that the water stops were placed in the middle of each mile.  It helped mentally to convince myself to make it first to the next mile marker, then the water stop, then the next mile marker.  I ran the last 6 miles that way. There were even non-race sponsored live entertainment.  It's a pretty awesome race if you're not focused on time.  It's also a scenic course.  The views at the top of the hill in Eden Park give a gorgeous outlook of the river.  At one point we even cross the bridge over to Kentucky for a couple of miles.  There's a course tour on the website that I should've read before running so I could recognize some of the major landmarks. 

Unfortunately, the course is also really really hilly.  Others online have said that the major hills are from about mile 3.5 to mile 8, and then after that it's gentle rolling hills.  I would disagree with that.  The hills after are anything but gentle.  And as a first time marathoner, come mile 22, I really needed flat road or downhills to carry me to the end and not have to dig deep to find the will to tackle yet another hill.   

Mad City 50k Relay

Does it still count as a PR if it was part of a relay?  I think so.

The Mad City 100k event is three races.  There is the 100k and 50k race for the hardcore ultra marathoners.  And then there's the 50k relay.  The instructions for the relay were simple.  At least 2 members for a team, and each member must do at least a 10k.  Age brackets were calculated based on aggregate age, with someone's age twice if they run two laps.  The 100k started at 6:30am and the 50k starts at 8am.

Ear warmers as race swag for the relay runners.

Barry suggested back in February getting a team together to run the 50k relay.  He suggested Ellie as a part of our team with Ellie doing one lap and me and him each doing two laps.  But Ellie wasn't sure she'd be in town that weekend, so we asked fellow runner and trivia teammate Joe to join us and run our fifth lap.  Come the day before, Barry and I reassessed our abilities to do two laps.  I'd been sick all week after my 20 miler and Arboretum Spring Sprint and hadn't gotten any miles in because of a sore throat.  The course for all three races was my beloved Arboretum loop. I've been training on the Arboretum loop for almost all of my runs outdoors, but I've always ran it in the "wrong" direction, i.e. I run it clockwise on a map so the mile posts count down rather than up. Joe warned me that the "correct" direction feels like quite a different course and the hills more difficult.  I tried the course the "correct" way Friday morning with 20 mph wind and hail blowing in my face.  I ran it in 1 hour and 20 minutes because I had to stop and walk.  Oh boy.  Barry had ran the course on Monday in 54:01, but he felt terrible after.  Neither he nor I felt sure about a second lap.  So Friday morning, after my trial run on the course, I asked Ellie again if she wanted to take a lap since she will be in town after all.  She thought about it, looked at her schedule for work and said, "ok," if she can take the first lap that starts at 8am so she can make it to work by 10:30am.  Hooray, Barry and I thought, and decided that he and I would flip for the last lap depending on how we felt after the first one tomorrow. 

20 miles and Spring Sprint at the Arb 5k

Last season's training for the half marathon had a motto.  It was, "make it to 13.1 miles."  I didn't follow any training plans.  I just ran with the idea that I had to be able to run the half marathon.  This season when I started training for the marathon, I decided to follow a training plan.  Part of the reason was because I wasn't ready to jump back into training and I knew I didn't have the motivation and gusto I had last spring for the half.  So the motto started out as, "stick to the plan." Well, that went out the window pretty quick.  Instead, this season's training motto has morphed to "listen to your body."

Last week, despite the 18 mile long run I had on the schedule, I skipped it.  My body was telling me that it does not want to go out there and run.  I went out there on Wednesday and started a planned 8 mile run.  Instead, 1 mile in I had to stop and walk.  My muscles were more fatigued than usual.  I was getting nauseous.  I did some mental math and knew that this was the week.  This was the week once a month where the running thing just doesn't work for me.  After a half mile walk, I felt a bit better and finished out the run with 6 miles, but I knew the long run wouldn't happen that week.

So I took it easy for the next 5 days and didn't run because I just didn't feel like it.  Unfortunately, the weather decided to take a downturn for the worst too.  It was cold, raining, freezing, and windy this week.  I ran a couple of times that week, but nothing of note.  Come Friday, I walked out that morning and felt great.  The weather felt warmer than I expected though it was still only 40, and I felt that today was my day for the 20 mile long run.

It's amazing how easy 15 miles can feel when my body feels ready for it.  Even one mile felt like the hardest thing ever when my body just doesn't want to run.  Mile 16-17 was hard though.  I hit the wall there and I slowed to a crawl.  But one foot after another and I started to find a second wind around mile 19.  Suddenly, I was nearing mile 20 and I was picking up my speed.  I thought to myself, "holy crap, did I just do that?"  3:35 on the clock. 

Saturday morning though, I had signed up for a 5k at the Arboretum.  Barry and I parked near Seminole highway and then walked about .9 mile on the trail to the start line at the Arboretum center.  I thought this would for sure be my slowest 5k yet.  My legs definitely felt tired from the 20 miler.  It was also chillier and windier than I anticipated.  Barry and I warmed up for about .5 miles, reassessed our clothing choices (I decided to go with a hat and gloves along with a light jacket), and waited at the start line.  It was a simple out and back and mile 2 was definitely the hardest.  I finished with 28:23.  Not a PR, but not my worst either.  And it was better than February's Valentine's 5k when I first started running again this season. 

Get Lucky Triple 7k (Half Marathon)

I had low expectations time wise for this half marathon.  I had been running at least one double digit run a week for the past month, and I didn't feel like my muscles were recovered enough for this.  I laid off on the Thursday 6 mile run that I had scheduled.  I knew I needed a couple more days.  While I still didn't reach my sub-2:00 goal, it was still a PR at 2:03:25.

At last year's Get Lucky Half Marathon, the weather at the start was a beautiful 60 degrees.  This year's temperatures at the start was a cold and chilly 22 degrees Fahrenheit.  I looked at the forecast for the whole week, and it seemed for a while that with Friday's high of 41, we might get at least into the mid or upper 30s for Saturday's race.  No such luck.  Friday never quite reached that high and instead had some snow in the evening.  The forecast for Saturday now read "26 degree high, with chance of snow in the AM."  I started wondering whether I should've sold my bib and let someone else run the race.

Awesome race swag:
hoodie instead of a T-shirt.

The Get Lucky event is two races in the Twin Cities, Minneapolis.  The 7k run is a loop that starts in Minneapolis, whereas the half marathon is an out and back course that starts and ends at the Ford Plant in St. Paul. I thought it was interesting that the start of the two events were actually 7 miles apart.  It actually worked out in my favor.  I was worried that this was going to be too big a race.  The website mentioned that they usually have about 12,000 people registered for this event. The 7k had about 10,000 people registered, and the half marathon 2700.  As it was, parts of the half marathon course were kind of narrow for the amount of people.

The other nice thing about the two separate races was that parking for the half marathon was super easy and free.  While one could opt for the paid parking in the Ford Plant, parking in the local residential neighborhood streets was just as easy.  I got there at about 7:10am and only parked a block away.

It was cold.  I had on 3 layers and planned to keep them all on during the race.  I also had my hat and my gloves.  After I gear checked an extra hoodie and pair of sweats for post-race, I started my warm-up with some easy jogging.  The warm-up actually kept my spirits up as I felt less cold once I started going.  I appreciated that the start line had nice large banners for estimated min/mile pace.  I lined up right before the 9:30 mile marker.  The pace teams also came out nice and early.

I decided right from the start that I wasn't going to try and keep with the 2:00 pace group.  I wasn't trying for a PR or goal.  I just wanted a good training run.  I wanted to run a smart race, one that I'll recover easily from and still be able to do my 16 mile training run 5 days later.  I told Ellie on Friday that I'm hoping for better than my worst half marathon time of 2:10, but I'd be happy with anything less than 2:20.  Throughout the race, I kept telling myself, "smart race, smart race, not a fast race." 

Fifty Furlong

I ran the 50 Furlong this past Saturday, with a slow slow time of 1:05:47.

I had an off week this past week.  I was in no mood to run and my body seemed to be telling me that it needed a break.  I was having a hard time recovering from my runs.  My legs felt constantly fatigued.  I ran 6 miles on Wednesday, and had plans to do 14 miles on Friday (with walk breaks) on Friday.  Unfortunately, I only got to mile 10 before I had to quit.  My legs were fatigued and though the walk breaks helped me get to 5 miles easily, the latter 5 were just as much a struggle as before.  Moreover, I ran it in my new shoes which were rubbing in all kinds of wrong places.  I knew I had rubbed through the skin on my heel by mile 6, but I kept going for 4 more before I decided to quit for good.  It was a rough 10 miles.

I had originally planned to do the 14 miles training run and skipping the 50 Furlong (or watching it as I ate a cheeseburger and drank a beer), but since I had only done 10 miles on Friday, I decided to run the 50 Furlong (in my old shoes, of course).  The temperature on Saturday was fairly warm in the upper 30s though there was quite a bit of headwind on the parts of the route back.

 The 50 Furlong is put on by the Hash House Harriers.  50 furlongs is the distance and it's 6.25 miles or roughly 10k.  It's a small race, at only about 50 people total.  Technically, it's a PR for me since it's the first race of that distance, but I'd be a bit embarrassed to list it as such.  I ran it very slowly, at about 10:30 min/mile.  I hadn't fully recovered from the 10 miles the day before, and I started to feel that fatigue by that first mile.  Moreover, the race course is SO incredibly hilly.  I ran the first couple of hills, but I had to walk up the rest of the hills.  The course was fantastic for training, but man, as a race, it was so mentally tough.  I feel like I've gotten soft with all my indoor running on flat tracks.  I need to get back on the road and run the rolling hills.  If only the weather would cooperate!

It's the Get Lucky half marathon this Saturday.  I'll do a couple of 10k loops around the Arboretum this week, but I'll generally keep it light.  I think one double digit run a week is sufficient.  Hopefully, I get right back onto my training schedule next week.  

Valentine's 5k

I ran the Valentine's 5k because I really needed another race to jump start me into the training for this marathon.  Upcoming races always motivate me out onto the pavement and get those miles in.  The Valentine's 5k is put on by the UW Running Club.  The cost of the race was only $5, which of course meant no chipped time.

We picked up our race bib at the UW Natatorium.  There was quite a bit of last minute sign up, but we were able to keep nice and warm waiting inside.  We had a bit of a chilly walk to the actual race start which was about 500 meters down the road for the Nat.  While we waited, they warned us at the start that the roads would be mostly clear of ice, but that when there was ice, it'd be about a 4-5 foot stretch.  An audible groan arose from the crowd.  I expected such conditions, but I wasn't looking forward to it. On the walk to the start, I met Charlie who told me about running the same race a few years back, slipped on an ice patch and fractured his hip.  Eeek!

Berbee Derby 2012

This is perhaps the first race for which the alarm clock inexplicably failed me.  I woke up literally a minute before my friend Barry called to tell me he was outside in the car waiting.  I told him I needed 10 minutes.  I threw on contacts and running clothes and headed out the door.  I counted on the weather being the 50+ it had been all week.  I did not count on wind.

After I crossed the finish line.

This is the 9th annual Berbee Derby.  The event happens on the morning of Thanksgiving Day and runners often don turkey hats on their heads.  I saw a couple of people dressed as M&Ms or carrots as well.  I think anything that might show up on your dinner table later that day makes for an appropriate costume.  The Berbee Derby has two events: a 5k run/walk and a 10k run.  It's an unexpectedly large event.  They were telling us at the start that there was something like 8000 runners.  I registered fairly late.  I wasn't sure I was going to do this run, and I kept procrastinating on the registration.  Come Monday, I'm down at the Copps on Fish Hatchery buying some Thanksgiving Day supply when I saw the Berbee Derby registration office.  I took that as a sign.  Half an hour later, I was registered.  They assigned me to wave B for the 10k, though I informed them to expect only a 10 min/mile pace out of me.  I wanted a workout on Thanksgiving Day, not so much a PR.  It's my first 10k race though so it's an automatic PR anyway.  As luck would have it though, this 10k is slower than the first "10k" at Lake Monona.

Cow Chip Classic 2012

Thankfully, not an actual cow chip for a bib.

I ran Cow Chip Classic back on September 1.  I didn't post about it because it was a last minute decision to run, and I didn't have a goal for this race. 

The Cow Chip festival takes place each year in Prairie du Sac, where people gather and watch people compete to see who can launch a cow chip the furthest.  The novelty of this festival lies in the fact that cow chips are dried cow dung.  Good ole Wisconsin with their cow tipping and dung throwing.  There is even a "tournament of chips" parade that goes through town with a "Trojan Cow" named Cowabunga.  She is a 13'6" tall cow whose head moves from side to side and lifts her tail for the "chip."  While entertaining, we were there that morning for the run/walk event.

The Cow Chip Classic has two distances: 5k and 10k.  The 5k and 10k starts together and takes the racers through a charming little downtown.  Then the 5k racers turn off  right before the 10k runners go up a daunting looking hill.  The event was small enough that there's only a timing mat at the end.  We all cross the finish line within seconds of each other.  I believe there is only about 900 or so runners total. 

Turkey Trot 2012

Sadly, not prime. 

This was my first trail race.

The Turkey Trot is a cross country race put on by MATC and held in Warner Park.  There are two options for the run: 5k and 5 mile. The 5k seemed to be the more popular choice, and there were only about 40 some runners for the 5 mile.  The 5 mile route does a 1.9 mile route before they end up on the same course as the 5k.

The route is actually really nice through wooded areas.  It's essentially two loops.  The first loop has a daunting looking hill that we approach head on, but on the second loop, the route takes us on a more gradual ascent up the same hill.  Turns out I totally prefer the first loop and facing that hill head on because then it's over in seconds.  A gradual uphill ascent takes a mental toughness that I had little of this morning.